Public choice economists have long argued that conventional economists hold markets to far higher standards than they hold government. Markets “fail” unless they’re optimal. Governments “succeed” unless they’re on fire.
Tag: action
Tearing Families Apart
People think that one of the worst aspects of chattel slavery in the USA and its colonial antecedents was how the slave owners tore apart families, sometimes wrenching children from their parents’ arms and separating family members forever. What could be more horrible?
To Hell in a Handcart
I have watched wave after wave of politicians run on platforms of educational fixes. In Kentucky, we are now more than 1/3 of a century downstream of a thing called KERA (Kentucky Education Reform Act). When will these know-it-alls quit fixing a thing which cannot be fixed?
Dilettante Mojo – Or How To Balance Professionalism and Amateurism
People tell me that I’m good at writing. It’s a flattering thing to say about a dilettante like me. They also say or imply that they think I’ll become a writer one day. This is a normal expectation. Yet I’m pretty sure I never want to do this full-time – or as my primary job.
Unschooling: Reclaiming the Term
I appreciate what the term “unschooling” now means for many families, particularly for the homeschooling families who navigate the many educational philosophies and approaches available to them in search of the best fit. I also think it is worthwhile to reclaim the term’s origins and dig deeper into Holt’s initial message–not because we should change how we currently use the language of unschooling, but so that we can expand it.
Trump Goes Postal; But in a Good Way
On October 17, president Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw the United States from the Universal Postal Union, a 144-year-old international agreement which coordinates postal policies between 192 member nations. Trump left open the possibility of remaining in the UPU if those policies can be successfully renegotiated. Unlike many of Trump’s initiatives relating to international trade, this one makes real sense.
Government Should Be a Servant
Government is simply people coming together, under unanimously consensual rules, to get things done. It is never mandatory. Government, if done right, might even help protect the life, liberty, and property of the individuals who voluntarily join together. The state, on the other hand, is always anti-social; the more powerful it becomes, the weaker society gets.
The Guide to Insecurities You’ve Been Waiting For
We often use the term “insecure” to negatively label a person who doubts themselves, but in truth, no one is free from feeling insecure. We feel self-doubt, we feel anger that stems from a feeling of insecurity, we feel fear and groundlessness and frustration. All of this comes from the insecurity of the uncertainty of life. And none of it is a problem.
The Sidebar Fallacy
I heard on the radio this morning what I will call the Sidebar Fallacy. It is a specialized form of a hybrid between the straw man and the red herring. It is essentially an accidental getting off topic and pretending that the new topic is germane.
Stop Pretending That Being Good Is Easy
Evil never appears in obvious guises. We all know it. It’s been said before. And I’ve written a couple of times about how mundane choices can often slip past our ethical detectors. But when we also assume that we are “good people,” we find it far easier to make exceptions, make excuses, and turn blind eyes to doing the wrong thing.