The Rise and Decline and Rise Again of Mancur Olson

Mancur Olson’s The Rise and Decline of Nations is one of my favorite books and a classic of public choice. Olson may well have won the Nobel prize had he not died young. He summarized his book in nine implications of which I will present four: 2. Stable societies with unchanged boundaries tend to accumulate […]

The Rise and Decline and Rise Again of Mancur Olson

Why Socialism Won’t Die

“to employ a hundred people is… exploitation, but to command the same number [is] honorable.” That’s an actual book by the way, explaining that although communism has failed in the past across different nations, races and cultures, it might work in the future where machines can create anything we want. Think Star Trek’s replicator technology. […]

Why Socialism Won’t Die

Why the Global Free Market Will Save the World

MICHAEL BASSETT: MAORI PUSH FOR PARALLEL GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES

If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have seen calls from one or two Iwi for prior consultation with…

MICHAEL BASSETT: MAORI PUSH FOR PARALLEL GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES

Deirdre McCloskey: Innovation Begins in Our Minds

Cuba Libre

Martin Gurri has a very good, deep-dive on the current situation in Cuba. The wreckage of the Cuban economy really can’t be exaggerated. The perpetual blackouts are an apt symbol of a country that is headed for the dark ages. For the first time since the revolution, Cuba is begging the United Nations for food aid. Nearly […]

Cuba Libre

Anthony Willy on the SOE case and partnership fiction

Former Judge and barrister Anthony Willy has an excellent post on the famous SOE case which is held up to have decided that the Treaty of Waitangi was a partnership. He demolishes this argument by quoting, well the actual judgment. The case was about acting in good faith. Well worth a read.

Anthony Willy on the SOE case and partnership fiction

ROGER PARTRIDGE: HOW TO REIN IN AN ACTIVIST SUPREME COURT

My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament should not hesitate to take. But first a quick recap. The…

ROGER PARTRIDGE: HOW TO REIN IN AN ACTIVIST SUPREME COURT

Do Me a Personal Favor: Please Pre-Order *Build, Baby, Build* Now

I started writing Build, Baby, Build: The Science and Ethics of Housing Regulation, in the early weeks of Covid. Now, with the kind cooperation of the Cato Institute, my second non-fiction graphic novel releases on May 1, 2024. That’s less than six weeks away.The official coverPlease forgive my laughable arrogance, but I assure you that…

Do Me a Personal Favor: Please Pre-Order *Build, Baby, Build* Now

GARY JUDD KC: On judicial imperialism

Why judges must ‘stay in their lane’ This article with minor differences was published by The Law Association’s Law News on 15 March 2024 Provoked by the Supreme Court’s decision in Smith v Fonterra and others [2024] NZSC 5, Professor James Allan, Garrick Professor of Law at the University of Queensland, a Canadian who taught law at…

GARY JUDD KC: On judicial imperialism

Tino Rangatiratanga and localism

My piece for the Saturday papers weekend before last, and now ungated here, went back to a theme that Richard Harman had noticed in the Waitangi speeches. Minister Shane Jones argued fuller debate on the meaning of Tino Rangatiratanga is inevitable, saying, “There is a deep, committed view from Pita Tipene and others that article two…

Tino Rangatiratanga and localism

Brian Christopher Jones: Nigel Farage and the UK Constitution

The upheaval of the UK constitution from 2016 onwards has been associated with a host of individuals, from David Cameron to Boris Johnson to Dominic Cummings, who have received the significant bulk of academic attention in recent years. And yet, another individual has had a substantial impact upon the UK constitution during this time: Nigel […]

Brian Christopher Jones: Nigel Farage and the UK Constitution

Constitution 101: How Powerful Is The Queen?

[This is the first in a series of posts that will look at the key institutions of the British constitution. A version of this particular post first appeared on my personal blog.]  Americans don’t really understand the British Monarchy. Our pundits often portray the Queen as a powerless figurehead who does little more than cut ribbons and unveil plaques. […]

Constitution 101: How Powerful Is The Queen?

February 13, 1689: The Proclamation of King William III and Queen Mary II as Joint Monarchs of England

King James II-VII’s departure during the Glorious Revolution significantly shifted the balance of power in favour of Prince Willem III of Orange, who took control of the provisional government on December 28th. Elections were held in early January for a Convention Parliament, which assembled on January 29th. The Whigs had a slight majority in the […]

February 13, 1689: The Proclamation of King William III and Queen Mary II as Joint Monarchs of England

Jon Haidt goes after DEI

A lot of academics who haven’t previously gone after DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives are coming out of the woodwork to criticize the philosophy and actions of DEI.  New critics include Steve Pinker, who, in his Boston Globe article on how to fix the problems of Harvard, included “Disempowering DEI” as one of the […]

Jon Haidt goes after DEI

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Barrie Saunders

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Vincent Geloso

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James Bowden's Blog

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Science Matters

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NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT

“We do not believe any group of men adequate enough or wise enough to operate without scrutiny or without criticism. We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it, that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. We know that in secrecy error undetected will flourish and subvert”. - J Robert Oppenheimer.

STOP THESE THINGS

The truth about the great wind power fraud - we're not here to debate the wind industry, we're here to destroy it.

Trust, yet verify

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