Einstein and the bomb

On October 17th 1933, Albert Einstein arrived in the United States to stay. He and his wife had been returning to Europe by ship in the Spring, when they heard that Germany had passed the Enabling Act that gave Hitler dictatorial powers. They decided it would be unwise and unsafe to return to Berlin as planned, but went instead to Belgium, and six months later to the United States.Their precaution was justified, in that they learned that the...

Necessity is the Mother of Invention – Retirees Desperate Reach for Yield

Ben Bernanke’s creativity inspired a generation of economists and central bankers. QE, ZIRP and NIRP established a new class of economics that is mathematically sound but practically disastrous. Billions of dollars were transferred from savers to investors to boost the economy, but the wizards of quant forgot that something has to give. In this case, it was the formation of a pension crisis that threatens the golden years of millions of...

How Government Regulations Are Harming Entrepreneurs

Editor’s Note. The following is a guest post written by Anastasia Boden. Anastasia is an attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation’s Economic Liberty Project, where she challenges anti-competitive licensing laws and laws that restrict freedom of speech. The Pacific Legal Foundation fights against overbearing government bureaucracies and burdensome economic regulations that hold back entrepreneurs and business owners. To learn more about Pacific...

Bonus Quotation of the Day…

… is from page 55 of Armen Alchian’s and William Allen’s Universal Economics (2018; Jerry Jordan, ed.); this volume is an updated version of Alchian’s and Allen’s magnificent earlier textbook, University Economics: It is often argued that intermediaries like wholesalers, retailers, sales agents, and advertisers exploit the ignorance of customers. That is true in the same way a teacher exploits the ignorance of students, doctors exploit the...

50 years of failed doomsday, eco-pocalyptic predictions; the so-called ‘experts’ are 0-41 – Publications – AEI

AEI 50 years of failed doomsday, eco-pocalyptic predictions; the so-called ‘experts’ are 0-41 This week Myron Ebell (director of the Center for Energy and Environment at the Competitive Enterprise Institute) and Steven J. Milloy published a post on the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) blog titled “Wrong Again: 50 Years of Failed Eco-pocalyptic Predictions:” Modern doomsayers have been predicting climate and environmental disaster since...

Mark Zuckerberg at Georgetown

Mark Zuckerberg gave an important speech today at Georgetown University about free expression and Facebook. I think the speech is important for four reasons. Recently Zuckerberg wrote that free expression was a “paramount” value for Facebook. Paramount means “more important than anything else; supreme.” This speech articulates his understanding of “paramount” for Facebook. Free speech is immensely valuable and just not another value to be...

Students of Society — Looking forward to our visit with Viviana Zelizer

On October 17th at GMU, the renowned sociologist Viviana Zelizer will be delivering the 2019 Ostrom Lecture.  It has been 10 years since Elinor won the Nobel Prize. And we are thrilled that Professor Zelizer has agreed to speak in our lecture series, and to help us commemerate this anniversary, as well as help us continue to shape our self-understanding of the methodological, analytical and social philosophical implications of studying society...

Up In Smoke: The Neocon Assault On Syria Is Finally Over. Part 1

Is the UK about to become Canada?

Overall, I believe the EU has had a positive effect on Europe. Unfortunately, it has become too interventionist in some areas, especially when imposing regulations that are better left to national or local governments. At the same time, in many other areas it has not gone nearly far enough, especially in terms of creating a free trade zone in services. The UK is likely to leave the EU in the near future and there are indications that it may...

The Influence and Origins of FDR

In the two centuries or so of our history, it has happened that a few of our leaders — a very few — became symbols of some powerful idea, one that left a permanent imprint on the life of our country. Thomas Jefferson is one such symbol. With Jefferson, it is the idea of a free, self-governing people, dedicated to the enjoyment of their God-given natural rights, in their work, their communities, and the bosom of their families. Abraham Lincoln...

Motte and Bailey Fallacy, Report 13 Oct

This week, we will delve into something really abstract. Not like monetary economics, which is so simple even a caveman can do it. A Clever Ruse We refer to a clever rhetorical trick. It’s when someone makes a broad and important assertion, in very general terms. But when challenged, the assertion is switched for one that is entirely uncontroversial but also narrow and unimportant. The trick is intended to foreclose debate of the broad...

Is the Impeachment Process Fair?

Shop all books by Judge Napolitano Last week, the White House legal counsel wrote to congressional leaders stating President Donald Trump’s legal views of the impeachment investigation now being conducted by the House of Representatives. The essence of Pat Cipollone’s letter argued that the impeachment investigation is illegitimate, unconstitutional and unfair. The illegitimacy argument contended that since the House has yet to vote to...

Our Nuts Are in Danger

Life would be so much easier if we didn’t have to worry about our financial futures. Though I suppose we don’t have to worry. Animals don’t. Squirrels instinctively store away nuts and thus live through winter without much thought. We humans have retirement winters, and we’re more sophisticated than squirrels. We generally outsource the job of managing our nuts/money to professionals. All well and good if we save enough and if the...

Economic Decay Leads to Social and Political Decay

It seems my rant yesterday (Let Me Know When It’s Over) upset a lot of people, many of whom felt I trivialized the differences between the parties and all the reforms that people believe will right wrongs and reduce suffering. OK, I get it, there are differences, but if the “reform” doesn’t change the source of the suffering and injustice, it’s just window-dressing that makes the supporter feel virtuous. Want an example? Let’s take the the...

Srinivas Thiruvadanthai on the Sectoral Financial Balance Approach to Macroeconomics

David Beckworth: Our guest today is Srinivas Thiruvadanthai. Sri is a managing director and the director of research at the Jerome Levy Forecasting Center. Sri joins us today to talk about [the] sectoral financial balance approach to macroeconomics, as well as the safe asset supply challenge. Sri, welcome to the show. While transcripts are lightly edited, they are not rigorously proofed for accuracy. If you notice an error, please reach out...

Who Wants To Be A Jewi er And Other Essays The Institute For Israel And Jewi udies

2013 Essay Writing Services Tips We closely work with professors and PhD holders in helping in project development. Such writers can persuade their readers through their essays and are able to present the content with which the readers Limestone College ambcrypto.com Gaffney SC http://limestone.edu can relate themselves. You can enjoy any of these services at any time of the day or night because we operate as a 24/7 service provider....

The Influence and Origins of FDR

In the two centuries or so of our history, it has happened that a few of our leaders — a very few — became symbols of some powerful idea, one that left a permanent imprint on the life of our country. Thomas Jefferson is one such symbol. With Jefferson, it is the idea of a ...

Peter Schiff: The Fed Will Try Again But It’s Not Going to Work

“In case the people in this room didn’t know, the financial crisis of 2008, which I had been forecasting for some time, and the Great Recession that ensued, was caused predominantly by the Federal Reserve.”This was the opening line of Peter Schiff’s talk at the Las Vegas MoneyShow.The Fed managed to “rescue” the economy after the financial crisis, but in the process, it created an even bigger bubble than the one that popped in ’08. This bubble...

Potpourri

==> When researchers point out all of the uncertainties in our current models guiding us on climate change policy, are they the good guys or the bad guys? It depends what year it is, as I explain in my latest IER article. ==> My latest Mises.org article on Austrian vs. mainstream Law & Econ on product safety. ==> A very interesting article from Dan Sanchez on the Joker and Jordan Peterson.

Ep. 1516 Israel and Palestine: A Reexamination

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There Are a Couple of Things Not Coming Together Here

I Get it: Stock-Market Shorts Sit on Sideline, Fearing Rally. Investors Deleverage, Fearing Sell-Off. VIX Falls Asleep, Fearing Nothing. Of the total shares outstanding of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF, only 2.6% were out on loan to short sellers this week, the lowest since early October 2018, and down from 7% during the summer, according to IHS Markit data cited by Bloomberg. Meaning that short-sellers who want to short the entire market, and not...

Satellite Images Reveal China’s Aircraft Carrier Factory

The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has given Reuters never before seen high-resolution satellite images of China's aircraft carrier factory. The images were taken last month of the Jiangnan shipyard, located in Shanghai, China. The satellite photos show the progression of China's first domestically built aircraft carrier and the rapid construction of infrastructure at Jiangnan. CSIS analysts said the aircraft carrier's...