The Three Stooges of Inflation

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently announced that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.5 percent in January, its biggest increase in nearly a year. The CPI core rate, which excludes energy and food prices — like any of us can go without gasoline or food — rose 0.2 percent. Both increases surprised analysts, but normal people — people who actually pay money for goods and services — weren’t surprised.

No More Road Socialism

Whenever I engage anyone in a discussion about getting rid of government, the first question I’m posed with is: “what about the roads?” “How would that work? I mean, if private enterprise owned the roads, then the road owners would jack up the price to point where we couldn’t leave our homes.” As if that’s what private firms do: raise prices to the point where no one can afford their products.

We Need Mencken Now

Imagine an America when a writer occupied the rarified air in the public consciousness that movie stars and athletes do today. A man who believed first and foremost in freedom, writing: “I believe that all government is evil, in that all government must necessarily make war upon liberty.”

Larry Sechrest, 1946-2008

Our dear friend Larry Sechrest, professor of economics at Sul Ross University, and a long-time writer and speaker for economic liberty, died this morning (October 30, 2008). He was born in 1946. The cause was heart failure, and he died with his wife Molly by his side.

Is the Supreme Court Supreme?

If Congress has the power to restrain the Supreme Court, should it use it? Would not doing so remove a necessary check on Congress? William J. Quirk does not think so. In his view -a Jeffersonian one - Congress is the dominant branch of the American government; unlike the courts, it is directly subject to the will of the people.

The Eurotariff for Roaming Services

Cell phone companies in Europe have long been free to set retail prices for their services. What’s more, two or more companies are permitted to provide services. For these reasons, the market is competitive, relative to regular telephones. So, it was shocking to see the European Commission regulate the price of roaming services last year. Are the EC’s claims of success valid?
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