Bradley Thomas | The Libertarian Institute

A Day in the Life of an American Serf

by Bradley Thomas | Apr 15, 2021 | Economics, Featured Articles

As another traditional April 15 tax day arrives, it reminds us once again of the financial burden and forced obligation the government places on our finances. So, how heavy is the yoke of taxation? We could throw around dollar amounts in the trillions, and break them down in many ways. But perhaps an even clearer picture of just how ever-present taxation is in our lives is to run down a typical day in the life of an American tax serf. (For the sake of brevity, this article won’t explore the horrific atrocities your tax dollars are used for, which has been well documented elsewhere.) Your day...

Biden’s Rescue Plan Includes Attack on State Sovereignty

by Bradley Thomas | Mar 24, 2021 | Featured Articles, Politics

Tucked into the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is a provision that could mark another major federal government intrusion into state sovereignty. The provision, using vague language, says that states cannot leverage the federal funds to “offset” tax cuts thru 2024, potentially barring states from cutting taxes for three years. In response, attorneys general from 21 states issued a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen asking for clarification. As reported in this March 16 AP News article, “In a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday, they called the prohibition...

COVID Relief to States is One Big Bailout

by Bradley Thomas | Mar 1, 2021 | Featured Articles, Politics

Earlier this year, 17 state treasurers signed on to a letter to Congress asking them to include $350 billion to cities and states as part of the latest COVID relief package, passed by the House of Representatives this weekend. In the letter, the signees declare that “tax revenues have plummeted” in their states, hastening the need for fiscal relief. But what do those states’ revenue figures actually look like? According to a February 22 analysis by the Kansas Policy Institute, “Collectively, those 17 states have a 1.8% increase in tax revenue for calendar 2020; nine states have higher...

How To Make Housing Less Affordable

by Bradley Thomas | Feb 15, 2021 | Economics, Featured Articles

Few things in life are more certain than the costs of something exploding whenever government embarks on programs to make them “affordable.” It took just five years after the passage of the “Affordable Care Act” for insurance premiums on the private market to more than double. In the 1940s, the GI Bill kicked off decades of federal government’s increasing involvement in making college more affordable. The result? Since 1985, college costs have soared by 538%, nearly five times overall inflation during that time. And so it goes with housing. The highly regulated—and Federal Reserve fiat...

Does Oregon’s Decriminalization Signal An End to the War on Drugs?

by Bradley Thomas | Feb 6, 2021 | Criminal Justice, Featured Articles

Oregon became the first state to decriminalize possession of otherwise illegal drugs. According to this Feb. 1 Associated Press article, “Police in Oregon can no longer arrest someone for possession of small amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, LSD, oxycodone and other drugs as a ballot measure that decriminalized them took effect on Monday.” Instead of being arrested, those found in possession “would face a $100 fine or a health assessment that could lead to addiction counseling.” That such a measure was approved by Oregon voters is an encouraging sign that more people are waking up to the...

How Not To Argue Against the Minimum Wage

by Bradley Thomas | Jan 26, 2021 | Economics, Featured Articles

Among the hotly contested list of Joe Biden’s promises is an increase of the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. There are plenty of sound reasons to oppose government minimum wage laws, but there is one objection making the rounds that is based on bad economics and should be avoided, and that’s the “businesses will pass on the costs to consumers, making cheap goods more expensive” objection. For instance, a now-deleted tweet by someone claiming that a $15 an hour minimum wage will cause Taco Bell burritos to explode in costs was shot down in short order by the tweet below. Scrolling...

Is ‘Equality’ A Worthy Goal?

by Bradley Thomas | Dec 29, 2020 | Featured Articles, Libertarianism

Probably the most frequently used non-COVID buzzword in 2020 was the term “social justice.” You couldn’t escape it. From the George Floyd protests turned riots, even to the world of sports, the notion of social justice and its key component—equality—was everywhere. I can just imagine the late great Murray Rothbard cringing upon turning on a basketball game only to see the word “equality” emblazoned on the backs of players’ jerseys. Indeed, one of Rothbard’s most iconic essays was his 1974 tract entitled “Egalitarianism as a revolt against nature.” Egalitarianism, as defined by...

Why Elections Do Not Represent the ‘Will of the People’

by Bradley Thomas | Nov 10, 2020 | Featured Articles

As lawsuits are being filed to challenge the results of this year’s “most important election of our lifetime,” the pundits and talking heads of the political class will repeatedly remind us that election results reflect “the will of the people.” They couldn’t be more wrong. There are several reasons why, beginning with the fact that there is no such thing as a singular will of “the people.” The United States consists of more than 330 million unique individuals with different preferences, priorities, and goals in life. There is no singular “will” of such a large and diverse group of people....

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