Here’s the latest comedy/news stint from Bill Maher’s “Real Time” show, a “New Rule” segment called “Freak-end update”, referring of course to Diddy’s “Freak offs,” his drug-fueled sex orgies often involving prostitutes. Diddy is very likely to be convicted (you’ve seen the tape, right?), and it will be a huge come-down from his status as […]
Bill Maher’s latest rule
Bill Maher’s latest rule
01 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - USA, television, TV shows
The grandson of the 10th US President has just died
01 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of media and culture, population economics
John Tyler was born in 1790 – 235 years ago. He became the 10th President of the United States, yet his grandson has just died. He had 15 children between 1815 (when he was 25) and 1860 (when he was 70). He was President from 1841 to 1845. One of the 150 was Lyon Tyler […]
The grandson of the 10th US President has just died
50 Miles To Paris – Third Battle Of The Aisne I THE GREAT WAR Week 201
01 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in defence economics, war and peace Tags: World War I
Why the U.S. Produces More Unicorns Than China and the EU
01 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, development economics, economic history, economics of regulation, entrepreneurship, human capital, industrial organisation, labour economics, occupational choice, poverty and inequality, survivor principle Tags: creative destruction
The United States has produced about twice as many unicorns (private startups valued at $1B+) as China and more than four times as many as the European Union. These numbers reflect deep institutional and cultural advantages in the U.S. startup ecosystem. Table: Number of Unicorns Created Since ~1990 Region Cumulative Unicorns United States ~1,950 China…
Why the U.S. Produces More Unicorns Than China and the EU
San Diego State University Professor Celebrates Israeli Being Eaten by Shark
01 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of education, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA Tags: free speech, Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, political correctness, regressive left

A San Diego State University professor is under fire this week after celebrating the death of a former Israeli soldier who was eaten by a shark. Chicano studies Professor Roberto Hernández joyfully reported the death and mocked the victim as others joined him in the macabre celebration.
San Diego State University Professor Celebrates Israeli Being Eaten by Shark
MPC members speaking
31 May 2025 Leave a comment
in budget deficits, business cycles, economic growth, economics of bureaucracy, macroeconomics, monetary economics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice Tags: monetary policy

In both The Post and the Herald this morning there are reports of interviews with executive members of the Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee: the Bank’s chief economist Paul Conway in The Post and his boss, and the deputy chief executive responsible for monetary policy and macroeconomics, Karen Silk in the Herald. In a high-performing […]
MPC members speaking
Against Sociology
31 May 2025 1 Comment
in applied price theory, history of economic thought
An individualistic argument can be made that sociology is a “useless” subject, though such a claim is controversial and widely disputed. Here is how such an argument might be constructed from an individualistic or methodological individualist perspective: Individualistic Argument Against the Usefulness of Sociology Thesis:Sociology is a largely useless discipline because it focuses on abstract […]
Against Sociology
Dane Luo: There is ‘Advice’ and then there is ‘advice’: The Constitutional Conventions on the Appointment of the Prime Minister
31 May 2025 1 Comment
in constitutional political economy, Public Choice Tags: British constitutional law

On 23 May 2025, the Court of Appeal held that the Conservative Party was not exercising a ‘public function’ for the purposes of s 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 when it elected Liz Truss as party leader, who would go on to be appointed as the Prime Minister: R (Tortoise Media Ltd) v […]
Dane Luo: There is ‘Advice’ and then there is ‘advice’: The Constitutional Conventions on the Appointment of the Prime Minister
Ten Provocative Graphs
31 May 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of natural disasters, energy economics, environmental economics

Guaranteed to get you thinking
Ten Provocative Graphs
The Eminent Domain Racket: New Jersey Move to Condemn Church Could Put Court in a Pickle
31 May 2025 Leave a comment
in law and economics, politics - USA, property rights

This week, The New York Times reported that the town of Toms River, New Jersey, is moving to condemn the Christ Episcopal Church through eminent domain to build pickleball courts and a park. Church members claim that the move was retaliation for a planned homeless shelter at the site. The case could raise one of the […]
The Eminent Domain Racket: New Jersey Move to Condemn Church Could Put Court in a Pickle
Impressions of Buchenwald—A Hell on Earth
30 May 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, International law, law and economics, war and peace Tags: Nazi Germany, The Holocaust

When people hear or read the name of a concentration camp, they often assume there is only one camp. In fact, most main Camps had subcamps—Buchenwald had approximately 100 subcamps. (You can find the list of the camps at the end of this post.) This piece will show photographs of Buchenwald and some testimonies from […]
Impressions of Buchenwald—A Hell on Earth
Jesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ blasphemy
30 May 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, economics of religion, law and economics Tags: Blasphemy, British politics, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
The latest Jesus and Mo cartoon, called “sky,” came with the caption, “Important court case today.” It’s this, from the National Secular Society: The prosecution of a man on trial tomorrow for burning a Quran could edge the UK “dangerously close to a prohibition on blasphemy”, the National Secular Society has warned. Hamit Coskun will stand […]
Jesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ blasphemy
May Monetary Policy Statement
30 May 2025 Leave a comment
in budget deficits, business cycles, economic growth, fiscal policy, inflation targeting, labour economics, macroeconomics, monetary economics, politics - New Zealand, public economics, unemployment Tags: monetary policy

Michael Reddell writes – Procrastinating this morning, I asked Grok to write a post in my style on yesterday’s Monetary Policy Statement. Suffice to say, I think I’ll stick to thinking and writing for myself for the time being. Among the many oddities of Grok’s product was the conviction that Adrian Orr was still Governor. Mercifully […]
May Monetary Policy Statement
Liberation Dusk? Court Strikes Down Trump Tariffs in the Midst of Trade Negotiations
30 May 2025 Leave a comment
in international economic law, international economics, politics - USA Tags: tarrifs

Below is my column in the New York Post on the decision yesterday finding that the Trump tariffs are invalid. What happens now will be, if nothing else, interesting. Dusk has come to Liberation Day. Trump has options, but the pressure will now be greater on Congress as bilateral trade agreements are moving forward. Here […]
Liberation Dusk? Court Strikes Down Trump Tariffs in the Midst of Trade Negotiations
Prebble on Labour and TPM
30 May 2025 Leave a comment
in politics - New Zealand Tags: constitutional law
Richard Prebble writes: Claims standards of parliamentary behaviour have fallen are nonsense. Except for Te Pāti Māori, this is a well-behaved House. The Speaker’s referral of the floor protest to the Privileges Committee was not discretionary. It was required by Standing Orders. The Speaker was lenient. He could have ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to end the Māori Party […]
Prebble on Labour and TPM
Recent Comments