We can’t eliminate taxation or there would be no one to protect your property from thieves. We can’t eliminate rape gangs or humans wouldn’t procreate.
Category: Blogs
The official Everything-Voluntary.com blog.
Straightforward Communication
What was novel and wild is now kind of tiring. Everyone sounds the same to me now. And they sound the same while not really saying anything. Or at least not anything interesting. They are shouting and flashing big neon lights but my senses are adapted to a noisy, bright environment.
Instead of Explaining Greta Thunberg, Debate Her Claims
Critics slam Thunberg as everything from “mentally ill” (a claim which got one Fox News guest blacklisted), to naive pawn in a well-funded propaganda operation, to just plain annoying teenager. I think those critics miss the point. If they disagree on the facts, they should dispute those facts rather than focus on Thunberg at all. But since the focus IS on her, let’s take a closer look.
Competing Political Gangs and Their Territories
I took a walk recently, just to the bank. It turns out that’s 1.1 miles, one way. On this walk, I crossed a state border. Twice. Strange. I felt no difference when I crossed, but suddenly a whole new collection of crimes was possible, while other activities suddenly became non-crimes. Just from crossing that imaginary line. Going both ways.
The Silver Lining of Social Media’s Negativity Obsession
Shockingly evil things + news often seem to defeat good things + good news in the war for human attention, especially on social media, TV, etc. There’s one silver lining to all this, though: The good is going to have […]
The post The Silver Lining of Social Media’s Negativity Obsession (and How To Defeat It) appeared first on James L. Walpole.
Letter from a Pakistani Homeschooler
I recently received this email from Pakistani homeschooler Fasih Zulfiqar. I advised him to seek out econ professors at the nearest universities, but he’d likely appreciate further advice. Reprinted with his permission. Hello Prof Bryan, Fasih here. Perhaps Prof Cowen informed you about me, but in case he did not, let me introduce myself. I’m […]
The post Letter from a Pakistani Homeschooler appeared first on Econlib.
The Battle for Moderate Control Isn’t Worth It
What’s torturous is having a little control but constantly battling with forces outside my control to maintain that sliver. Like sitting in traffic. I control the vehicle, but am at the mercy of other forces for most of the progress that can be made. I’d rather be on an open freeway with total control or in an airplane with none. In the former, I get to call the shots. The latter I get to totally free my mind and laugh at whatever fate brings.
Am I a Patriot?
I’ve wondered before whether I am a “patriot”. A cute statist girl called me one several years ago and I wasn’t sure whether I should feel insulted. (She later decided she hated me because I don’t support “the troops” or the Blue Line Gang, both of which she adored.) I decided to figure out what makes a person a patriot, but I discovered that the rabbit hole is deeper than I had expected.
Want Lower Drug Prices? Make the FDA’s Authority Advisory, Not Regulatory
Lately, FDA seems more interested in feeding a moral panic over “e-cigarettes” to expand its power even further than in executing its supposed mission of “protecting the public health.”
Move Towards Your Resistance
Our minds have the tendency to turn away and move away from what we’re fearing and resisting the most. We naturally don’t like pain, frustration, difficulty. So turning away and avoiding and putting off are protective acts. And yet, this keeps us in our comfort zone. The path of growth is in the parts we’re resisting.