The Nobel Prize lectures in economics
The Nobel Prize lectures in economics
12 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, development economics, economics of crime, economics of regulation, growth disasters, growth miracles, history of economic thought, law and economics, property rights, Public Choice
Mexican Cartels Lure Chemistry Students to Make Fentanyl
10 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in development economics, economics of crime, growth disasters, human capital, industrial organisation, labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, occupational choice Tags: Mexico
Criminals turn college campuses into recruitment hubs, recruiting chemistry students in Mexico with big paydays.By Natalie Kitroeff and Paulina Villegas of The NY Times. Excerpts:”In their quest to build fentanyl empires, Mexican criminal groups are turning to an unusual talent pool: not hit men or corrupt police officers, but chemistry students studying at Mexican universities.People…
Mexican Cartels Lure Chemistry Students to Make Fentanyl
The Timeline of Crimes Committed by Bashar al-Assad
09 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in defence economics, development economics, economic history, economics of crime, growth disasters, International law, law and economics, laws of war, war and peace Tags: Middle-East politics, Syria, war against terror

Bashar al-Assad has been the President of Syria since 2000, inheriting power from his father, Hafez al-Assad. His presidency has been marked by widespread human rights abuses, war crimes, and violations of international law, particularly during the Syrian Civil War that began in 2011. As the leader of the Syrian government, Assad’s policies and military […]
The Timeline of Crimes Committed by Bashar al-Assad
Africa
09 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in development economics, economic history, growth disasters, growth miracles Tags: Africa
How is the Russian war economy doing?
08 Dec 2024 1 Comment
in applied price theory, defence economics, development economics, economic growth, economics of regulation, entrepreneurship, fiscal policy, growth disasters, income redistribution, industrial organisation, international economics, law and economics, macroeconomics, monetary economics, property rights, Public Choice, war and peace Tags: Russia, Ukraine
Here is a gloomy account from Vladimir Mirov: Ruble depreciation will contribute to inflation even further, as Russia is continued to be heavily reliant on imports – this is a kind of self-sustaining spiral. I also strongly disagree with those who say that cheaper ruble is “good” for exporters and the budget. Exporters have yet […]
How is the Russian war economy doing?
The South Korean autogolpe attempt
04 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in development economics, economics of crime, growth miracles, law and economics Tags: South Korea
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, elected in 2022, declared martial law. Given the conditions for which martial law is justified in the constitution (see below) were clearly not in place, this was a power usurpation–an autogolpe. Or an attempted one. It collapsed within about a matter of hours, with the National Assembly voting to annul […]
The South Korean autogolpe attempt
So Much for the one child policy
01 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in development economics, economic history, economics of love and marriage, growth miracles, human capital, labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, population economics Tags: China
COP 29 diplomacy delivers perfectly vague promises a decade away
28 Nov 2024 1 Comment
in development economics, energy economics, environmental economics, global warming Tags: climate activists, climate alarmism

Guest essay by By David Wojick In Cop 29’s “Finance agreement” diplomacy is truly the art of agreeing to nothing. There is no agreement of substance here because there is no substance to this agreement. Each side gets its number someday and that is all there is to it. Let’s look at the actual text […]
COP 29 diplomacy delivers perfectly vague promises a decade away
COP29 Leaves Poor Countries Fuming
24 Nov 2024 Leave a comment
in development economics, energy economics, environmental economics, global warming, growth disasters, growth miracles Tags: climate activists, climate alarmism

By Paul Homewood So the whole charade trundles on for another year: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c8jykpdgr08t
COP29 Leaves Poor Countries Fuming
Milei and populism
23 Nov 2024 1 Comment
in applied price theory, budget deficits, comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, development economics, economic growth, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, fiscal policy, growth disasters, income redistribution, macroeconomics, monetarism, monetary economics, Public Choice, rentseeking, unemployment Tags: Argentina
Bryan Caplan and Daniel Klein both opine on Milei and populism, Dan being very enthusiastic, while Bryan praising Milei but more reserved in his praise of populism. I too am a big fan of Milei, and I think he is still on a good track. If his reforms do not succeed, likely it will not […]
Milei and populism
Band Aid at 40
23 Nov 2024 1 Comment
in development economics, growth disasters, Music

In the pantheon of charitable music events, few stand as tall as Band Aid, the groundbreaking 1984 charity supergroup. Conceived by Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats and Midge Ure of Ultravox, Band Aid was formed to combat the devastating famine in Ethiopia, a crisis that had gripped global attention. Their mission: to raise funds […]
Band Aid at 40
Popuphobia’s Javier Milei Problem
22 Nov 2024 1 Comment
in development economics, economic growth, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, fiscal policy, growth disasters, income redistribution, labour economics, law and economics, liberalism, libertarianism, macroeconomics, Marxist economics, monetary economics, property rights, Public Choice, public economics, rentseeking, unemployment Tags: Argentina

My dear friend and colleague Dan Klein wrote this. He loves feedback, so please share your thoughts in the comments. And he’d especially appreciate reactions from friends Shikha Dalmia and Nils Karlson, which I’d definitely be glad to run.P.S. Dan asked me to link to the latest Milei news.I define popuphobe as someone who propagates…
Popuphobia’s Javier Milei Problem
#climateemergency
22 Nov 2024 Leave a comment
in development economics, energy economics, environmental economics, global warming, growth miracles Tags: China
The Borjas-Caplan Immigration Debate
20 Nov 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, development economics, human capital, labour economics, labour supply, population economics Tags: economics of immigration
Before the fictional musical Borjas-Caplan immigration debate of 2024, there was the non-fictional non-musical Borjas-Caplan immigration debate of 2019. It was an unusual format: Both of us had the floor for over hour each. Borjas:Me:If you pay close attention to my opponent’s presentation, you’ll discover that he’s quite unlike every other critic of immigration. In…
The Borjas-Caplan Immigration Debate
DON BRASH: HOW ARE THEY GOING?
01 Nov 2024 Leave a comment
in defence economics, development economics, growth miracles, international economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: China
It is just over a year since last year’s general election, and nearly a year since the new coalition Government was formed. How are they going? When I speak to Rotary Club audiences and similar, I talk about the five big challenges facing New Zealand: 1) Our long-standing under-performance compared with other developed countries (and…
DON BRASH: HOW ARE THEY GOING?



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