By Jeffrey A. Tucker It’s a rule of social and political movements that they cannot fully control the outcome of their efforts. Actions cause reactions, many of them unanticipated and certainly unintended. This is because no group, no matter how powerful, can control the human minds of others not part of their cause. This is … Continue reading Five Ways the Charlottesville Marches Backfired
Category: Liberty
If libertarians were in charge of legalizing marijuana, their first instinct would be to reach for an eraser. That is, libertarians would simply eliminate existing laws that outlaw marijuana, rather than “design” the marijuana market by establishing a licensing board, capping the number of legal marijuana retailers, and the like. Actual state marijuana legalizations, however, … Continue reading Don’t License Marijuana, Legalize It
One of the most common phrases to be heard from “the left” is the assertion that someone or some public policy is or is not on “the right side of history.” It has almost become a mantra by those who disagree with, hate, or are fearful of ideas and policies proposed by those generally characterized … Continue reading Marxists Are Not on the ‘Right Side of History’
When I went to graduate school to study the 16th and 17th centuries, I was often asked how that ancient history could possibly be relevant to life in the 21st century. As I’ve had more than one occasion to note, the early modern era seems more relevant all the time. This week provided another stellar … Continue reading Bernie Sanders Is Asking the Wrong Question about Religious Liberty
We tend to demonize people who make money – how dare they have more than us? But that negative reaction forgets the voluntary role we play in profit-making every day. This week in Words and Numbers, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan discuss just how good it is to earn a profit, and the vital … Continue reading Earning Profits Is Your Social Responsibility
Education reporters frequently make the claim that government ought to fund and operate educational institutions because schooling is a public good. However, since schooling fails both conditions required for a public good to exist, schools should not be publicly operated. Schooling is Not a Public Good According to the economic definition, a public good is non-rival in consumption and non-excludable. … Continue reading Governments Shouldn’t Even Fund Schools
1. HE WAS BORN IN IOWA Newton, Iowa, to be precise—a town of some 15,000 residents in the middle of the Hawkeye State. 2. HE WAS A PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER From 1965 to 1967, Murray volunteered for the Peace Corps, working for Thailand’s Ministry of Health. 3. HE STUDIED HISTORY (NOT POLITICAL SCIENCE) AT HARVARD … Continue reading Charles Murray: 9 Facts You Might Not Know
Politicians seem increasingly likely to (falsely) assert that “hate speech is not protected by the First Amendment.” The mayor of Portland, Oregon, just did so following anti-Muslim violence in his community. Former governor and Democratic Party official Howard Dean said the same last month. The Washington Post does a good job of showing why the claim is false. Courts … Continue reading Hate speech is protected free speech.
When it comes to threatening the free speech rights of American citizens, progressives have largely been the culprits at the federal level. Yet increasingly, Republican state legislators have taken up this crusade. Last month, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez rightly vetoed a Republican-supported bill that would have forced nonprofits to disclose their supporters’ personal information, saying it … Continue reading Politicians use anti-speech ‘disclosure’ laws to hunt innocent citizens
In the New York Times, Niki Kitsantonis writes, “It may seem paradoxical, but Greece’s anarchists are organizing like never before.” No. Anarchists – the sensible ones, at least – are not against organization. They are against rule – against ruling and against being ruled. Merriam-Webster explains the derivation of the word: “Medieval Latin anarchia, from Greek, from anarchos having … Continue reading Greek Anarchists Provide Services the State Doesn’t
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