The course is primarily designed for those who would like to learn the essentials of Rand’s thought; I encourage Objectivists and others who already have strong opinions about Rand to enroll in the course and debate the issues with me. Few activities are as much fun as philosophical arguments.
The WSJ reports that used car prices are soaring. “The price of used cars is just crazy right now,” said Adam Lee, chairman of Maine dealer Lee Auto Malls. His dealership is paying hefty sums for cars it normally might not purchase to have a full inventory. “It can be a piece of junk—cars we used to pay $2,000 or $2,500 for, we are now paying $5,200 to $5,500,” Mr. Lee said.
The year 1898 was a landmark in American history. It was the year America went to war with Spain—our first engagement with a foreign enemy in the dawning age of modern warfare. Aside from a few scant periods of retrenchment, we have been embroiled in foreign politics ever since.
Below is a letter to the editor I just sent in to The Economist in response to a pro-patent piece. I doubt they will publish it, but here it is.
***
Aggregates mean nothing to me, an acting man — an individual.
Regardless of what the politicized aggregates say, my market basket tells my story — a story of inflation.
In the past month: gas at my favored station is up 12%, with my desired in-store candy bar up 13%; milk at the convenient corner drugmart is up 16%; and my self-proclaimed fiscally conservative neighbors voted to raise my property taxes 20%.
That’s my market basket.
The fact is that it is their money pumping that is driving both GDP growth and commodities prices — but not the real economy.
[Excerpted from “Caging the Dogs of War,” Independent Review 13 (2), Fall 2008).]
