Although we Latin Americans thought Chile was immune to populism, small protests have grown into the largest ones since the nation’s re-democratization in the 90s. Initially, the protestors were groups of students complaining about a raise in the Santiago subway fare...
Economics
While You Were Watching the Impeachment Circus
by Michael Maharrey | Dec 21, 2019 | Economics, Featured Articles, Foreign Policy
Well, they did it! The House impeachment hearings were little more than political theater — a partisan fistfight with the majority party coming out the “winner.” In the process, it created the illusion of deep division and disagreement. Devoted Democrats and...
The 10 Worst State Laws Proposed and Passed in 2019
by Jon Miltimore | Dec 20, 2019 | Economics, Featured Articles
If you think silly and arbitrary bans are a thing of the past, think again. In April, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, proposed banning the popular video game “Fortnite,” saying it was irresponsible to allow kids to play it. “The game shouldn’t be allowed,” said the...
Paul Volcker: The Man Who Vanquished Gold
by Joe Salerno | Dec 20, 2019 | Economics, Featured Articles, Libertarianism
The flood of obituaries that noted the passing of Paul Volcker (1927–2019) last week have almost all lauded his achievement as Fed chair (1979–1987) in reining in the double-digit inflation that ravaged the US economy during the 1970s. Volcker was referred to as the...
The Federal Reserve is the Most Dangerous Enemy of the U.S. and its Economy
by Gary Barnett | Dec 19, 2019 | Economics, Featured Articles
“Banking was conceived in iniquity and was born in sin. The Bankers own the earth. Take it away from them, but leave them the power to create deposits, and with the flick of the pen they will create enough deposits to buy it back again. However, take it away from...
Good Economic Theory Focuses on Explanation, Not Prediction
by Frank Shostak | Dec 19, 2019 | Economics, Featured Articles
In order to establish the state of the economy, economists employ various theories. Yet what are the criteria for how they decide whether the theory employed is helpful in ascertaining the facts of reality? According to the popular way of thinking, our knowledge of...
How Excessive Federal Spending Sparked a Liquidity Crisis
by Craig Eyermann | Dec 17, 2019 | Economics, Featured Articles
Since mid-September 2019, the U.S. Federal Reserve has been fighting to contain a liquidity crisis in the nation’s money markets that was caused in large part by excessive spending by the U.S. government. That surge in spending was prompted by “the worst budget deal...
How Government is Preventing a North Carolina Doctor from Providing Low-Cost Care to Patients
by Bradley Thomas | Dec 17, 2019 | Economics, Featured Articles, Libertarianism
A North Carolina doctor suing the state to overturn a law preventing him from providing affordable MRI scans to patients recently won a small victory in court. In late November, a Wake County Superior Court judge ruled that Dr. Gajendra Singh’s challenge of North...