Here’s Bill Maher’s monologue from his most recent Real Time show, arguing that voters should not expect an “October surprise”. He argues that because Trump has been so persistently awful in familiar ways, that there will be no change in his character before the election (remember that it’s just about two weeks away). He’s in five […]
Bill Maher on the unlikelihood of an ”October Surprise”
Bill Maher on the unlikelihood of an ”October Surprise”
22 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in politics - USA Tags: 2024 presidential election
WSJ Video on Trump-Biden-Trump Tariffs
22 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, applied welfare economics, economic history, industrial organisation, international economics, politics - USA, survivor principle Tags: 2024 presidential election, tarrifs
TweetI can pick a few nits with this eight-minute-long video from the Wall Street Journal on tariffs – for example, for all of their many problems, tariffs do not (contrary to what’s reported in the video) cause any net, economy-wide loss of jobs. Nevertheless, this video is quite good, not least because it features the…
WSJ Video on Trump-Biden-Trump Tariffs
Sir Apirana Ngata on The Treaty
21 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, economic history, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights Tags: constitutional law
Sir Apirana Ngata is on our $50 note. He was a lawyer and then was the MP for Eastern Maori for almost 40 years. He was Minister of Native Affairs for six years.He made huge contributions to Maori land reform, language and culture. He also wrote a booklet in 1922 on the Treaty of Waitangi, […]
Sir Apirana Ngata on The Treaty
Why I wouldn’t vote for Trump
19 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - USA Tags: 2024 presidential election
Nate Silver has a good way of explaining why he will vote for Kamala Harris. Before he looks at anything else, he asks is there anything that is disqualifying about a candidate. His answer is Trump’s support of January 6 disqualifies him, and there is nothing Harris has done that is disqualifying, so he will […]
Why I wouldn’t vote for Trump
Aus Deputy PM Chief of Staff resigns due to bullying
19 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in health and safety, labour economics, labour supply, occupational choice, politics - Australia, unions
News.com.au reports: Richard Marles’ chief of staff says she is “being bullied out” of her dream job after reporting misbehaviour directly to the Deputy Prime Minister. In a press conference on Thursday morning, Jo Tarnawsky said she “loved” her job working for Mr Marles, whom she had known for “more than 10 years”. But she […]
Aus Deputy PM Chief of Staff resigns due to bullying
GARY JUDD KC: A student should not be forced to learn about tikanga to be a lawyer
19 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, economics of bureaucracy, economics of crime, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice Tags: constitutional law
My oral submission to the Regulation Review Committee. Yesterday [Oct 16], Parliament’s Regulation Review Committee heard oral submissions concerning my complaint to the Committee asking that a member of the committee move a resolution asking the House of Representatives to disallow the regulations promulgated by the New Zealand Council of Legal Education. If the regulations…
GARY JUDD KC: A student should not be forced to learn about tikanga to be a lawyer
Judd on Tikanga
18 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economic history, economics of bureaucracy, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: constitutional law
Guest Post: KiwiSaver – is it ‘working’?
17 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in labour economics, labour supply, politics - New Zealand
A guest post by Michael Littlewood: So, John Horner of the Financial Markets Authority thinks that KiwiSaver’s reaching $100 bn “…is something to celebrate; for a relatively small country like New Zealand, it represents a coming of age of KiwiSaver.” (FMA 24 September 2024 here). Others in the financial services industry praise KiwiSaver while some call for […]
Guest Post: KiwiSaver – is it ‘working’?
Who makes the law? New report challenges Supreme Court’s expanding role
17 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights Tags: constitutional law
News from the New Zealand Initiative – A new report from The New Zealand Initiative warns of a looming constitutional crisis in New Zealand, as the Supreme Court increasingly oversteps its bounds, threatening the balance of power between the courts and Parliament. The report, “Who Makes the Law? Reining in the Supreme Court,” authored by […]
Who makes the law? New report challenges Supreme Court’s expanding role
Liz Cheney Under Fire for Allegedly Improper Contacts with Cassidy Hutchinson
16 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, economics of crime, law and economics, politics - USA, Public Choice Tags: 2020 presidential election, 2024 presidential election

Former J6 Committee Co-Chair and Rep. Liz Cheney has long been criticized for her role in creating a one-sided and at times erroneous record of what occurred on January 6th. That includes editing out Trump’s call for supporters to protest “peacefully,” burying evidence on Trump’s offer to supply National Guard support for that day, and […]
Liz Cheney Under Fire for Allegedly Improper Contacts with Cassidy Hutchinson
UK Labour in real trouble
16 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in politics, Public Choice Tags: British politics
It was only a few months ago UK Labour won in a landslide (helped by FPP). The next election is many years away, but they have a problem that their brand has turned negative so quickly, that it could be hard to change in future. The latest More in Common poll has the following:
UK Labour in real trouble
Liberals are Losing their Minds over Elon Musk
16 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA Tags: Age of Enlightenment, free speech, political correctness, regressive left

Below is my column in The Hill on the Musk mania now sweeping over the media with pundits and politicians unleashing unhinged attacks on the billionaire. In an Age of Rage, Musk is now eclipsing Donald Trump as Public Enemy No. 1. It began with his stance against censorship. Here is the column:
Liberals are Losing their Minds over Elon Musk
Gervais gets it right
16 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in liberalism, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA Tags: Age of Enlightenment, free speech, political correctness, regressive left

“No Kidding! No Joke!” Liberals Call on Biden to Commit Unconstitutional Acts in his Final Days
14 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in law and economics, politics - USA Tags: 2024 presidential election, constitutional law

With the end of the Biden Administration in sight, liberal pundits seem to be striving to prove that the only difference between a law-breaker and a law-abiding citizen is the ability to get away with the crime. Popular figures on the left from Michael Moore to Keith Olbermann are calling on President Joe Biden to […]
“No Kidding! No Joke!” Liberals Call on Biden to Commit Unconstitutional Acts in his Final Days
‘Taxpayer Talk’ | Simon Court joins Jordan Williams to talk RMA reform
14 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, environmental economics, income redistribution, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, public economics, rentseeking, resource economics, transport economics, urban economics Tags: zoning
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