From today’s WSJ, Venezuela is starving (gated). No political economy discussion really needed here. The socialist experiment is turning Venezuela into North Korea, with all the attendant misery. This is potentially going to be worse than Syria. This is an unmitigated, albeit predictable, disaster. No need to discuss the issue as to why, just pray for […]
Archives
-
Venezuela is starving, please pray
05 May 2017
-
Ted Poe, R-NC, and a House member of the Freedom Caucus, has quit the group, uttering these words among others: “saying no is easy, governing is hard.” This was in reference to the Caucus’s opposition to the American Health Care Act, which was pulled by Paul Ryan before a vote. Poe says he wants to […]
-
The Saudis are learning the economics of perfect competition–Price equals Marginal Cost.
10 Mar 2017
Oil took a dive south again this week, going below $50/barrel yesterday. As we’ve discussed before, the American “fracker” is now the marginal supplier–ready to turn on the spigots at the first sign of a higher price. In an introductory Econ course, we’ll review what is often called “perfect competition,” or more appropriately, a price-taker market. […]
-
Non-Fake Update on Fake News
13 Dec 2016
This is getting a bit confusing. Now we see fake news writers excoriating what they call fake news. Moreover, we now have a battle of alleged fake news going. In the past few days the allegation that Russia was hacking the Democratic National Committee website has been a major theme of the Left in DC. […]
-
“Fraud!” cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered “Fraud!” But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed. They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain, And they knew that Casey wouldn’t let that ball go by again. Empassioned sports fans don’t like a bad call, and we […]
-
Its puzzling to me, tell me why?
30 Sep 2016
Why is it that many Americans are concerned about CEO pay (S&P 500 median compensation $10.8M in 2015), but are not concerned that Taylor Swift made $170M last year? Or that LeBron James made $77M? Why is it that people are concerned about an explosion in the price hikes of monopolist producers of EpiPen, but […]
-
When asked how one could tell whether a country had left capitalism and become a socialist economy, the Austrian economist Ludwig Von Mises said: “A stock market is crucial to the existence of capitalism and private property. For it means that there is a functioning market in the exchange of private titles to the means of […]
-
In the Iowa caucuses, Mr. Sanders lost to Mrs. Clinton on all the major issues except income inequality, as reported in the WSJ (gated): The pollsters asked caucus-goers to choose one of four issues that mattered most to them in voting for a candidate. Mrs. Clinton easily won on health care, terrorism, and even the economy […]
-
I have one question which I need answered, especially since I’m teaching my macro class about taxation this week and next. Where is there Biblical justification for progressive taxation? Specifically, I’d like to know why two people should be treated differently by the tax code if one makes $100k and the other makes $300k, from […]
-
Merry Christmas
26 Dec 2015
I have to admit I like to read and hear Jonah Goldberg, author, speaker and frequent contributor to National Review. As he himself admits, he is not Christian (Jewish), but he also admires and respects Christians. Sometimes, Goldberg can be a little “colorful” though he is also very often very funny. His wit is quick. […]