Much like the scandal involving three Duke University lacrosse players and the non-rape of a stripper back in 2006, the media has already jumped to prosecution following the murder of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. Now, judging by the evidence thus
Archive for March, 2012
Taylor and Baskerville on the Canadian Leviathan
I’d like to share an excerpt from A Concise History of Business in Canada by Graham D. Taylor and Peter A. Baskerville. This passage appears at the beginning of Chapter 17, titled, “The Incomplete Leviathanâ€. That chapter in turn, begins
Jim Grant Eviscerates the Federal Reserve…at the Federal Reserve!
The New York branch of the Federal Reserve (the one responsible for conducting Open Market Operations to expand the central bank’s balance sheet) has recently sought to open itself up for public critics to visit the bank and “unburden themselves
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The Anatomy of the State
Download the ebook or PDF on mises.org What the State Is Not The State is almost universally considered an institution of social service. Some theorists venerate the State as the apotheosis of society; others regard it as an amiable, though
U.S. Defense Secretary and Canadian Defense Minister Think Polls on War Don’t Matter
Despite the apprehension many Austrian-grounded libertarians have toward highly regarded statements of governance (Constitutions, political speeches, etc.), the essence of one document in particular, the Declaration of Independence, is worthy of praise even from the anti-state point of view. As
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Why Capitalism is Worth Defending
[Originally posted on Lewrockwell.com] As Obama demonizes the wealthy and pitches a dozen plans to restructure the economy, opponents of this program need a reminder of what exactly we’re fighting for. We are resisting bureaucracy, central planning, and encroachments on
WTO Discussing “Market Determined” Exchange Rates
You have to hand it to the political class. Their propensity to throw “forums” and “summits” for the purpose of discussing a vaguely titled, poverty reducing endeavor is never in short supply. What these affairs are really is nothing more
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HBO’s The Wire Is Damn Fine Storytelling
[Originally published in Le Quebecois Libre, No 273, December 15th, 2009. This article is reproduced with permission from the author.] A year ago, I recommended the HBO miniseries John Adams to last-minute freedom-loving holiday shoppers. This year, I have to
The Economics of Gambling
Just a few days ago the US Department of Homeland Security seized and shut down the Canadian sports gambling site www.bodog.com. Â Bodog did not have any American clients, and thought that they had removed all legal liability from US laws
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Bernanke Thinks He Saved the World, How Cute!
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke has been feeling the love lately. First there was Roger Lowenstein’s piece of slobbering adulation titled “The Hero: Ben Bernanke Saved the Global Economy. So Why Does Everyone Hate Him?” in the April 2012 issue
Ohhh Henry on Fair Trade
Our mystery commentator Ohhh Henry had a great insight into “Fair Trade” that I thought I would post. ______________________________________________________________________ The “fair trade” enthusiasts in the First World have a hard time wrapping their brains around the idea that it is
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Is Fair Trade a Fair Deal?
[Originally published in The Freeman, March 2008, Volume 58, Issue 2, We’ve all seen the signs in our local cafes, boasting something like: “We proudly sell coffee brewed with Fair Trade coffee beans, acquired at a price that permits sustainable
Bank of Canada Outdoes Competition
Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney unveiled the new fiat 50 dollar bank note at a launch party in Quebec City today. According to Carney: Thanks to greatly enhanced security features and efforts undertaken by police forces, especially the Sûreté
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The Market Maneuvers around the Money Monopoly
The Market never ceases to amaze me. Even with crippling laws and regulations, the creative minds of entrepreneurs and businessmen find unique ways to provide the goods and services that we, the people, demand. This applies to all areas of
Underestimating Unemployment
The unemployment rate represents the unutilized supply of labour in the economy. It is considered an indicator of economic health. Persistent joblessness is associated with a great deal of public hardship. Because of this, politicians are under considerable pressure to
Prostitution in Canada
At 11am today, the Ontario Court of Appeal will rule whether the nation’s anti-prostitution laws are unconstitutional. I am not a constitutional expert, so I will defer to others for constitutional arguments around the issue of prostitution. When it comes
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Some Further Notes on Libertarian Science Fiction
[Transcribed from the Libertarian Tradition podcast episode “Libertarian Science Fiction II”. Posted on mises.org Friday, March 11th, 2011] This essay is about four writers, none of whom was a libertarian, but each of whom wrote something back in the 1960s
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