I give him a 30-40% chance, which is perhaps generous because I am rooting for him. Bryan Caplan, who is more optimistic, offers some analysis and estimates that Milei needs to close a fiscal gap of about five percent of gdp. I have two major worries. First, if Milei approaches fiscal success, the opposing parties […]
Will Milei succeed in Argentina?
Will Milei succeed in Argentina?
22 Jan 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, budget deficits, comparative institutional analysis, development economics, economic growth, economic history, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, fiscal policy, growth disasters, income redistribution, labour economics, liberalism, libertarianism, macroeconomics, Marxist economics, monetary economics, Public Choice, public economics, rentseeking Tags: Argentina
MICHAEL BASSETT: TV ONE’S BEAT-UP ON THE TREATY AND THE KING’S HUI
21 Jan 2024 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economic history, income redistribution, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: constitutional law
Last Friday night, TV One’s lead item on the 6pm news was a story by reporter Te Aniwa Hurihanganui. She had scored a leaked piece of advice not yet considered by Cabinet that was intended to warn ministers in the new government that they would run into trouble with Maori if they backed David Seymour’s…
MICHAEL BASSETT: TV ONE’S BEAT-UP ON THE TREATY AND THE KING’S HUI
Bill Maher has a new rule, which is his
21 Jan 2024 Leave a comment
in liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA, television, TV shows
Here’s an eight-minute clip from Bill Maher in which he touts a new rule: 2024 is supposed to be “The Year of Sanity”. Maher gives several examples of pervasive insanity, the most prominent being the likely reelection of Trump as President. He also mentions tolerance of shoplifting, pro-Palestinian activists, admiration for the Houthis, frantic rumors […]
Bill Maher has a new rule, which is his
The periodical Science touts Indigenous science
20 Jan 2024 1 Comment
in economics of education, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA Tags: Age of Enlightenment, conjecture and refutation, free speech, philosophy of science, regressive left
That this editorial appears in the premier journal Science, and is one of a growing number of pieces urging us to respect “indigenous ways of knowing”, suggests that the woke movement has sprouted a new branch. It’s one I’ve discussed many times with respect to Māori “ways of knowing” (Mātauranga Māori, or MM) in New […]
The periodical Science touts Indigenous science
Hitting The Houthis.
20 Jan 2024 Leave a comment
in defence economics, International law, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: Age of Enlightenment, free speech, Middle-East politics, political correctness, regressive left, war against terror
Action Stations: The New Zealand Left has conflated the ten UN members condemning Houthi attacks on vessels transiting the Red Sea with the six states involved in the air and naval attacks on Houthi military targets. Veteran leftist Robert Reid, like most New Zealanders, knows full well that the RNZAF possesses no aircraft even remotely…
Hitting The Houthis.
Unfettered: Fishback 25 Years Later
17 Jan 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, discrimination, economic history, economics of information, economics of regulation, health and safety, history of economic thought, human capital, industrial organisation, international economics, labour economics, labour supply, liberalism, macroeconomics, Marxist economics, minimum wage, occupational choice, occupational regulation, poverty and inequality, unemployment, unions
A quarter century ago, economist Price Fishback published “Operations of ‘Unfettered’ Labor Markets: Exit and Voice in American Labor Markets at the Turn of the Century” in the prestigious Journal of Economic Literature. Fishback’s article is packed with insight… and understatement. But let’s back up. Virtually every standard history textbook describes U.S. labor markets before…
Unfettered: Fishback 25 Years Later
Deirdre McCloskey: What Is Classical Liberalism? | Robinson’s Podcast #145
17 Jan 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, applied welfare economics, comparative institutional analysis, economic history, economics of climate change, energy economics, environmental economics, global warming, history of economic thought, law and economics, liberalism, libertarianism, Marxist economics, political change, Public Choice, public economics
What Economics Gets Wrong Today – David Friedman | Podcast EP 29
15 Jan 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, David Friedman, economic history, economics of crime, energy economics, environmental economics, global warming, history of economic thought, law and economics, liberalism, libertarianism, market efficiency, Marxist economics, Milton Friedman, property rights
Going Flat? Bud Light Sales Still Down 28 Percent as Consumers Continue Boycott
15 Jan 2024 1 Comment
in industrial organisation, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA, survivor principle, theory of the firm Tags: Age of Enlightenment, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
Beer analysts are saying that Bud Light is still struggling with the boycott that has reduced its sale by a whopping 28% over the four weeks leading up to Dec. 9 — and heading to the all-important New Year’s sale period. The tragic irony for the company is that Alissa Heinerscheid, vice president of marketing…
Going Flat? Bud Light Sales Still Down 28 Percent as Consumers Continue Boycott
David Friedman: What is Anarcho-Capitalism? | Robinson’s Podcast #160
12 Jan 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, applied welfare economics, comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, David Friedman, development economics, economics of climate change, economics of crime, energy economics, environmental economics, global warming, law and economics, liberalism, libertarianism, Marxist economics, property rights, Public Choice, Rawls and Nozick
TVNZ’s naked bias on display
11 Jan 2024 Leave a comment
in liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: Age of Enlightenment, correctness, free speech, media bias. political, regressive left
Given the widespread mistrust of mainstream media and accusations of bias, it seems extraordinary that New Zealand’s taxpayer-owned broadcaster TVNZ seems to be going out of its way to prove that it is — as its detractors claim — incurably partisan. Last week, a column by John Campbell appeared on TVNZ’s website titled: “Are we […]
TVNZ’s naked bias on display
Oh Canada: Government Blocks Citizenship Due to Russian Conviction for Criticizing the Ukrainian War
07 Jan 2024 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, war and peace Tags: free speech, political correctness, refugees, regressive left, Russia, Ukraine
I have long been a critic of Prime Minister Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who has devastated free speech in that country while assuming sweeping authoritarian powers. Now, his administration has blocked the citizenship of Maria Kartasheva because she has a conviction in Russia. The crime? Free speech. Kartasheva was convicted in Russian for criticizing…
Oh Canada: Government Blocks Citizenship Due to Russian Conviction for Criticizing the Ukrainian War
The authorities officially referred to the Berlin Wall as the Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart
06 Jan 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, Austrian economics, comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, development economics, economic history, growth disasters, growth miracles, history of economic thought, liberalism, Marxist economics Tags: fall of the Berlin wall, The Great Enrichment
Message to John Cleese: Don’t mention the War!
05 Jan 2024 Leave a comment
in law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, movies, television, TV shows Tags: Age of Enlightenment, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
It was heaven on earth for him. Be a popular “counter culture” icon loved by conservatives and liberals alike for being hilarious, but also enjoy the benefits of a strong, stable, homogenous culture. The former Monty Python star has had some rough times in recent years with the Woke brigade cancelling some of his past […]
Message to John Cleese: Don’t mention the War!
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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