European politicians want to achieve broadband access for all. They think that this is a panacea and could even drive Europe out of the current economic situation. In fact, the European Commission “considers it of the greatest importance that, within the European Union, key services such as e-communications are widely available to citizens and
In recent months, fiscal austerity among governments on all levels has come to the political fore, albeit for different reasons. In some cases, such as Greece, belt-tightening measures were essential to avert a sovereign-debt crisis. The Greek government enacted significant deficit-reduction solutions in order to receive monetary aid from the
Interventionism cannot be considered as an economic system destined to stay. It is a method for the transformation of capitalism into socialism by a series of successive steps— Ludwig von Mises, “ Middle of the Road Policy Leads to Socialism ,” April 18, 1950. We’re going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good — Hillary Rodham
The New Jersey legislature recently responded to calls for reforming state automobile laws. Some claim that these laws will increase competition. Given the track record of this legislature in regulating auto insurance, there are good reasons to be wary of this legislation. Does it really improve this situation overall, or is it just another payoff
“The notion that inflation is everywhere and always a monetary phenomenon is no longer a controversial proposition.” – Alan Greenspan, January 3, 2004 Caroline Baum recently noted that the Fed just doesn’t get the credit it deserves for the effect it has on overall economic conditions at any point in time. [1] And, as I often do (because Ms.
Recently, Anderson Cooper and one of his correspondents, Gary Tuchman, condemned price gouging in New Orleans as if they were reporting an inherently unjust practice that no reasonable person would accept. So, once again, it needs explaining why price gouging is not only not bad, but is essential to the welfare of everyone involved. Without it,
Jim Manzi is not a professional economist, but he has been asking some very good questions about the confidence economists have in their models. In response, actual economist Karl Smith has defended the broad macroeconomic models that invite further “stimulus” from both the government and Federal Reserve. Ironically, Smith claims to be a fan of
The U.S. Congress is holding hearings on why gasoline prices have risen; pundits are beginning to repeat the anti-capitalist oil company bashing of the 1970s; and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently issued a report blaming prosperity for rising housing prices and self-servingly calling for more HUD subsidies for
The government’s initial step in attempting to create a government-run healthcare monopoly has been to propose a law that would eventually drive the private health insurance industry out of existence. Additional taxes and mandated costs are to be imposed on health insurance companies, while a government-run “health insurance” bureaucracy will be
A year ago July, I sent my girlfriend some flowers. I picked up the phone, called a florist, and, for about thirty dollars, she received one dozen roses. Seven months later, for Valentine’s Day, I called the same florist and again ordered one dozen roses for my girlfriend. This time, however, they would cost one hundred twenty dollars. I was
What is the Mises Institute?
The Mises Institute is a non-profit organization that exists to promote teaching and research in the Austrian School of economics, individual freedom, honest history, and international peace, in the tradition of Ludwig von Mises and Murray N. Rothbard.
Non-political, non-partisan, and non-PC, we advocate a radical shift in the intellectual climate, away from statism and toward a private property order. We believe that our foundational ideas are of permanent value, and oppose all efforts at compromise, sellout, and amalgamation of these ideas with fashionable political, cultural, and social doctrines inimical to their spirit.