Liberty Squandered: The English Tradition from Magna Carta to Empire

The identity of a people often shapes the nature and trajectory of their government. In England, a deep-rooted belief in individual liberty has profoundly influenced the nation’s legal and cultural institutions, shaping English society from the early Middle Ages through the Industrial Revolution. This identity—forged through centuries of struggle and self-definition—established a legacy of individual rights, due process, and a balanced approach to law and order.

A Critique of Black Box Economics

A central debate in the philosophy of science concerns the purpose of scientific theories: should they aim to represent the world as accurately as possible or is it sufficient for them to produce useful predictions? Milton Friedman’s influential essay The Methodology of Positive Economics argues for the latter, suggesting that the primary goal of a theory is to generate accurate predictions, regardless of whether its assumptions reflect reality.

The Myth of the “Aguinaldo”

In Costa Rica, and in most Latin American countries (Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, etc.) the aguinaldo—a legally-mandated Christmas bonus—is an acquired labor right and is meant to provide workers with additional financial security. Unlike discretionary year-end bonuses in the United States, this one is an obligatory payment enforced by Costa Rican labor law.