Feb 8, 2012
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson called the pursuit of happiness an unalienable right. This was a radical idea. For most of history, most people didn't think much about pursuing happiness. They were too busy just trying to survive.
Then came the...
Feb 1, 2012
With an election approaching and at least some Americans upset about irresponsible spending, the president has finally expressed a political interest in cutting something.
He says the Pentagon will spend only $525 billion next year. That's slightly less than the current...
Jan 25, 2012
Has Barack Obama learned nothing in three years? Last night, during his State of the Union address, he promised a blueprint for an economy. But economies are crushed by blueprints.
An economy is really nothing more than people participating in an unfathomably complex...
Jan 18, 2012
Simple answers are so satisfying: Green jobs will fix the economy. Stimulus will create jobs. Charity helps people more than commerce. Everyone should vote.
Well, all those instinctive solutions are wrong. As Friedrich Hayek pointed out in The Fatal Conceit, it's a...
Jan 11, 2012
It s election season, and so once again people look for heroes. Is Ron Paul one? Maybe. He s fought a long, lonely battle to limit the power of government. As government grows, I yearn for champions of freedom who fight back. Rep. Paul has done that.
But it s a mistake to...
Jan 4, 2012
An idea walks into a bar. She meets another idea. They get together, and nine months later (or maybe it's nine minutes or seconds? It's not clear how it works with ideas), a new idea is born. A baby idea with the best traits of both parents.
When this happens a lot,...
Dec 28, 2011
As 2011 draws to a close, I wonder: Is freedom winning? Did America become freer this year? Less free? How about the rest of the world?
I'm a pessimist. I fear Thomas Jefferson was right when he said, The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government...
Dec 20, 2011
President Obama says his healthcare reform will be good for business.
Business has learned the truth.
Three successful businessmen explained to me how Obamacare is a reason that unemployment stays high. Its length and complexity make businessmen wary of expanding....