Bill Maher’s back after his summer vacation, and his latest “new rule” bit starts in with some hard criticism of the “far far Left”—the progressives—for being close to Communists, and the Democratic Socialists of America for using Communist jargon. I’ve talked before about the DSA’s platform, which includes abolishing the Senate and ditching the President…
Bill Maher’s latest bit: Communism, the DSA, and the Democrats
Bill Maher’s latest bit: Communism, the DSA, and the Democrats
02 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in politics - USA, television, TV shows
JFK & PT 109
02 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economic history, war and peace Tags: World War II
On the night of August 1-2, 1943, during World War II, Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, future President of the United States, experienced a defining moment in his military career when his patrol torpedo boat, PT-109, was destroyed in the Solomon Islands. This event not only showcased Kennedy’s leadership and bravery but also became a significant […]
JFK & PT 109
The Humiliation of Prince Harry
02 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in economics of media and culture
The Free Press has a great read about how devastating the trial that prince Harry initiated against the media was for him. He’s lucky he wasn’t done for perjury I’d say. The post The Humiliation of Prince Harry first appeared on Kiwiblog.
The Humiliation of Prince Harry
My Quillette review of Steve Stewart-Williams’s new book on sex differences in humans
02 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economics of education, gender, liberalism, Marxist economics Tags: political correctness, regressive left
Steve Stewart-Williams has recently published an informative and readable new book (link at the screenshot just below), and my 4000-word review of it for Quillette just appeared (click second screenshot below for the review): As I implied, my review is laudatory, with only a few (really one) reservations, which is minor. It’s not a “page…
My Quillette review of Steve Stewart-Williams’s new book on sex differences in humans
Nobel Prize 2016 Part II: Oliver Hart
02 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, history of economic thought
The Nobel Prize in Economics was given yesterday to two wonderful theorists, Bengt Holmstrom and Oliver Hart. I wrote a day ago about Holmstrom’s contributions, many of which are simply foundational to modern mechanism design and its applications. Oliver Hart’s contribution is more subtle and hence more of a challenge to describe to a nonspecialist; […]
Nobel Prize 2016 Part II: Oliver Hart
‘Market Power in Antitrust: Economic Analysis after Kodak,’ by Benjamin Klein
01 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of regulation, entrepreneurship, industrial organisation Tags: competition law
In 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Eastman Kodak Co. v. Image Technical Services that a firm without market power in photocopiers might still possess market power in photocopier parts and service. The Court’s logic turned on opportunistic hold-up: Kodak could profit by trading short-run exploitation of locked-in customers for long-run losses in equipment…
‘Market Power in Antitrust: Economic Analysis after Kodak,’ by Benjamin Klein
The Most Depressing Chart about Germany
31 Jul 2026 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, fiscal policy, human capital, labour economics, labour supply, macroeconomics, poverty and inequality, welfare reform Tags: Germany
I’ve used the “most depressing chart” approach when writing about the United States, about Europe, about Japan, and about the western world. Today, let’s focus on Germany. And I’ll start with a caveat. I wrote about Germany earlier this month and that column included several charts that might qualify. Especially the last visual which showed […]
The Most Depressing Chart about Germany
The Sound of Silence: Fauci Takes the Fifth and the Heat Over his Diary Disclosures
31 Jul 2026 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, economics of regulation, health economics, law and economics, politics - USA Tags: economics of pandemics
Below is my column on Fox.com on yesterday’s “testimony” from Dr. Anthony Fauci. Americans deserve answers to the questions raised…
The Sound of Silence: Fauci Takes the Fifth and the Heat Over his Diary Disclosures
Is America ruled by an oligarchy?
31 Jul 2026 1 Comment
in fiscal policy, income redistribution, macroeconomics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, public economics, rentseeking
Any time you hear claims about American government, a sanity-inducing response is to ask whether they also are true of state and local governments. Here is an excerpt from my latest piece at The Free Press: First, in people’s daily lives, they typically interact with their state and local governments more than with the feds.…
Is America ruled by an oligarchy?
New UK PM Andy Burnham Has Supported a 90% Cut in Hydrocarbon Use Within 10 Years
31 Jul 2026 1 Comment
in economics of climate change, economics of regulation, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming Tags: British politics
As Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham wanted to slash hydrocarbon use by 90% in 10 years. Now the new Energy Minister is making similar noises. Chris Morrison wonders if destroying modern society is still the plan. The post New UK PM Andy Burnham Has Supported a 90% Cut in Hydrocarbon Use Within 10 Years appeared first…
New UK PM Andy Burnham Has Supported a 90% Cut in Hydrocarbon Use Within 10 Years
The Endangered Species Act Reduces Housing
31 Jul 2026 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, econometerics, economics of regulation, environmental economics, environmentalism, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights, Public Choice, urban economics
Max Tabarrok’s paper on the Endangered Species Act and housing (WP) has just been published in the Journal of Public Economics! It’s a clever paper: Max observed that the moment an animal is put on the endangered species list, developers face enhanced compliance costs and liability risk. But what’s important for an empirical economist is…
The Endangered Species Act Reduces Housing
RODNEY HIDE: The Strange New Face of Women’s Empowerment
30 Jul 2026 1 Comment
in discrimination, economics of religion, gender, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics Tags: political correctness, regressive left, sex discrimination
Here is a single image that captures the extent to which we are lost. Khadija Patel stands at the Palace of Westminster, recipient of the British Citizen Award 2026 for her “work empowering young women.” She is covered from head to toe. Only her eyes are visible. The official caption celebrates her as a champion…
RODNEY HIDE: The Strange New Face of Women’s Empowerment
Radio NZ at it again
30 Jul 2026 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, economics of religion, law and economics, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, war and peace Tags: Germany, media bias, war against terror
Simon O’Connor points out: So Radio NZ ran a story from Reuters about the terrible hate crime attack in Berlin which saw 1 killed and 29 wounded at a pride festival. However they removed a key detail from the story. That the attacker was an Islamist. Reuters had this in their story, yet Radio NZ…
Radio NZ at it again
New Research Further Confirms Anti-Growth Impact of Wealth Taxation
30 Jul 2026 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economic growth, entrepreneurship, fiscal policy, human capital, income redistribution, labour economics, liberalism, macroeconomics, Marxist economics, poverty and inequality, Public Choice, public economics Tags: taxation and entrepreneurship, taxation and investment, taxation and labour supply
I’ve shared multiple studies about the harmful impact of wealth taxes (see here, here, here, here, and here). Today, let’s add to the body of evidence. I’ll start by calling attention to a column I wrote in 2019 that warned how wealth taxes mean very high – even confiscatory – taxes on saving and investment. […]
New Research Further Confirms Anti-Growth Impact of Wealth Taxation
The economic effects of GLP-1s
30 Jul 2026 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, entrepreneurship, industrial organisation, labour economics, labour supply, survivor principle
We estimate the causal impacts of GLP-1 treatment on labor market outcomes using linked Danish administrative data and a matched stacked difference-in-differences design. We compare patients who initiate GLP-1 treatment during the first two years of Semaglutide availability to observably similar patients who initiate four years later. We find that GLP-1 treatment reduces long-term sickness…
The economic effects of GLP-1s
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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