James Buchanan on Methodological Individualism and the Market Process

A rigorous application of methodological individualism is perhaps what most separates the Austrian and Public Choice schools from most others. The idea that the individual should be the unit of analysis has spared public choice and Austrian economists from many of the mistakes of what might be called collectivist economics. The Austrians, for example, have exposed a great deal of macroeconomic nonsense due to the fact that Keynesian theory largely ignored aggregation problems.

Leftists Now Rushing to Defend CIA Torture Advocates

In the early 1960s, Ronald Hamowy criticized the American conservative movement for degenerating into a movement defending “the rack, the thumbscrew, the whip, and the firing squad.” The movement had become, Hamowy concluded, a party of knee-jerk allegiance to the American state in the name of fighting foreign threats, both real and imagined. 

Whether or not the American right is on the road to rehabilitation on this matter remains an open question. 

America: a Military Nation

Americans like to think of their country as different from those run by military regimes. They are only fooling themselves. Ever since the federal government was converted into a national-security state after World War II (without a constitutional amendment authorizing the conversion), it has been the Pentagon, the CIA, and the NSA that have run the government, just like in countries governed by military dictatorships.

How Entrepreneurs Wouldn’t Let a Beloved Car Brand Die

Aston Martin, “the noble company that’s been at death’s door more times in its long history than most”, in the words of one elegant British sporting journal, is going through one of the very best periods of its storied 105-year history, with a public offering being organized to crown a profitable run that has saved the day—yet again. In 2016, the carmaker, now based at sleek new Warwickshire digs a far cry from the leaky-roof “cottage” where it was camped out most of its life, hit record profits when just a year prior the company had reported close to $100 million in losses.

Brexit Has Reached the Point of No Return

The actual negotiations could easily run right up to the deadline in March 2019, when Britain is due to leave. If no agreement is forthcoming by that date, both sides might agree to extend negotiations, but that only seems likely if there is a good prospect of an agreement. Otherwise, Britain leaves and falls back on WTO trading rules, or does away with tariffs altogether. This is seen by the EU negotiators as a threat to Britain, believing it is Britain which is running out of time.