Latest Posts

February 26, 2019

Europe’s last Caesar

Ninety years ago Benito Mussolini, the founder of Italian fascism, stood at the pinnacle of power and prestige. In February 1929, he struck an unprecedented agreement with the Catholic Church on its role in the Italian society, the Lateran Treaty. Continue Reading...
February 26, 2019

Natural rights versus American individualism

Today, it’s common to hear many people declaring their desires or conveniences to be rights. Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All plan, or even having one’s college tuition bills footed, for example, are routinely touted as “basic human rights.” Continue Reading...
February 26, 2019

Work as a religion: The problem with ‘workism’ and its critics

If you’re a young person in America, you’ve undoubtedly been bombarded by calls to “follow your passion,” “pursue your dreams,” or “do what you love and love what you do.” Such slogans have led many toward a renewed appreciation of the meaning that can be found in mundane economic activity—and in many ways, rightly so. Continue Reading...
February 26, 2019

Understanding the Great Depression

Note: This is post #112 in a weekly video series on basic economics. During the “Roaring Twenties” the economy was booming—growing at nearly three percent per year—while inflation stayed near zero percent. Continue Reading...
February 26, 2019

Google and surveillance capitalism

Business Insider reported last week that Google failed to disclose the existence of a microphone in their home security system, NestSecure. This came as a surprise to many Nest customers who complained that they were not informed that the security system even had a microphone. Continue Reading...