By Ninos Malek The so-called “Big Tech” monopolies are uniting politicians and media pundits from both the left and right. Whether the argument is “too much power” or “censorship,” both sides have problems with these monopolies. Leftists claim that free market capitalism leads to a concentration of power leading to exploitation of consumers. They also oppose subsidies and … [Read more...] about Market Competition Is the Best Solution for Big Tech Power
Politics
Exposed: Congressman Trying to “Shut Down” Cryptocurrency Gets Biggest Donations From Big Banks and Financial Institutions
By Brad Polumbo Millions of Americans have bought into forms of digital, decentralized money known as cryptocurrency, valuing its privacy and independence from government meddling. Naturally, politicians in Washington want to rain on the parade and shut down the newfangled currencies— like Bitcoin and Ethereum—that are beyond their control. One of the biggest opponents of … [Read more...] about Exposed: Congressman Trying to “Shut Down” Cryptocurrency Gets Biggest Donations From Big Banks and Financial Institutions
F.A. Hayek on “the Supreme Rule” That Separates Collectivism From Individualism
By Lawrence W. Reed Born in Vienna on this date (May 8) in 1899, Austrian economist and political philosopher Friedrich August von Hayek lived to see almost the entirety of the 20th Century. He won a Nobel Prize for Economics in 1974 and died in 1992 at the age of 92. The 20th was perhaps the most collectivist century since the Incan Empire of the 16th—a tragic irony … [Read more...] about F.A. Hayek on “the Supreme Rule” That Separates Collectivism From Individualism
Is Individualism vs. Collectivism the New Left vs. Right?
By Nicholas Baum When we normally think of the “political spectrum,” we picture a linear scale extending in opposite directions. The left side we think of as “liberal” or “progressive,” and the right side we consider “conservative.” We like to use this one dimensional map as a way of comparing and contrasting different ideologies and beliefs, simplifying the complexities … [Read more...] about Is Individualism vs. Collectivism the New Left vs. Right?
Local Sensitivity and the Value of Decentralization: Understanding Why Tyranny Is More Common in Centralized States
By Sukhayl Niyazov In big and diverse countries, it is important that smaller units adapt their laws to the local peculiarities and specifics of the economic and public health situation. That is why Donald Trump, when announcing the plan to get America back to work, allowed for states to decide when to reopen, for a single nationwide lifting of restrictions will prove to be … [Read more...] about Local Sensitivity and the Value of Decentralization: Understanding Why Tyranny Is More Common in Centralized States
Local Kroger Stores Close as California “Hero Pay” Ordinance Backfires
By Brad Polumbo A new “Hero Pay” mandate in Long Beach, California has inadvertently cost some frontline grocery workers their jobs. “Ralphs and Food 4 Less, both owned by the parent company Kroger, announced Monday that they will be closing 25% of their stores in Long Beach after the city council passed an ordinance requiring companies with over 300 employees nationwide … [Read more...] about Local Kroger Stores Close as California “Hero Pay” Ordinance Backfires
The Only Way To Win Is Not To Play
By Joakim Book When the melting pot has stopped melting and started stirring, you need to try something else. America was always the land of opportunity, where working hard meant getting ahead and doing well was not just allowed but encouraged. Where you could mind your own business and where your right to believe the craziest of things was routinely accepted and then … [Read more...] about The Only Way To Win Is Not To Play
The Streetlight Effect: When People Look Within The System For Solutions To The System
By Caitlin Johnstone A policeman sees a drunk man crawling around on his hands and knees at night and asks what the problem is. The drunk man says he’s trying to find his keys, so the officer gets down and starts searching with him. For a few minutes they crawl around hunting for the missing key ring by the light of the street lamp before the policeman stands up … [Read more...] about The Streetlight Effect: When People Look Within The System For Solutions To The System
Don’t Confuse Free Markets with the Interventionist State
By Richard M. Ebeling When most people put on their “reality” hats about politics, there are few among them who do not cynically see the power-lusting, the corruption, and the hypocrisy in most of what is said and done by those running for or sitting in political office. A constant point of dispute and disagreement is over how and why it is that governments have this … [Read more...] about Don’t Confuse Free Markets with the Interventionist State
How is COVID-19 Affecting the Global Economic Order?
Supply chains collapse, companies are facing bankruptcy, and mass unemployment ensues. Covid-19 has triggered a global financial crisis and is forcing states to develop rescue packages on a scale not seen before. In addition, the crisis has called into question the US dollar's hegemony and could redefine the global monetary system. A team of researchers from the Institute for … [Read more...] about How is COVID-19 Affecting the Global Economic Order?
How Many Lives Will Politicians Sacrifice in the Name of Fighting COVID-19?
By Bradley Thomas During the current coronavirus lockdown, I’d pay good money to see just one public official be asked: “How many lives are you willing to sacrifice to prevent one coronavirus death?” Thomas Sowell has repeatedly written that in a world of scarcity there are no solutions, only tradeoffs. The lockdown debate has thus far focused on that tradeoff as one … [Read more...] about How Many Lives Will Politicians Sacrifice in the Name of Fighting COVID-19?
Community Schools Are Not the Antidote to Charter Schools
Op-Ed by John Klyczek Democratic presidential candidates, such as Elizabeth Warren, have pledged to fix the American education system by replacing privatized charter schools with “community schools” that incorporate “socioemotional-learning (SEL)” programs. These “Democratic” community schools, which teach “social skills” and “emotional competencies,” might sound like … [Read more...] about Community Schools Are Not the Antidote to Charter Schools