We should not assume that all adopted innovations are progressive. Jonathon Haidt’s ‘The Anxious Generation’ illustrates that sometimes they require social measures to enhance well being. Brian Easton writes – The Anxious Generation is a book which probably everyone engaging with adolescents should read. Haidt’s thesis is that smartphones replacing flip phones led to a marked […]
Is Progress Progressive?
Is Progress Progressive?
14 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in economic history, economics of education, economics of regulation, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: pessimism bias, The Great Enrichment
UChicago Professor Denounces School as an “Evil” and “Colonialist” Institution . . . But Wants to Stay
13 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of education, Marxist economics, politics - USA Tags: regressive left
While universities have largely purged their faculty ranks of conservatives, there often seems to be no academic who is too far left for hiring committees. The latest example is University of Chicago Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Studies Eman Abdelhadi, who used her appearance at the Socialism 2025 conference to denounce UChicago as “evil” […]
UChicago Professor Denounces School as an “Evil” and “Colonialist” Institution . . . But Wants to Stay
“I have a Wonderful Opportunity”: Justice Jackson’s Cathartic Jurisprudence
13 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in law and economics, politics - USA Tags: constitutional law
I wrote recently about the chilling jurisprudence of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who has drawn the ire of colleagues in opinions for her rhetoric and extreme positions. Many have expressed alarm over her adherence to what has been described by a colleague as an “imperial judiciary” model of jurisprudence. Now, it appears that Jackson’s increasingly […]
“I have a Wonderful Opportunity”: Justice Jackson’s Cathartic Jurisprudence
Govt fiscal constraints are the elephant in the pay equity room
11 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, discrimination, fiscal policy, gender, human capital, income redistribution, labour economics, labour supply, occupational choice, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, public economics, rentseeking Tags: gender wage gap, pay equity, sex discrimination
Michael Johnston writes – The way the government went about rolling back 33 pay equity claims lodged under the last government’s Pay Equity legislation was clumsy at best. The changes were made under urgency and applied retrospectively. It was not a good look. Predictable howls of rage and furious accusations ensued. Critics say the government […]
Govt fiscal constraints are the elephant in the pay equity room
Dr. Matthew Wielicki Torches the $7 Trillion Fossil Fuel Subsidy Myth
10 Jul 2025 1 Comment
in economics of climate change, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming, income redistribution, industrial organisation, politics - USA, Public Choice, rentseeking
Let this article be Exhibit A in the case against climate policy by fiat. And remember: when someone tells you fossil fuels are living off your tax dollars, ask them to show the receipts. Odds are, they’re pointing to a spreadsheet full of make-believe.
Dr. Matthew Wielicki Torches the $7 Trillion Fossil Fuel Subsidy Myth
This is a Labour Justice Minister
09 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - New Zealand
Two years after it happened, we finally have a summary of the Police notes about what happened when then Justice Minister Kiri Allan crashed her car under the influence of alcohol. Key aspects are: This is far far worse than what was known at the time. To have Labour’s Justice Minister demand that police make […]
This is a Labour Justice Minister
EPA Suspends over 140 Toxic Employees Who Wrote Letter Denouncing Trump Policies
09 Jul 2025 1 Comment
in economics of bureaucracy, economics of climate change, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming, labour economics, labour supply, occupational choice, personnel economics, politics - USA, Public Choice
The best part of this story is two fold. First, these individuals have done a good job of self-identif[ying] themselves as fifth columnists inside the Trump administration, making it easier to get rid of them.
EPA Suspends over 140 Toxic Employees Who Wrote Letter Denouncing Trump Policies
A story the media ignored
08 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, economics of education, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, rentseeking
David Farrar writes – The Taxpayers’ Union revealed: The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that Te Wharekura o Tauranga Moana is set to take staff to Tahiti this Friday and refuses to answer basic questions to justify the spend.
A story the media ignored
Why do Māori have to rely on deceased kidney donors?
08 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in health economics, politics - New Zealand
Systemic racism or an inconveniently multifaceted set of problems requiring uncomfortable conversations Ani O’Brien writes – It is a fact that the life expectancy of Māori is lower than New Zealanders of European descent. It is also a fact that the life expectancy of New Zealanders of European descent is lower than that of Asian […]
Why do Māori have to rely on deceased kidney donors?
The pro shoplifting party
08 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: crime and punishment, criminal deterrence, law and order, regressive left
Paul Goldsmith released: Green MP Tamatha Paul is giving shoplifting the green light as she opposes the Government’s plan to strengthen penalties, National Party Spokesperson for Justice Paul Goldsmith says. “The Greens are singing from the same old song sheet, making excuses for anyone who attacks or steals from hard working New Zealanders.” Yesterday Ms […]
The pro shoplifting party
Victor Davis Hanson Continues to Write Foolishly About Economics
07 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, history of economic thought, industrial organisation, international economics, politics - USA, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: tarrifs
TweetEvery time Victor Davis Hanson comments on the economics of international trade he displays his utter ignorance of the most basic facts and theories of that topic. Editor, Real Clear Politics Editor: Victor Davis Hanson’s declaration of victory for Trump’s tariffs is premature and confused (“The Decline and Fall of Our So-Called Degreed Experts,” July…
Victor Davis Hanson Continues to Write Foolishly About Economics
Emotions and Policy Views
07 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, behavioural economics, economics of information, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA
I would call this a story of negative emotional contagion: This paper investigates the growing role of emotions in shaping policy views. Analyzing social citizens’ media postings and political party messaging over a large variety of policy issues from 2013 to 2024, we document a sharp rise in negative emotions, particularly anger. Content generating anger […]
Emotions and Policy Views
Echoes of Citizens for Rowling
07 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, economics of regulation, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, transport economics, urban economics Tags: constitutional law
Karl du Fresne writes – Who remembers the Citizens for Rowling campaign? It was a concerted attempt by the Great and the Good to derail National Party leader Robert Muldoon’s election campaign in 1975. The campaign’s backers didn’t like Muldoon’s combative, divisive brand of politics and argued that Labour’s gentlemanly Bill Rowling, who had assumed […]
Echoes of Citizens for Rowling
Meet TPM’s “hero”
06 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
Te Pati Maori co-leader Rawiri Waititi shared a video of Ibrahim Traoré on Instagram and declared him his “hero”. Traoré is the leader of Burkina Faso. Here’s his record: How long will it take for people to wake up to the fact that Te Pati Maori is an extremist anti-democratic party? Surely the co-leader calling […]
Meet TPM’s “hero”
Who relies most heavily on welfare?
06 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in labour economics, labour supply, politics - New Zealand, poverty and inequality, welfare reform Tags: social insurance
This short piece is a partial answer to the question posed. It addresses the ‘who’ but not the ‘why’.The following chart uses Census data from Statistics NZ and benefit data from MSD. Both sets are from March 2023.At that time there were 345,417 individuals reliant on a main benefit which primarily comprised Jobseeker (formerly Unemployment…
Who relies most heavily on welfare?
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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