Aeon J. Skoble is an outstanding political philosopher, and, to my mind even better, he has honored me by contributing an excellent essay, “Anarchy, Nozick, and Gordon,” to my festschrift, Defending Liberty.
The 2021 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded to David Card, Joshua Angrist, and Guido Imbens. David Card received the award for his paper (coauthored with Alan Krueger) “Minimum Wages and Employment: A Case Study of the Fast-Food Industry in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.” This was used by some as scientific proof that the minimum wage does not create unemployment and should be raised.
It’s a sure bet that as the economy worsens, unemployment surges, foreclosures rise, defaults climb, and economic misery ensues, we’ll be told it’s all capitalism’s fault. The question one must ask, however, is, “What capitalism?”
Myths are crucial for nations to develop a sense of identity and civic pride. In many countries, national myths are centered around the charisma of heroes. Heroes are depicted as phenomenal individuals who uplift society through their determination and self-sacrifice. An empirical survey conducted by Scott T. Allison and George R. Goethals demonstrated that participants associated heroism with eight adjectives: intelligent, strong, reliable, resilient, caring, charismatic, selfless, and inspiring.
