from FEE

Remembering Hayek’s Remarkable Nobel Lecture

2024-03-13T13:11:44-04:00

Stockholm fired a shot across the Establishment bow by recognizing Hayek, but it was an honor the great man from Vienna richly deserved.

Debunking All the Main Arguments for Antitrust Laws

2024-03-11T14:06:11-04:00

There are a lot of arguments put forward for antitrust laws, but they all have problems.

Samurai Who Weren’t Japanese

2024-03-10T08:00:35-04:00

Did you know that two of the most famous samurai in history were not Japanese?

The Great Ponzi Scheme

2024-03-08T09:00:54-05:00

It’s time to start raising the alarm on federal spending. In fact, it’s long past time.

A Robust Education Marketplace Means Some Schools Will Fail

2024-03-07T13:12:58-05:00

Sometimes, these new schools and spaces will fail, just as 20 percent of all U.S. businesses do within their first two years, and nearly half do within their first five years.

There’s Nothing Wrong with Non-compete Clauses

2024-03-07T09:00:12-05:00

When a person is hired to fix cars, he gives up what would otherwise be his right to play golf. And he is paid to relinquish his golfing. He voluntarily agrees to limit his options! It is hardly a coherent argument against employment that it entails no golf-playing on the job.

‘Laissez-Faire’ Sweden Had the Lowest Mortality in Europe From 2020–2022, New Analysis Shows

2024-03-06T11:00:24-05:00

For those who’ve forgotten, Sweden was excoriated by corporate media and politicians for its lighter-touch Covid-19 strategy.

Here’s a sample of headlines:

• “Why the Swedish Model for Fighting COVID-19 Is a Disaster” (Time, October 2020).

• “The Inside Story of How Sweden Botched Its Coronavirus Response” (Foreign Policy, December 2020).

• “Sweden Stayed Open and More People Died of Covid-19, but the Real Reason May Be Something Darker” (Forbes, 2020).

• “Sweden Has Become the World’s Cautionary Tale” (New York Times, July 2020).

• “I Just Came Home to Sweden. I’m Horrified by the Coronavirus Response Here” (Slate, April 2020).

Do Traffic Tickets Make Us Drive More Safely?

2024-03-06T09:00:36-05:00

One of the arguments for traffic violation fines is that they make the road a safer place, but does this hold up?

Regulating ‘Junk’ Fees Is Not the Way to Help Bank Customers

2024-03-05T09:05:58-05:00

The Durbin Amendment over-promised and under-delivered, and the same will be true for the policies the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is proposing today.

Myanmar Junta’s Decision to Impose a Draft Shows How Not to Run a Military

2024-03-04T16:05:22-05:00

Conscription is a violation of liberty and must be opposed by all who believe in the immorality of forced labor.

Wendy’s Denies ‘Surge Pricing’ Allegations, But What’s So Bad about Experimentation?

2024-03-02T11:22:20-05:00

For the sake of discussion, let’s say Wendy’s was in fact planning to go ahead with “surge pricing” as many people feared. Would this really have been such a bad thing?

Why the Meiji Restoration Was Pivotal for Japan

2024-03-02T09:00:28-05:00

In the 15 years that followed Commodore Matthew Perry’s naval venture, the grip of the military dictatorship in Tokyo declined. Civil war erupted. When the smoke cleared in the first few days of January 1868, the shogunate was gone and a coup d’etat ushered in a new era of dramatic change. We call it the Reform Period, or the era of the Meiji Restoration.

Breaking Down MMT’s Guaranteed Jobs Scheme for Fighting Inflation

2024-03-01T17:11:27-05:00

Supporters of MMT claim that a guaranteed jobs program wouldn't create inflation because the new money creation would be matched by an increase in production. But does production for its own sake really reduce inflation?

How Radical Leftist Activist Groups Have Captured the British Government

2024-02-29T11:55:22-05:00

The way it works is that leftist organizations identify as charities—which are really a trojan horse for radical leftist lobbying. The idea of a charity creates the image of a kind old lady selling cookies to raise money for cancer research, so the government gives them public money for their efforts. However, the reality is that these organizations are lobbying for a restriction of freedom and state expansion, and they are taking millions of pounds out of the taxpayer’s pocket to fund their campaigning.

Why Painting Without a License Could Soon Be Illegal in Minnesota

2024-02-28T10:34:21-05:00

The legislation would restrict the “sale of certain solvent-based paint materials to licensees; [establish] a paint contractor board; [and require] licensing for paint contractors and journeyworker painters.”

Schools With “Radical Politics” Must Be Tolerated in a Free Society

2024-02-27T12:08:34-05:00

Our role as libertarians can be to help convey the importance of pluralism to a free, flourishing, and harmonious society—while championing individualism over collectivism.

California’s Politicians Appear Determined to Bring ‘Atlas Shrugged’ to Life

2024-02-26T10:58:42-05:00

While wise leaders might see a declining population as a sign that they should change course, wisdom seems to be in short supply for the political elite in California.

The Ego vs. The Machine

2024-02-24T09:00:46-05:00

Here’s the hard pill to swallow: Your insecurities should not hold back the tide of innovation.

How a Facebook Joke That Sparked a SWAT Raid Resulted in a Major Step Toward Police Reform

2024-02-23T09:00:37-05:00

The entire purpose of government is to protect individual rights.

Qualified immunity does precisely the opposite.

Javier Milei Delivers Argentina’s First Surplus in Over a Decade—and US Media Is Silent

2024-02-22T09:01:00-05:00

The revelation that Argentina has done something the US government hasn’t done in more than two decades—run a budget surplus—seems like a newsworthy event. So why the silence?

Diogo Costa Named 12th President of the Foundation for Economic Education

2024-02-21T16:45:27-05:00

A 17-year veteran of the freedom movement, Diogo has a deep understanding of FEE’s philosophical principles and a proven track record at guiding organizations that teach these ideas and put them into action.

New Jersey's Plastic Bag Ban Backfire, Explained

2024-02-21T09:00:44-05:00

How could this happen?

“This shift in material...resulted in a notable environmental impact, with the increased consumption of polypropylene bags contributing to a 500% increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to non-woven polypropylene bag production in 2015.”

Breaking Down Tucker Carlson’s Interview With Vladimir Putin

2024-02-20T16:00:14-05:00

I was repulsed by Putin’s prevarications not because of some unwarranted bias or vested interest but because I dislike prevarications from wherever they emanate.

Why Not Deflation?

2024-02-20T14:19:39-05:00

The Federal Reserve's goal of 2% inflation seems to imply there is a downside to deflation. However, there are lots of good reasons to think falling nominal prices aren't such a bad thing.

Is the US Dollar 'Finished'?

2024-02-19T09:00:25-05:00

Is he right or wrong?

“The dollar is finished as the world’s reserve currency.”