It is now plausible to envision scenarios in which global demand for crude oil falls to essentially zero by the end of this century, driven by improvements in clean energy technologies, adoption of stringent climate policies, or both. This paper asks what such a demand decline, when anticipated, might mean for global oil supply. One […]
The end of oil?
The end of oil?
05 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, econometerics, economics of climate change, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking, resource economics Tags: peak oil
The Missing Myths
04 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, discrimination, economic history, economics of climate change, economics of information, economics of media and culture, economics of regulation, energy economics, entrepreneurship, environmental economics, environmentalism, financial economics, gender, global warming, health economics, human capital, income redistribution, labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, liberalism, libertarianism, Marxist economics, occupational choice, politics - USA, poverty and inequality, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: Age of Enlightenment, crime and punishment, criminal deterrence, free speech, gender wage gap, law and order, political correctness, racial discrimination, regressive left, sex discrimination
Michael Huemer’s Progressive Myths is the best book on wokeness. One of its many strengths is its focus on basic facts. As the author explains:I have selected beliefs that can be debunked fairly quickly and forcefully. Many other progressive beliefs require long argumentation and subjective judgment calls to assess. About these more difficult issues, I…
The Missing Myths
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
The no-confidence vote in France
04 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, fiscal policy, law and economics, macroeconomics Tags: France
The French National Assembly is scheduled to vote tomorrow (4 Dec.) on a vote of no confidence against the government of Premier Michel Barnier. The premier has been in office only three months, having been appointed following (with some lag) the snap election President Emmanuel Macron had called in July, and which–predictably, given the timing–did […]
The no-confidence vote in France
Paul Krugman Is Right…albeit Selectively and Hypocritically
04 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, economic history, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, entrepreneurship, income redistribution, industrial organisation, international economics, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights, Public Choice, public economics, rentseeking Tags: tarrifs
I like profits. But let me qualify that statement. I like profits that are the result of businesses providing goods and services that consumers value. Those profits are earned. By contrast, I don’t like it when businesses get in bed with government and get money via cronyism, bailouts, subsidies, protectionism, or industrial policy. Those profits […]
Paul Krugman Is Right…albeit Selectively and Hypocritically
Sabotaging productivity
03 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, health economics, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking, urban economics Tags: land supply, nanny state, zoning
Is there any better – or should that be worse? – example of how the consenting process sabotages productivity than the current hearings on McDonalds’ application to open in Wanaka? Public submissions were sought, and of the 366 made, 339 were opposed, 21 in support and six wanted changes to the plan. Among the submissions […]
Sabotaging productivity
Canadian Town Fined and Mayor Sent for Compulsory Education After Failing to Hoist Pride Flag
03 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics Tags: Canada, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
CBC News is reporting that the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has ordered the small town of Emo to pay damages after failing to hoist an “LGBTQ2 rainbow flag” in celebration of Pride Month. One problem is that the town of fewer than 2000 inhabitants does not have a flagpole (though you could presumably “show the […]
Canadian Town Fined and Mayor Sent for Compulsory Education After Failing to Hoist Pride Flag
MICHAEL BASSETT: MAORI PARTY MADNESS
03 Dec 2024 1 Comment
in economic history, law and economics, liberalism, politics - New Zealand Tags: constitutional law, racial discrimination
After the mass Maori Party madness over David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill comes more extreme Maori make-believe. Some are now calling the 83% of New Zealanders who aren’t Maori, “guests” or “visitors” to the country where they are citizens. Many of long standing. According to some radicals, the 83% are “manuhiri”, a word traditionally used…
MICHAEL BASSETT: MAORI PARTY MADNESS
Appalling behaviour by Public Health Te Waipounamu
01 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of regulation, health economics, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights Tags: nanny state, regressive left
It is no surprise that the Government is reducing the number of public health staff members, when they are spending their time on opposing resource consent applications for a McDonalds in Wanaka, rather than oh preventing the current whooping cough epidemic. Around half the public health staff (those who deal with infectious diseases) do amazing […]
Appalling behaviour by Public Health Te Waipounamu
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
Massachusetts has occupational licensing for fortune tellers
30 Nov 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of information, economics of regulation, human capital, industrial organisation, labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, occupational choice, occupational regulation, politics - USA, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: cranks
Here is the link, “Prohibits fraudulently taking money by “pretended fortune telling.”” Seen referenced somewhere on Twitter.
Massachusetts has occupational licensing for fortune tellers
Marc Andreesen Gives Examples of Fascism
29 Nov 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of regulation, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights Tags: regressive left
Marc Andreessen is not as well known now as he was at the dawn of the Interwbbby age when he developed the world’s first widely used web browser that had a graphic interface, Mosaic, which was rapidly copied by everybody else. From that success he leveraged it into co-founding Netscape, whose software engineers contributed important Web […]
Marc Andreesen Gives Examples of Fascism
Sinn Fein’s links to PLO,Hamas,ETA and of course IRA and other terrorist organisations.
29 Nov 2024 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, law and economics Tags: Northern Ireland
Gallup: Public Support for Gun Bans Craters
29 Nov 2024 1 Comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights Tags: gun control
According to Gallup’s latest polling, support for a handgun ban has fallen to just 20 percent and support for an “assault weapons” ban has cratered to just 52 percent. Gun bans were a constant call from both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over the last four years. President Biden often combined the […]
Gallup: Public Support for Gun Bans Craters
Desired Fertility versus the Mueller Effect
28 Nov 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of love and marriage, labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, population economics Tags: economics of fertility
Six months ago, I’m not sure that I’d ever heard of demographer Lyman Stone. Now, people in my circles randomly drop his name on a weekly basis. His favorite topic, in case you haven’t heard, is global fertility decline. As a longtime natalist, I share his concerns. One of Stone’s top takeaways: Instead of talking…
Desired Fertility versus the Mueller Effect
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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