According to The Columbus Dispatch , “The lack of supply stems from the economic downturn. Automakers sold fewer new cars, which means that fewer recent models are out there to be traded in.” The article fails to mention the Cash for Clunkers programs and its desired result of a reduced supply of used cars. According to the chart (right) in the
Krugman thinks Misesians suffer delusions . To prove his point, he retells a fantasy as reality. Hmmm. And here I thought the story of the baby sitting co-op was an allegory of the horrors of the state intervening in the market — the state fixing the value of its fiat currency against other goods and services. According to Krugman, “I know that a
Here’s a simple quiz: For a mayor running for reelection, which situation would cause the most worry? 1. A minor scandal 2. Discussions of the need for a tax increase 3. Delayed snow removal from residential streets If you live in a northern state, the correct answer (number 3) is obvious. Now hold that thought. I recently wrote a blog post on the
Just like a mother of three in Columbus , I placed blame where blame was not due. The mother blamed the dishwasher; I blamed my children. Lately, I’ve been assuming the white, powdery film that occasionally remained on our dishes was the result of someone (er, some child) forgetting to add the detergent. Alas, I read today that my children are not
Turns out there is a second minimum wage — a minimum wage for the disabled (currently, the minimum is effectively zero). And for supposedly moral reasons (reckoned in the absence of the morality of labor itself), some so-called advocates for the disabled are tirelessly working to price them out of the labor market. This interesting article (the
I say I’m nosy, my wife says I’m bitter. She’s probably right. Regardless, our township contracts out residential refuse and garbage removal. All residents are required to pay for the service, whether they use it or not. The current contract was about to end so the township sent it out for bid. Since I am nosy (my view), I wanted to see what
When internecine battles of state-level tapeworms arose, I admit I used to root for the side obstensively fighting for lower taxes, less regulations, what have you. Then I read Block and everything changed. In Ohio, the tapeworms have turned on each other. The newly-elected Republican governor is fighting a pitched battle against the various
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
Turns out a group of 500 terrorists stormed a food depot and transportation center in Washington state , held six guards hostage, and the police did nothing. Nothing! Oh, wait. They are not terrorist, just an assembly of union workers. And the police may actually arrest a few, but only if they can identify the protesters. (Hey, why not start with
Another Earth Hour has come and gone. So what can we learn from the fourth iteration of this event? Earth Hour is a drain on resources. This is true since, if it were otherwise, companies that participated in the event would continue the practice of lights off after the event. So, clearly, the tangible costs of switching off lights are greater
What is the Mises Institute?
The Mises Institute is a non-profit organization that exists to promote teaching and research in the Austrian School of economics, individual freedom, honest history, and international peace, in the tradition of Ludwig von Mises and Murray N. Rothbard.
Non-political, non-partisan, and non-PC, we advocate a radical shift in the intellectual climate, away from statism and toward a private property order. We believe that our foundational ideas are of permanent value, and oppose all efforts at compromise, sellout, and amalgamation of these ideas with fashionable political, cultural, and social doctrines inimical to their spirit.