It’s tempting to just give up and become a liberal

Every single time I look at the headlines, I get frustrated and indignant. That’s because every headline describes a new way the federal government is proposing to reduce the efficacy of the free market (which it laughingly calls “unfettered”), reduce the choices available to consumers, reduce the ability of entrepreneurs to innovate and support themselves, [...]

Obama budget replaces your charities with his

There are two ways to interpret President Obama’s proposed budget measures, if you are someone who believes in the basic laws of economics. One way is to assume that he simply refuses to believe that government fiscal policies can have negative effects in society. Another way is to assume that he knows the pernicious effects [...]

Free market to the rescue in the mortgage mess

A new firm set up by former executives of Countrywide Mortgage has started to make possible exactly what the government was hoping would happen in this mortgage fiasco: take over “toxic debts” and make money for themselves and the government.
But because Countrywide played a role in creating the mortgage mess in the first place, so-called [...]

Vermont legislature working hard to maximize recession’s negative impact

Not content with the ravages of the already-deep recession, the Vermont legislature is considering a raft of legislation that will make things worse. I will mention several of the measures here, but I’d like to point out from the very beginning that no matter how horribly these initiatives scar the state’s economy, no matter how [...]

Obama hypocritically embraces “trickle-down” economics

It’s now official. After decades of trying to deny the fact that fiscally healthy and profitable corporations create jobs and sustainable economic growth, the Democrats have finally embraced the so-called “trickle-down” effect. The only problem is that they recognize it only when they themselves are directly controlling the spending, and the fates of the companies [...]

A quick word on the auto industry bailout

Every once in a while, a columnist summarizes a political situation so succinctly that it’s a shining gem in the gravel-pit of rhetoric. Reason columnist Steve Chapman’s recent commentary on the auto bailout hit the nail on the head:
And what about the automakers that have not run themselves into the ground? They get nothing. Actually, [...]

The liberal willingness to watch poor people die

I often point out that liberal policies kill people. In part, of course, the way I present it is stark hyperbole to grab people’s attention, but for the most part, it’s true; liberal willingness to allocate society’s resources to fit their view of what’s “fair,” “safe,” or “compassionate” necessarily result in societal ills, including unnecessary [...]

Secret meetings charting the course to government healthcare

With leftists dominating Congress and holding the White House, we must conclude that the American people are gung-ho about having the government make their decisions for them on a host of issues, healthcare among them. And, as further evidence of our abdication of personal responsibility, we have now gotten to the point in our political [...]

The intelligence of the free market shines in foreclosures

Even if we are inclined to ignore the gross injustice of bailing out homeowners who find themselves unable to afford their mortgages (which I’m not inclined to do), there are other reasons to oppose the Obama administration’s appallingly irresponsible bailout measure. One of the best reasons is that the free market, when left to its [...]

Obama threatens to strike at the heart of free society

I have been dismayed by the Obama administration’s willingness – nay, even its eagerness – to use the coercive power of government to warp and distort the free market in the name of “fairness,” or of “addressing our national crisis.” But the latest news is truly chilling:
One possibility is a stepped-up effort to enact legislation [...]