An electoral weakness for anyone who advocates more freedom—i.e., smaller government—is that such a position can be easily demagogued as a selfish threat to many voters. Their continued government benefits depend on the continuation of someone else being forced to pay for them, typically “the rich,” making any rollback in “coercive charity” almost impossible politically. Yet, ironically, the result of such demagoguery is counterproductive, because more freedom offers the best hope--and the only just one--for those struggling economically.

In 1958, Foundation for Economic Education guiding light, Leonard Read, presented a series of lectures in Argentina against the backdrop of an economy decimated by mis-government which shares a great deal with the same country six decades later. The lectures became a small book-- Why Not Try Freedom?—an excellent encapsulation of Read’s thought.

In the year 2018, it is not remotely shocking to see media attention shift seamlessly from reality show villains to former CIA directors. The Trump Administration’s announcement that it has revoked the security clearance for John Brennan, America’s former Communist-sympathetic spymaster, naturally resulted in a race to see who among the professional political class could be most dramatic in their condemnation.

The Colorado Civil Rights Commission is at it again. It’s going after Masterpiece Cake Shop owner Jack Phillips for refusing to “make a cake with a pink inside and a blue outside, celebrating a gender transition from male to female.”

This comes only months after the US Supreme Court ruled against the Commission’s regulatory attack on Phillips for not baking a cake for a gay wedding.

Neo-banking authors devote strong efforts to historical studies which they intend to support the thesis that a free-banking system would protect economies from cycles of boom and depression, owing to the “monetary equilibrium” mechanism. Nevertheless the empirical studies produced thus far have not focused on whether free-banking systems have prevented credit expansion, artificial booms and economic recessions.

When it comes to the immigration debate, very few people advocate for either totally closed borders or totally open borders. However, as soon as it is admitted that at least some movement across borders ought to be allowed — or that at least some of the migrants are to be regulated — the question quickly arises: which migrants are to be allowed, and which are to be prevented entry?

This week President Trump signed the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, increasing America’s war budget to a whopping $717 billion. For comparison, this is roughly equal to the next 11 highest military budgets combined.