Why Governments Can Never Be Run “Like a Business”
No state regime is a business and it doesn't have a business model. Real businesses rely on free voluntary exchange with customers. States rely on violence and coercion.
Mises Wire
Review: The Classical Liberal Case For Israel
Walter Block and Alan Futerman assert that “to be anti-Zionist is to be against the entire concept of private property” and "is tantamount to denying the basic rights of private property in a broad sense."
Studying Economic Data Is Not “Doing Economics”
Economists are fond of claiming that employing data and statistical analysis is actually “doing economics.” No, they are “doing data” and nothing more. Real economics employs real theories that explain economic phenomena.
Fiscal Rules Do Not Undermine Investment, But Government Profligacy Does
In the wake of the financial meltdown fifteen years ago, some countries placed strict limits on piling on public debt. Despite cries that this harms investment opportunities, the ”debt brakes” have worked well.
A Short History of the Right to Self-Determination
Modern international law tends to grant a right to “remedial self-determination” only in extreme cases. Unfortunately, this position accepts that states ought to be free to violate human rights so long as the abuses fall short of war crimes and genocide.
How Carl Menger and the Austrians Helped to Steer Economic Theory in the Right Direction
When Adam Smith and the English classicals promoted division of labor as the most important ingredient in economic development, it took Carl Menger and his Austrian successors to point out that error and promote the proper economic theory of production.
Does Socialism Protect Rights or Violate Them?
Continuing his examination of Scott Sehon's book on socialism, David Gordon asks if socialism violates people's rights. Gordon concludes that it does.
Serbia’s Two Traditions of Freedom
We don't think of Serbia as a “free” country, but there were movements toward limited government in the past. Unfortunately, the events of the twentieth century overwhelmed the freedom movements there.
Argentina and the Watching World
For close to eighty years, Argentina has been the world's poster child for reckless and spendthrift government. Today, the world watches it for a very different reason: Rothbardian reforms.
Are Bankruptcies of Some US States in the Future?
Federal spending is not the only out-of-control government spending in the US. A number of states have been overspending and now face declining revenues. Will bankruptcies follow?
