The coronavirus has not caused lost jobs, closed businesses, restricted air travel, and many other adverse economic effects. Responses to the coronavirus have caused these effects. Were those responses appropriate? We may never know. Responses due to market intervention have been substantially different than they would have occurred in a free market. Introduction To properly … Continue reading Response to Coronavirus
The Journal
Hello: My First Post
I call this my first post, although it’s the first post in name only. I can’t remember when I started this blog site, but my posting has been rather sporadic. One of my objectives in taking the Blogging for Beginners course is to help me develop some posting consistency. I think you can tell by … Continue reading Hello: My First Post
The Real Tax Burden
Socialists have one big weapon they want to use to correct many of the economic ills that they see. They want to use taxes as a way to redistribute money from billionaires to those they see as needier. If you see significant inequities in the distribution of income, that seems like a reasonable approach to … Continue reading The Real Tax Burden
Socialist Billionaires
Yesterday I argued that, in a free-market, entrepreneurs become billionaires by giving three groups of people what they prefer over what they have to give up. 1) Investors get an ownership share in a successful enterprise, 2) Suppliers get money for the plant, equipment, and labor they provide, and 3) Consumers get goods and services … Continue reading Socialist Billionaires
Free-Market Billionaires
Bashing billionaires seems to have become quite popular these days. Most of the current Democrat candidates attack billionaires in one way of the other. Led by Bernie Sanders and followed by the rest of the candidates, including the two billionaires, they all want to tax billionaires in order to support their favorite causes. According to … Continue reading Free-Market Billionaires
Wage Slavery Part 2: Worker Control
I continue my comments about “wage slavery” by addressing a common complaint from socialists about working conditions. The advocates of socialism claim that workers should have more control over their work environment and also have some ownership in the businesses for which they work. They include the desire to receive some of the “excess value” … Continue reading Wage Slavery Part 2: Worker Control
Wage Slavery
Advocates of socialism frequently claim that employers hold workers in wage slavery. They believe that “corporate” bosses force them to work in unbearable conditions at jobs they cannot quit. Adding insult to injury, the “bosses” profit from the excess value created by the workers. This form of wage slavery only occurs under “capitalism” as practiced … Continue reading Wage Slavery
Liberty or Literacy
During a recent town hall sponsored by CNN, Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders made the following statements and asked the following questions: “We’re very opposed to the authoritarian nature of Cuba,” Sanders said, “but you know, it’s unfair to simply say everything is bad. When Fidel Castro came into office, you know what he did? He … Continue reading Liberty or Literacy
Review: Austrian School for Investors
I recently read Austrian School for Investors[1], because I have been a student of investing for many years, and I know a group that has read the book for discussion. Although I began the book with the anticipation of a clear explanation of the application of Austrian methodology to investing, I finished the book with … Continue reading Review: Austrian School for Investors
Socialist Security Pyramid
The Socialist Security Pyramid I began my description of Social Security as an example of a socialist program. It fits nicely into the Marxist mantra, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” — or some other nonsense. It is just a socialized pyramid scheme — it puts Bernie Madoff to … Continue reading Socialist Security Pyramid