The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design. - F.A. Hayek
Posted in Property Rights on May 5th, 2008
A self-professed ”classically liberal” friend of mine continues to make the claim that. ”It is difficult to deny the relief to the mortgage borrowers once the pirates have helped themselves to the Treasury.” In other words, since the Fed and Treasury are taking actions to bail-out the major financial institutions (a terrible idea, I agree), then it […]
Posted in Classical Liberalism, Economic Illiteracy, Property Rights, Public Choice on Jan 1st, 2008
May the statists, stasists, technocrats, planners, idealists of all stripes consider the following during 2008 and beyond.
I will bear the burden of proof. Before advocating to grant a favored group or individual special privileges, or before imposing taxes and regulations on individuals or unfavored groups, I will recognize that the natural state of humans is […]
Posted in Property Rights on Oct 4th, 2007
OJ was recently released on bail while he awaits a trial date for his latest disaster. Much in our court system seems to be radicically violent to the sensibilities of anyone who values freedom: police are permitted to harass suspects without impunity, even if they are ultimately proven innocent; compulsory jury duty is a blatant enslavement […]
Posted in Property Rights on Oct 1st, 2007
From a story about Yahoo! in today’s Wall Street Journal:
As negotiations continue over who controls Yahoo’s front yard, the company has found itself caught at the intersection of two artist-friendly laws — one that made the company install art, and a second that essentially prohibits the company from messing with it.
Posted in Property Rights on Oct 1st, 2007
Andy Morriss, a law professor at the University of Illinois, sent a letter to the Financial Times yesterday in response to an article about over-fishing by EU nations. He speaks eloquently on the commons-problem, and how proper assignments of property rights can overcome the tradegy of overfishing and resource depletion.
However, he uses the individualized tradable […]
Posted in Property Rights on Jul 12th, 2007
In 2002, a five-year-old boy patented a method of swinging on a swing.
More here.
Posted in Classical Liberalism, Property Rights on Jul 12th, 2007
The US Supreme Court, in a 7-2 decision, rejected the claims of rancher Harvey Robbins who was suing government employees who trashed his property during a dispute over access to a road leading to a National Forest over his property.
As I read it, this decision is worse than the Kelo case in that:
The government no longer […]
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