A big upset in voting for the UK Conservative leadership. James Cleverly who won the second to last round of MP voting, got knocked out in the final round, and won’t proceed to the members vote. Here’s how each round has gone: Round 1 Round 2 This is as expected. Patel’s votes go to three […]
A tactical blunder
A tactical blunder
10 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in politics Tags: British politics
Addressing the Housing Crisis
10 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, income redistribution, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking, urban economics Tags: affordable housing, land supply, regressive left
Japan’s population is roughly equal to the five most-populous states of the U.S. — California, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas — concentrated in a nation that has approximately the land area of Montana, which is only about a fourth as large as those five most-populous states. Moreover, well over … Continue reading →
Addressing the Housing Crisis
The Foodstuffs merger is rejected, so the wholesale market remains an oligopsony
10 Oct 2024 1 Comment
in applied price theory, economics of regulation, industrial organisation, politics - New Zealand Tags: competition law
Yesterday we learned the Commerce Commission’s decision on the merger application by Foodstuffs North Island and Foodstuffs South Island (which I posted about last month). As NBR reported yesterday (paywalled, but you can read this briefer New Zealand Herald story instead, or the Commerce Commission’s decision here):Foodstuffs wanted to see the co-ops merged within and…
The Foodstuffs merger is rejected, so the wholesale market remains an oligopsony
What planet are they on?
09 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of media and culture, economics of regulation, entrepreneurship, industrial organisation, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, survivor principle Tags: creative destruction, legacy media
New Zealand’s newspaper chiefs’ views on how the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill works is somewhat at odds with the text of the Bill. Google today, admirably, said they’ll stop linking to New Zealand news outlets in search if the Bill goes ahead. News Publishers’ Association’s Andrew Holden and Stuff’s Sinead Boucher aren’t happy about that. But…
What planet are they on?
What’s going on with Biden and Israel? (and a coda about Trump’s possible mental problems)
06 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in defence economics, politics - USA, war and peace Tags: 2024 presidential election, Gaza Strip, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror
Although Biden (and now Harris) have proclaimed an ironclad commitment to Israel’s well-being, they’re acting very wonky about Israel’s behavior. First they withheld 2000-pound bombs from Israel (you know, the kind that were used on the targeted strike that killed the leader of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah), though the U.S. rations some of […]
What’s going on with Biden and Israel? (and a coda about Trump’s possible mental problems)
“Schencking” Free Speech: Walz Makes the Case for the Most Anti-Free Speech Ticket in History
06 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA Tags: 2024 presidential election, Age of Enlightenment, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
Below is my column in USA Today on the most chilling moment from the Vance-Walz debate when the Democratic nominee showed why he is part of the dream ticket for the anti-free speech movement. Here is the column: In the vice presidential debate Tuesday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz pulled the fire alarm. His opponent, Sen.…
“Schencking” Free Speech: Walz Makes the Case for the Most Anti-Free Speech Ticket in History
Māori academics finally admit that their way of knowing is not science, but asserts that it is better than science because the truth is “both factual and ethically value-laden”
05 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of education, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: Age of Enlightenment, conjecture and refutation, free speech, philosophy of science, political correctness, regressive left
The “Listener letter” appeared in 2021, signed by 7 professors at the University of Auckland (see it here) in New Zealand. It was a response to the drive (still going on) to teach indigenous “ways of knowing”, Mātauranga Māori (MM), as coequal with science in science classes. The letter argued that while MM was of […]
Māori academics finally admit that their way of knowing is not science, but asserts that it is better than science because the truth is “both factual and ethically value-laden”
“Curbing” Free Speech: John Kerry Denounces the First Amendment as “a Major Block” for Censorship
04 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, law and economics, politics - USA Tags: 2024 presidential election, Age of Enlightenment, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
Below is my column in the New York Post on the recent remarks of former Secretary of State John Kerry to the World Economic Forum, the latest in an array of powerful American politicians warning about the dangers of free speech and calling for government controls. He joins his fellow former Democratic Presidential Nominee Hillary…
“Curbing” Free Speech: John Kerry Denounces the First Amendment as “a Major Block” for Censorship
Enhancing democracy – the case for a second chamber in New Zealand’s Parliament
04 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, public economics
New Zealand did once have an upper house known as the Legislative Council. Is there are argument that it should be re-introduced? Philip Crump writes – New Zealand’s parliamentary system has long been admired for its democratic principles and progressive governance although it has increasingly come under strain and criticism over recent years. In […]
Enhancing democracy – the case for a second chamber in New Zealand’s Parliament
Blasphemer
03 Oct 2024 1 Comment
in law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, political change, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA Tags: Age of Enlightenment, free speech, Freedom of religion, political correctness, regressive left
The collapse of Maori nationalism
03 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, economic history, economics of bureaucracy, income redistribution, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking
As with unionism, overreach will end iwi power push Graham Adams writes – One of former Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s most singular achievements during her tenure as premier was to push a majority of voters to the point of revulsion regarding race-based policy. Now the coalition government is orchestrating a swift counter-revolution, with […]
The collapse of Maori nationalism
Against personal definitions
02 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of education, economics of information, economics of media and culture, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA, property rights Tags: economics of languages, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
An argument against the use of personal definitions of words can be framed around the concepts of communication efficacy, shared meaning, and societal cohesion. 1. Undermines Effective Communication The primary purpose of language is to facilitate clear communication between individuals. Personal definitions of words undermine this goal by distorting the shared meaning that allows people […]
Against personal definitions
Peer Approval to Address Drug Shortages
02 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of regulation, health economics, politics - USA Tags: drug lags
Reuters: Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drug Company said…that it is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to import and distribute penicillin in the country temporarily….Cuban’s Cost Plus will import Lentocilin brand penicillin powder marketed by Portugal-based Laboratórios Atral S.A. There are two remarkable items in the above passage. First, there is a shortage…
Peer Approval to Address Drug Shortages
Inquiring into banking
02 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, financial economics, macroeconomics, monetary economics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice Tags: monetary policy competition law
Hard on the heels of the Commerce Commission’s inquiry into some aspects of banking competition, Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee is also holding an inquiry. Submissions weren’t open for very long and have now closed, but the full terms of reference are here. It is a select committee inquiry, so it is hard to be […]
Inquiring into banking
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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