Among a certain species of “critical” historian, it is an article of faith that Europe’s remarkable economic ascent was built not on its institutions, not on liberty, not on commerce, but on the systematic looting of the rest of the world. In this telling—descended...
Economics
TGIF: Socialist Confusion
by Sheldon Richman | Aug 8, 2025 | Economics, Featured Articles, Justice, Libertarianism, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
Recent polls indicate that many people under 30 view socialism and communism favorably. (For Marx, those words were synonyms.) It seems that socialism and communism are "in." What's going on? A self-described "democratic socialist," Zohran Mamdani, won the Democratic...
How the Economy is Rigged Against You
by Thomas Eddlem | Aug 5, 2025 | Economics, Featured Articles, Politics
Young middle class workers are struggling financially, while everyone knows the billionaire class is doing quite well. The reason is because Washington has insidiously and thoroughly rigged the tax and regulatory system against the working poor and middle class,...
Think America Owes $37 Trillion? It’s Far Worse Than That
by Stark Realities with Brian McGlinchey | Aug 4, 2025 | Economics, Featured Articles
When asked how far the U.S. government has plunged into the red, many fiscally-conscious Americans will tell you the national debt has reached $37 trillion. As distressing as that official number is, America’s true fiscal situation is even worse—far worse. According...
TGIF: By Right or Permission?
by Sheldon Richman | Aug 1, 2025 | Economics, Justice, Libertarianism, Politics, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
"Trump administration approves sale of CBS parent company Paramount after concessions" —NPR If the deal struck by Paramount and President Donald Trump sickens you, your intuitions and perhaps your principles are in good working order. Make no mistake about what's at...
400 Ph.D. Economists vs. One Shiny Rock
by Jp Cortez | Jul 30, 2025 | Economics, Featured Articles
On July 21, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called for a full review of the Federal Reserve system. He said on CNBC’s Squawk Box, “I think what we need to do is examine the entire Federal Reserve institution and whether they have been successful.” It’s a completely...
Industrial Capitalism and Its Critics
by Joseph Solis-Mullen | Jul 28, 2025 | Economics, Featured Articles, History
The nineteenth century marked the most dramatic leap forward in human welfare ever witnessed. It was a century defined not by aristocrats or emperors, but by coal, cotton, contracts, and capitalists. In his lectures “War, Peace, and the Industrial Revolution” and “The...
TGIF: What Is Capitalism?
by Sheldon Richman | Jul 25, 2025 | Economics, History, Justice, Libertarianism, Politics, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
So, what is capitalism? The answer will depend on who's being asked. Language, like markets, basic law, and customs, is a spontaneous order. No one plans it. Words drift in their meaning in ways that probably can’t be fully explained. Language is a tool that people...