Economic Freedom

Murray Rothbard believed that the right to engage in voluntary exchange has long been understood as a natural right, not just a good, practical idea. Tariffs and other trade barriers violate that right.

Trump has even dubbed himself “a Tariff Man.” This is nothing new, however, his frequent claims regarding the US economy during the Gilded Age need scrutiny.

Freedom in One Lesson is an extensive collection of Leonard Read's best, most powerful sustained arguments on behalf of liberty. Leonard Read's goal was to plant the seeds of liberty, so society and individuals could blossom to their fullest potential.

Western elites repeatedly call for “reparations” payments to former Western colonies ostensibly to lift them from poverty. By turning these countries into large welfare recipients, these elites perpetuate the very poverty they claim to decry.

Britain‘s new populist party, Reform UK, has done well in the polls but is embarking on head-scratching proposals to deal with energy issues. Instead of pushing market reforms, RUK is proposing a mix of subsidies, taxes, and prohibition to respond to high energy prices.

The philosopher Karl Popper was a strong critic of Marx, his system, and especially his reliance on historicism. Unfortunately, as David Gordon points out, Popper supported economic interventionism as a viable “third way” for social organization.

Economic development cannot ever be seen as an end in itself. People are complex, social beings who may well forgo some of the advantages of economic growth for social stability, something Ludwig von Mises and Murray Rothbard understood.

We should not look just at the visible and obvious results of tariffs. We must also look at the good things that the tariffs keep from happening.

Amazon faces endless criticism—some fair, some absurd. Is it really an anti-worker behemoth, or is the union fight just another sign of its success? Mark Thornton breaks it down.

Mainstream economists and the media “warn” us about the dangers of “income inequality.” But is income inequality really an economic and social problem, or is this yet one more false crisis ginned up by intellectual and governing elites?