Recently several prominent social and populist conservatives have attacked libertarianism. These conservatives, some of whom are allies in the fight against our hyper-interventionist foreign policy, blame libertarianism for a variety of social and economic ills. The...
protectionism
The Failure of Liberal Democracy in Europe
The New York Times podcast took a tour of Europe as only this show can do, with astonishing production values and depth of insight. It provided a fresh look at a creeping but dramatic shift in the shape of European politics. In Italy, Hungary, France, Germany, and...
5/31/19 Mike Swanson on Trump’s Trade War and the Current Bubble
Mike Swanson joins Scott to talk about President Trump's latest tariff announcement against Mexico. Trump and his team may think these trade policies are good for the economy, says Swanson, but they may also just be using the trade war as a way to shift blame...
Nationalism, the Ideological Delusion at the Heart of Protectionism
Every economic entity, whether it be an individual, a family, or a firm, faces a constant choice with regard to how it will secure the goods and services it desires in order to carry out its economic plans: make or buy? Most individuals and families give little...
Why American Culture Sucks, And Wilsonianism Is Garbage
Russia Jailing People For Fake News: According to Yahoo. So what do "we do about this?" America's Wilsonian evangelism of spreading liberal democracy through military power has always been bunk. So let's not even start. Even so, I have recently been on about...
Protectionism Abroad and Socialism at Home
One of the most insidious ways politicians expand government is by creating new programs to “solve” problems created by politicians. For example, government interference in health care increased health care costs, making it difficult or even impossible for many to...
How to Look at Tariffs
The best way to look at tariffs or import quotas or other protectionist restraints is to forget about political boundaries. Political boundaries of nations may be important for other reasons, but they have no economic meaning whatever. Suppose, for example, that each...
TGIF: A Public Choice Perspective on Trade
Let's say you could make a strictly economic case for government interference with people's trading activities, that is, with their ability to cooperate freely with others across the world. (I have no idea what "strictly economic case" even means, but stay with me.)...
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