The flame must have burned dull, since it burned unnoticed. Then without warning it brightened, revealing the face of a criminal. I called my children in close. “Let’s go home,” I said in a low voice. We withdrew from the parking lot, disappointed frowns marching homeward, while I turned to keep an eye fixed on the lonely car and its driver. The
In our world of interventionist laws and regulations, I have found a Rothbardian island, so to speak — a place where the ethics of liberty live. [1] My island is an online-auction site. Because this site is similar to myriad other auction sites, I will only provide a quick overview of the rules: Sellers offer items for sale or auction. The seller
Even two decades later, I still have vivid memories of my first job after college. I worked at the headquarters of a privately owned home-improvement company — a company that continues to operate stores throughout the United States. I was employed as a programmer, sitting at a small desk without privacy walls set inside a drab Quonset hut with
I live a short drive from work. Due to growth in the area, rush-hour traffic occasionally reduces my afternoon commute to a walking pace. And sometimes it gets even worse. At issue are a traffic light and the stretch of road leading up to it from the south. The sketch approximates the situation. The road has three lanes: a northbound lane, a
As a former competitive cyclist (not to be confused with world-class cyclist), I have opinions about other cyclists and on cycling in general. In particular, I have strong opinions of Lance Armstrong. Now I am not an Armstrong fan — far from it. My reasons are personal, related to how I feel Armstrong (someone I have never met) has treated those
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
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.