Daily Articles

The Perils and Pitfalls of Political Paternalism

by Richard M. Ebeling December 23, 2019

Across the spectrum of differing political views, whether “progressive,” “nationalist,” “populist,” or “conservative,” there is a common presumption in all of their policy positions and programs. That common dominator is the premise that government is to be the guiding hand in directing and remaking society in some chosen form, to which and within which all in that society are ...

How Would Jesus Fare in the American Police State?

by John W. Whitehead December 20, 2019

Once upon a midnight clear, there was a child’s cry, a blazing star hung over a stable, and wise men came with birthday gifts. We haven’t forgotten that night down the centuries. We celebrate it with stars on Christmas trees, with the sound of bells, and with gifts… We forget nobody, adult or child. All the stockings are filled, ...

The Miracle of the Free Market

by Richard M. Ebeling December 17, 2019

One of the great fallacies arrogantly believed in by those in political power is the notion that they can know enough to manage and command the lives of everyone in society with better results than if people are left to live their own lives as they freely choose. The fact is, there is far more in the world that successfully ...

Wasserman’s Twisted Tale About the Austrian School of Economics

by Richard M. Ebeling December 12, 2019

The Austrian School of Economics has been one of the most original and insightful approaches to economic understanding over the last century and a half. The Austrian School is also widely identified with the classical liberal ideal of individual liberty and free markets. Indeed, several of the Austrian economists have been considered to be among the most consistent and ...

Betraying the Constitution

by John W. Whitehead December 10, 2019

“It is the responsibility of the patriot to protect his country from its government.”—Thomas Paine While Congress subjects the nation to its impeachment-flavored brand of bread-and-circus politics, our civil liberties continue to die a slow, painful death by a thousand cuts. Case in point: while Americans have been fixated on the carefully orchestrated impeachment drama that continues to monopolize headlines,

A Progressive Case for Free Trade and against Protectionism

by Laurence M. Vance December 9, 2019

Conservative free-traders who support Donald Trump don’t talk about trade much anymore. To do so would mean that they have to criticize the president — an economic nationalist with a mercantilist mindset whose ignorance and incoherence on trade knows no bounds — and risk being labeled “Never Trumpers.” Since Trump’s election and the imposition of his protectionist trade policies, other ...

Socialism and the Green New Deal are Economically Impossible

by Richard M. Ebeling December 6, 2019

The Spanish philosopher, George Santayana (1863-1952) is usually credited with the phrase, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Nowhere is this truer than with the renewed idea and demand for the establishment of a socialist economic system. A noticeable number of intellectuals inside and outside the ivy tower of academia, as well as a vocal ...

Should There Be a Federal Cap on Interest Rates?

by Laurence M. Vance December 5, 2019

Although every state has laws that limit the rate of interest that can be charged on loans, there exist broad exemptions, exceptions, and loopholes based on the type of lender or borrower, the loan amount, the nature of the loan contract, or the subject of the loan contract. Some lenders have found a way to get around those laws. According to ...

Freedom and Prosperity: The Importance of Sound Money

by Jacob G. Hornberger December 1, 2019

Sound money is a key to a free and prosperous society. That principle was clearly reflected in the monetary system that the Constitution established when it called the federal government into existence. Our ancestors didn’t trust government officials with power. They believed that the greatest threat to their own freedom and well-being lay not with some foreign regime but rather ...

Gun Seizures Could Lead to Civil War

by James Bovard December 1, 2019

“Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15,” declared “Beto” O’Rourke at a Democratic party presidential candidate debate in September. Compelling Americans to surrender their so-called assault weapons is “the newest purity test” for Democratic presidential candidates, according to the Washington Post. O’Rourke and other Democratic presidential candidates, including Cory Booker, Kristin Gillibrand, and Bill de Blasio (now withdrawn ...

Unlibertarian Libertarianism

by Laurence M. Vance December 1, 2019

Just like liberals, conservatives, progressives, populists, and constitutionalists — but certainly not as bad — libertarians are not always consistent when it comes to libertarianism. In fact, what some libertarians propose is unlibertarian libertarianism. Libertarianism Libertarianism is the philosophy that says that people should be free from individual, societal, or government interference to live their lives any way they desire, pursue ...

Understanding the Freedom We Have Lost

by Richard M. Ebeling December 1, 2019

Few people can really understand what life is like in a totalitarian state unless they have lived there or have had the opportunity to visit such a society for an extended period of time. For most Americans it seems like an impenetrable world that is not easily comprehended. How can you imagine living in a society with virtually none ...