Arguments Against Anarchy
Government has no magic powers or authority not possessed by private individuals. Let he who asserts that government may do that which the individual may not assume the onus of proof and demonstrate his contention.
Is Public Housing Necessary?
The problem is that there are not enough dwellings to satisfy the demand at prevailing prices. And the fact is that someone has been interfering with prices.
Wage Earners and Employers
It is a myth that there prevails a conflict between the interests of the corporations and firms and those of the people employed by them. In fact, good profits and high real wages go hand in hand.
The Patent, Copyright, Trademark, and Trade Secret Horror Files
As noted here, “Ayn Rand’s newsletters used to end with a “Horror File” of monstrous but true quotations.”cen
Along those lines, it’s time to collect some choice trademark horror stories in one place. I’ll update this from time to time; feel free to add suggestions in the commcents. (Update: I have modified this post to also include outrageous examples from patent, copyright, and trade secret law. See below.)
New Book: Innovation, Intellectual Property, and Economic Growth
The new book Innovation, Intellectual Property, and Economic Growth, by
Christine Greenhalgh & Mark Rogers, looks interesting:
The Bailout of Greece and the End of the Euro
“If the interest rate Greece has to pay for its debts keeps rising, the country may have to default on its obligations.
The euro has been sliding against the US dollar for weeks. Concerns about the public finances of eurozone countries Portugal, Ireland, Greece, and Spain, the so-called “PIGS,” have emerged in financial markets. Greece is facing the severest crisis, with its 10-year bond yield approaching 7%. The Greek government estimates its budget deficit at 12.7% of GDP in 2009.
Unplanned Planning
In America, free men were to have an opportunity to live their lives, plan their own affairs, and work with one another — not under the lash of coercive authority but under the discipline of enlightened self-interest and moral responsibility.
The Depression Is Not Over
Real GDP increased at an annual rate of 5.7% in Q4 after rising by 2.2% in Q3 — the quickest pace in more than six years. This was above Wall Street economists’ forecast for a 4.6% increase in Q4. The yearly rate of growth of real GDP climbed to 0.1% in Q4 from −2.6% in Q3.
White on Hayek
Russ Roberts’ podcast interview with Larry White is a fascinating listen.
White is one of the leading experts (along with Roger Garrison and Gerry O’Driscoll) on Hayek’s monetary thought. Roberts has developed into an outstanding interviewer, asking penetrating questions and making timely comments but allowing the interviewee to shine.
Big Business in Politics
Rome set the example to modern Germany of making war profitable. In the half-century following the fall of Carthage, fifty million dollars in tribute and plunder drained into Rome. This sum gave a great opportunity to energetic men.
