How much protection have 98% closed borders given us against the pandemic? The answer: Virtually none.
Tag: citizens
Pandemics Are the Health of the State
Yes, the virus grows exponentially. Yes, social distancing is one of the ways we know to flatten the curve. But the development of the virus is still quite early, not all of the data is in, and yet still many people seem to be willing to surrender liberties which took centuries to gain and centuries to preserve.
Jason Brennan: Do We Have a Duty to Obey the Government? (58m)
This episode features an interview of philosopher and political scientist Jason Brennan from 2013 by Trevor Burrus and Aaron Powell, hosts of the Free Thoughts podcast. Conventional wisdom holds that governments make laws and their citizens have a duty to obey them. Most people think that’s so obvious that we don’t even really need to discuss it. But is it? Governments certainly want us to obey them, but what sort of arguments are there for why we should?
Reflections on Guatemala
I first journeyed to Guatemala 20 years ago, hosted by Universidad Francisco Marroquín. Two weeks ago, I returned for a delightful extended visit, accompanied by my Spanish-speaking elder sons and former EconLog blogger Jim Schneider. I spent over a week doing guest lectures at UFM, then gave Friday’s keynote talk for the Reason Foundation’s Reason in Guatemala conference. During our trip, we were also able to visit the awesome Mayan ruins of Tikal and Yaxha. Here are my reflections on the experience.
Instead of Tax “Holidays,” How About Real Tax Cuts?
I’m all for lower taxes, but tax holidays aren’t about lower taxes. They’re about three things: Social engineering, political grandstanding, and special interest pandering.
Entanglements II
George Washington spoke, “It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliance with any portion of the foreign world.” I was reminded of this when I recently read an article covering the revelation of how lost America is in matters of foreign policy.
US v. Sineneng-Smith: Does Immigration Law Trump Freedom of Speech?
I encourage anyone and everyone who wants to come to the United States in search of work and/or safety to do so, and to stay here for as long as they please, whether the US government likes it or not. I just broke the law.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
I am late for MLK’s birthday’s anniversary. It happened a week ago according to a record source I have seen. MLK’s real birthdate occurred on January 15, 1929. Every year we are reminded of the contributions that Martin Luther King, Jr. made to our society. What I fear now is that we are doing it wrong.
Unshakable Faith in The State
Had Germany won WWII, would my parents have grown up to be loyal Nazis? Believing the Bible told them that God had put that government over them and it was their duty to obey and be good citizens?
When May We Be Happy?
I suspect that many readers are telling themselves, “This is going to be a great year once the vaccine brings us to herd immunity.” Wrong. This is going to be a great year starting today if you choose to make it great. And if you postpone happiness until society gets its act together, you’ll be waiting for a lifetime.