[Robert Nozick by Ralf M. Bader (Continuum, 2010, xii + 136 pp.)]
Ralf Bader—a distinguished Swiss philosopher and authority on Kant—wrote an excellent guidebook to Robert Nozick’s Anarchy, State, and Utopia (ASU) in 2010, and in this week’s article, I’d like to discuss some of Bader’s central arguments.
On the Joe Rogan Experience, and in a recent discussion with James Lindsay, Jordan Peterson warned of “dark tetrad” psychopaths on social media–individuals with Machiavellian traits who opportunistically adopt ideas and play power games.
A Gallup survey taken in March this year found only 46% of Americans expressed support for Israel (the lowest level in 25 years of Gallup’s annual tracking).
Some economists hold that one cannot trust the market economy, which is seen as inherently unstable. If left free, the market economy could lead to self-destruction. Hence, there is the need for the government and the central bank to manage the economy. Successful management, in this way of thinking, is done by influencing overall spending.
A ZeroHedge.com article published on December 20, 2024, entitled, “Top 20 Companies Benefitting from Government Subsidies” captures the billions of dollars of different types of US federal, state, and local subsidies received by each publicly-owned company from 2000-2024.
“Don’t Be A Panican” is a memeable mantra adapted from a Truth Social post released by the President during the market turmoil triggered by the threat of a broad-sweeping tariff policy. While the panican meme is comical and jovial, its sentiment carries a more insidious undertone.
Founded 54 years ago, Amtrak set out on a bold adventure to see if passenger trains could be profitable. Fast forward to today, this experiment has been unsuccessful. Politicians have often crafted routes to win votes rather than attract riders. As a result, Amtrak has been squandering taxpayer money since its start in 1971.
April 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Yale University economist William D. Nordhaus’s “The Political Business Cycle” (April 1975) in The Review of Economic Studies.
