Homines libenter quod volunt credunt
Posted in Environment, Property Rights on Jun 14th, 2011
I mean it. I decided this summer to go to my library and take out every single Green Alarmist, Malthusian, anti-capitalist environmental book I could find.I’ve read several throughout my life, but all of them before I learned economics. I wanted to read the new stuff, and revisit the old stuff, not only with an […]
Posted in Economic Illiteracy, Government Thuggery, If I Really Hated the Poor ..., Property Rights on Feb 28th, 2011
Michael Graham describes the apoplexy of Boston’s Mayor Menino in regard to Walmart’s proposed entry into downtown: Wal-Mart does not suit the clientele we have in the city of Boston,” Menino said. “I don’t need employers like that in our city. Read the whole piece. Menino’s position is nothing short of hateful and tyrannical. Graham […]
Posted in Property Rights on Nov 25th, 2010
I wrote this for Thanksgiving last year. Didn’t get around to a new article for this year, but I hope you can enjoy this “reprint.” Four centuries after the celebration of the first Thanksgiving, there is still widespread disagreement about the reason for the Pilgrims’ feast. But whether it was a harvest festival, a strictly […]
Posted in Property Rights on Nov 12th, 2010
Many innately “useless” objects in society seem to have great exchange value, much to the consternation of the cultural stewards. For example, there is a thriving market for tiny plastic ornamentation to decorate your rubber sandals with. I argue elsewhere that this is not “useless,” but that is not the focus here. Consider why Jibbetz […]
Posted in ethical foundations, Property Rights, Socialism on Oct 12th, 2010
At what point does the production of wealth create a moral obligation to be happy about having some of that wealth plundered by the “enlightened progressives?” For years, classical liberals have crafted sensible arguments for the sanctity of private property on moral, economic and practical grounds. These are ignore, no matter how sound they are. […]
Posted in Property Rights, Socialism, Taxation on Sep 20th, 2010
Tyler Cowen weighs in on a debate “raging” regarding the complaints of a rich guy about his impending (increasing) tax bill: Oddly — or perhaps not — it’s the people who feel they deserve their money who are the most likely to give it away. I’m not going to weigh in. Rather, I’ll ask, is it OK […]
Posted in Property Rights on Sep 16th, 2010
My unwritten policy at the Unbroken Window is to typically not comment on issues like this. But I think enough time has passed to put an economist’s perspective on the issue and have it heard without shuffling quickly to another web site. Ignore the passions for now, ignore the 9-11 issue, ignore the religious discrimination, […]
Posted in Property Rights, You Can't Have it Both Ways on Sep 8th, 2010
Many non-liberals (in the classical sense, not the modern sense) construct elaborate arguments aiming to rebut the primacy of self-ownership and thus that a liberal order (i.e. a social “system” that is permitted to emerge through voluntary exchange and contract) is unjustified either on that ideological ground or on some contrived argument about the undesirability […]
Posted in Environment, Property Rights on Sep 7th, 2010
A little less love and a lot more property is in order. Read the Economist story.
Posted in Property Rights, You Can't Have it Both Ways on Sep 6th, 2010
If you view the world as one where the evil capitalists are exploiting the workers, I am pretty sure you would hold the view that workers have a right to withhold their services from employment. A corollary to that view is that workers have a right to bargain for a greater share of the pie […]
