The great historian David McCullough (1933-2022) won the Pulitzer prize for biography twice, for his books on Truman and John Adams, but he also wrote best-selling books on the Panama Canal, the Johnstown Flood, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Wright brothers, and others. Here are his comments in a 2002 interview with Bruce Cole on the…
“To Write Well is to Think Clearly”: David McCullough
“To Write Well is to Think Clearly”: David McCullough
08 Sep 2026 Leave a comment
in economic history, economics of education, politics - USA
IN THE ARENA: THEODORE ROOSEVELT IN WAR, PEACE AND REVOLUTION by David S. Brown
07 Sep 2026 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economic history, politics - USA
(Theodore Roosevelt at his Sagamore Hill home). There are numerous memorable biographies of Theodore Roosevelt. The best include the three volume work of Edmund Morris, Henry Pringle’s Pulitzer prize winning effort, David McCullogh’s National Book Award MORNING ON HORSEBACK, and Kathleen Dalton, H.W. Brands, and Nathan Miller’s critical works, among others. There are also a […]
IN THE ARENA: THEODORE ROOSEVELT IN WAR, PEACE AND REVOLUTION by David S. Brown
This U.S. Citizen Is Suing ICE for Arresting Him 3 Times. His Lawsuit Is Moving Forward.
05 Sep 2026 1 Comment
in labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights Tags: constitutional law, economics of immigration
Despite carrying a REAL ID, Leo Garcia Venegas has been repeatedly detained by immigration agents. Now he’s suing to block immigration raids targeting Latinos on private construction sites.
This U.S. Citizen Is Suing ICE for Arresting Him 3 Times. His Lawsuit Is Moving Forward.
State Film Subsidies Lose Money. Trump Wants To Try the Idea Nationally.
04 Sep 2026 1 Comment
in applied price theory, movies, politics - USA, Public Choice, rentseeking, television, TV shows Tags: corporate welfare
There’s “no reason to think a federal incentive would work any differently from state incentives,” says one expert.
State Film Subsidies Lose Money. Trump Wants To Try the Idea Nationally.
Audrey on Te Pati Maori’s bottom line
04 Sep 2026 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, discrimination, law and economics, liberalism, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: 2026 general election, constitutional, law, racial discrimination
Audrey Young writes: Te Pāti Māori not only released a radical Treaty of Waitangi policy this week that would upend New Zealand’s democracy as we know it, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said the whole policy was a bottom line, meaning it was non-negotiable. That means Te Pāti Māori would not sign up to a centre-left Government unless it…
Audrey on Te Pati Maori’s bottom line
Gloria Steinem died
04 Sep 2026 Leave a comment
in discrimination, gender, politics - USA
I guess I’m at the time of life when all my heroes are dying off, because of course they were older than I and I’m no spring chicken. The latest to leave the planet is Gloria Steinem, who died yesterday at 92. Activist, feminist, one of the big figures of “second wave feminism” that promoted…
Gloria Steinem died
Excellent constitutional ideas from ACT
03 Sep 2026 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice Tags: 2026 general election, constitutional law
ACT have proposed a number of good constitutional ideas. They are: Add to the Constitution Act 1986: The Constitution Act is not supreme law. So putting these principles in there doesn’t impact any particular court decisions, but it is an important assertion of democratic values. ACT will add property rights to the New Zealand Bill…
Excellent constitutional ideas from ACT
Big differences
02 Sep 2026 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - USA
The TPM overhang strategy could result in permament left wing government
02 Sep 2026 Leave a comment
in politics - New Zealand Tags: 2026 general election, constitutional law
Te Pati Maori are trying to use the Māori seats to engineer overhang seats, to try and lock the centre right out of power – even if they win more votes. But recent law changes means the potential impact of this strategy could be huge. At present there are seven Māori seats. If TPM won…
The TPM overhang strategy could result in permament left wing government
Disappointing
01 Sep 2026 1 Comment
in human capital, labour economics, labour supply, politics - New Zealand, population economics Tags: economics of immigration
The ACT Party has announced a new policy that would:Remove the existing Permanent Resident visa category;Require all Resident Visa holders to receive a 5 year travel facility, replacing the current two-year initial travel condition;Require all Resident Visa holders to be physically present in New Zealand for at least 730 days within any rolling five-year period,…
Disappointing
Federal Court Rules Speech-Based Deportations Violate the First Amendment
30 Aug 2026 1 Comment
in labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, politics - USA Tags: economics of immigration, free speech
The decision goes further than other similar recent rulings.
Federal Court Rules Speech-Based Deportations Violate the First Amendment
Trump Space Policy Targets 1,000 U.S. Launches, Reentries Annually by 2030
30 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in economics of regulation, politics - USA, transport economics Tags: space
If our country is serious about returning to the Moon, reaching Mars, and maintaining its leadership in the new space race, it cannot allow launch pads, range scheduling, and reentry capacity to become the bottlenecks. The post Trump Space Policy Targets 1,000 U.S. Launches, Reentries Annually by 2030 appeared first on Watts Up With That?.
Trump Space Policy Targets 1,000 U.S. Launches, Reentries Annually by 2030
Abdul El-Sayed and the Piker Problem
29 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economics of crime, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA Tags: free speech, Israel, Middle-East politics, political correctness, racial discrimination, regressive left, war against terror
There was a curious moment this week when Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed expressed shock that people were asking him…
Abdul El-Sayed and the Piker Problem
Vice signalling
29 Aug 2026 1 Comment
in applied price theory, economics of information, politics - USA Tags: signaling
Vice signalling is the opposite of virtue signalling, although it is not nearly as established as a technical term. Political scientists are more likely to discuss transgressive signalling, norm violation, incivility, performative transgression, or out-group hostility. Research on populism, for example, explicitly treats deliberate breaches of conventional standards of political behaviour as part of a political style. A […]
Vice signalling
Opportunity knocks
27 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in discrimination, gender, politics - New Zealand Tags: 2026 general election
Good vibes all round – unless you’re a woman. It’s fair to say that the leader of the revamped Opportunity Party Quilae Wong is the best looking of all the political leaders contesting the 2026 New Zealand election.
Opportunity knocks
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
Recent Comments