Tariffs Are Taxes on Americans—But Protectionists Pretend Otherwise

During the 2016 and 2020 campaigns, Trump’s opponents in the Democratic party (and elsewhere) often pointed out that Trump’s protectionism hobbles private markets and the economy overall. Yet, the allegedly anti-protectionist Biden administration has done virtually nothing to end Trump’s protectionists policies put in place from 2017 to 2020. The motivation is unclear, but it is possible that the Biden administration realized that protectionism is a useful political tool.

The Indian Congress Conundrum: Secularism, Socialism, and the Search for a New Path

On April 4, 2024, senior leaders of the Indian National Congress (hereinafter referred to as the “Congress”) either faced expulsion from the party or voluntarily departed. Former National Spokesperson of the Congress, Mr. Gaurav Vallabh, recently joined the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (hereinafter referred to as the “BJP”). On April 3, 2024, the Congress expelled Senior Leader of Maharashtra Congress, Mr. Sanjay Nirupam, citing indiscipline and deviation from the party line. Another senior spokesperson and Gujarat Congress leader, Mr.

The Tiny Island That Serves As a Tripwire for War between the US and China

Earlier this year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated Island in Between in the Best Documentary Short Film category at the ninety-sixth Academy Awards. Although it didn’t end up taking home the Oscar, the documentary drew attention to the little-known Kinmen Island and its precarious position as an inflection point in the relationship between Taiwan, mainland China, and the continuing involvement of the United States.

Murphy’s Exposé on Money and Banking

The consequences of this short-lived paradise [inflation] are malinvestment, waste, a wanton redistribution of wealth and income, the growth of speculation and gambling, immorality and corruption, disillusionment, social resentment, discontent, upheaval and riots, bankruptcy, increased governmental controls, and eventual collapse. — Hazlitt, Henry. Man vs. The Welfare State (LvMI) (p. 136). Ludwig von Mises Institute. Kindle Edition.

“A few months, at most.” 

Social Security and the Decline of the Employer Pension System

The Social Security Act is considered the first federal social welfare program in American history, being signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935. American government pensions have existed for government employees and veterans since the Civil War, and private pension systems even longer. There was not great support for a public pension system in the US, as voluntary association and self-sufficiency was the standard.