A guest post by Lucy Rogers: I woke up this morning to initial elation at the news that Israel and Hamas are apparently close to a ceasefire deal. The proposal involves the return of 33 hostages and Hamas’ removal from power, in exchange for the release of several hundred Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, Israel’s […]
Guest Post: Will John Minto condemn Hamas for refusing to free the hostages?
Guest Post: Will John Minto condemn Hamas for refusing to free the hostages?
19 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, International law, law and economics, laws of war, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left
Robert Swetlic: For Constitutional Clarity, Should Angela Rayner be Named First Secretary of State?
19 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in law and economics, politics, Public Choice Tags: British constitutional law, British politics
Barely 24 hours after Labour’s victory at the polls, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s top team of MPs began to line the path to No. 10 Downing Street, hoping to have their shadow portfolios translated into long-awaited ministerial roles. First among the parade of MPs was Angela Rayner, who was appointed Secretary of State for Housing, […]
Robert Swetlic: For Constitutional Clarity, Should Angela Rayner be Named First Secretary of State?
Australia’s Incoming Climate Change Authority Chair Lashes Out at “Deniers”
19 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in energy economics, environmental economics, global warming, politics - Australia Tags: climate alarmism
So much ignorance in one package.
Australia’s Incoming Climate Change Authority Chair Lashes Out at “Deniers”
France Bans Muslim Hijabs from the Olympics
18 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA Tags: Age of Enlightenment, France, free speech, Freedom of religion, political correctness, regressive left
France’s Sports Minister, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, has announced that French Muslim athletes will be barred from wearing hijabs at the Olympics. The decision is a gross violation of the religious freedom of Muslim athletes and should be condemned throughout the world.
France Bans Muslim Hijabs from the Olympics
Sensible Sentencing Trust launches Stop the Three Strikes Sellout website
18 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: crime and punishment, criminal deterrence, law and order
The Sensible Sentencing Trust has announced: Before Labour repealed it in 2022, the Three Strikes law operated for 12 years from 2010. In that time, there were: Every one of the 25 Third Strikers was a recidivist serious violent or sexual offender, by definition, having committed at least three “strike” offences. However, the Government’s proposed […]
Sensible Sentencing Trust launches Stop the Three Strikes Sellout website
Dodging Bullets.
18 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - USA Tags: 2024 presidential election
Fight! Fight! Fight! Had the assassin’s bullet found its mark and killed Donald Trump, America’s descent into widespread and murderous violence – possibly spiralling-down into civil war – would have been immediate and quite possibly irreparable. The American Republic, upon whose survival liberty and democracy continue to depend, is certainly not out of danger, not yet.…
Dodging Bullets.
The Genuine Legal Conflict for School Boards
18 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, economics of crime, economics of education, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice Tags: crime and punishment, law and order
There is media fuss today around the resistance of schools in terms of excluding students excluded from other schools. The NZ Herald highlights statistics that 100s of schools appear to be reluctant and three remain outright resistant. The article highlights the legal obligation for schools to accept students in their zone. This can be ordered […]
The Genuine Legal Conflict for School Boards
Ignore the polls, prediction markets have Trump at 66% chance of winning the election
16 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in econometerics, politics - USA Tags: 2024 presidential election
CNN Interview of Rutgers Statistics professor, Harry Crane. Below are graphs of the prices of a Trump, Biden, and Harris futures contracts that pays out $1 if they become President. In the last day, the Trump contract has increased by 6¢, indicating a 6% increase in President Trump’s election chances. The blue bars indicate the…
Ignore the polls, prediction markets have Trump at 66% chance of winning the election
Health New Zealand “encourages” its employees to say Māori prayers daily
16 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of religion, liberalism, politics - New Zealand Tags: Age of Enlightenment, free speech, Freedom of religion, political correctness, regressive left
This item, from the Breaking Views website in New Zealand, is one of the rare cases of a Kiwi speaking up against forcible adherence to Māori customs on the job—in this case, saying Māori prayers. First, “Health New Zealand,” the organization in question, is a government agency that, according to its own description: . . […]
Health New Zealand “encourages” its employees to say Māori prayers daily
Universities and the Treaty
15 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, economics of education, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice Tags: Age of Enlightenment, conjecture and refutation, free speech, philosophy of science, political correctness, regressive left
Grant Duncan writes: University management should take note of that, as there have been unrealistic efforts to force poorly defined “Treaty obligations” into teaching and research. For example, one university is now telling its academic staff that all curricula should, as a high priority, be “designed, developed and delivered in authentic partnerships with Māori [and] […]
Universities and the Treaty
BBB in the NYT
15 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, applied welfare economics, comparative institutional analysis, economic history, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, income redistribution, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking, urban economics Tags: housing affordability, land supply, zoning
I pitch Build, Baby, Build in today’s New York Times. No illustrations, but a bunch of cool graphs cooked up by Sara Chodosh of the NYT data analytics team. The original title was “The Panacea Policy,” but now it’s “Yes in My Backyard: The Case For Housing Deregulation.” And for you, dear readers, it’s ungated!…
BBB in the NYT
The Attempted Assassination of Trump is Not Nearly as Surprising as it Should Be
15 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - USA Tags: 2024 presidential election
Below is my column on the assassination attempt of former president Donald Trump. We all watched as the horrific scene unfolded on television. It was a traumatic moment for the entire country, but it was hardly surprising given this age of rage. We are still learning about the suspected shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was […]
The Attempted Assassination of Trump is Not Nearly as Surprising as it Should Be
Biden’s Desperate Vote-Buying Proposal for Nationwide Rent Control
15 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, economic history, economics of regulation, income redistribution, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking, urban economics Tags: rent control
I’m not a political pundit, but I’m guessing that yesterday’s despicable assassination attempt on Donald Trump increases the likelihood that he reclaims the White House. That’s probably not good news for trade policy (though Biden has been just as bad), but it will be very good news for housing policy. Not because of what Trump […]
Biden’s Desperate Vote-Buying Proposal for Nationwide Rent Control
Damien Grant Sums Up Christopher Luxon
14 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
From his Stuff opinion piece this morning and here is the headline – which Grant may not have written of course. On macro issues, Luxon’s government is indistinguishable from its predecessors There is a link to the full article but I agree 100% with Grant when he says: In his government, if not under his […]
Damien Grant Sums Up Christopher Luxon
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