Here is a fascinating account of how a journalist for a socialist newspaper ended up taking a class in economics—and learning more about the way the world works than he expected to. Austrians will note that most of his criticisms apply not to Austrian theory but to a narrow brand of Chicago-style theorizing. Still, one can expect that the writer would have had an even more negative view of the Austrian school and its policy radicalism.
I’m sure most readers of this blog are familiar with Julian Simon’s wager with Paul “The Population Bomb” Ehrlich. For those who don’t know, Simon let Ehrich pick any five metals in 1980, and he bet that a basket of them would be cheaper (after adjusting for inflation) in 1990. Simon easily won, and Ehrlich’s boasts at the time of the wager are funny (assuming this website is accurate).
How Gene Patents Are Putting Your Health at Risk (thanks to Kent Snyder; apologies to the late, great Petr Beckmann for the blogpost title)
For anyone interested, the full version of the article which includes thoughts on the role of the yield curve — updated to take account of the feedback to my earlier blog on this issue — can be found here on Lewrockwell.com
I’ve never had much use for Penn and Teller, a pair of comedians that I’ve seen from time to time on television and then have quickly turned off. But the other day, a reader of my blog, Mr. Robert Groot, a Canadian Ph.D. student, was kind enough to send me a link to their internet show on recycling.
I have to say that this show has made me a fan of theirs. It was a scathing critique of the illogic of recycling, done in a way that at times was hilarious.
This morning’s Wall Street Journal (Nov 24) has an op-ed by Henry Manne (Dean emeritus of the George Mason University School of Law) commenting on Milton Friedman. Now, hold your fire — I know Milton is not perfect in Austrian eyes (neither is Albert Schweitzer) Among other points, Manne comments on Friedman’s dislike of public corporations that strayed “off the reservation to join the altruists” — the question of corporate social responsibility. Milton frowned on such behavior, as you would expect.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper took the historic step Wednesday of recognizing Quebeckers as a nation within Canada. On the floor of the House of Commons, Mr. Harper introduced a motion that “this House recognize that the Québécois form a nation within a united Canada.”
Mr. Harper intervened before a Bloc Québécois motion that planned to force MPs to take a stand Thursday by asking whether they believed Quebeckers to be a nation.
Here is a guy who says that copyright should be defended on the grounds that it is socialistic.
Economic Aspects of the PGA Tour:
...So what’s the number?
“We’re still talking basic here, a little pampering but none of Greg’s Ferraris. You can get by comfortably on $400,000 a year.”
I almost forgot. I want an airplane.
