Egalitarianism wins. Chipotle restaurant lost an appeal opportunity when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case. Chipotle had been sued by a wheelchair-bound customer who complained that while other customers could see their food being prepared a four-foot high counter blocked his view from his wheelchair perspective. The plaintiff argued that his rights […]
Chipotle Mexican Grill versus egalitarianism Read More »
Over the last 80 years, the world rankings of Hong Kong and Argentina: Resource-poor Hong Kong’s relatively laissez-faire free market has taken it from poverty to riches. Resource-rich Argentina’s experiments in statism have taken it from prosperity to decline and semi-functionality. In this Wall Street Journal/Heritage ranking, Hong Kong is currently first in the world
Argentina, Hong Kong, and the psychology of belief Read More »
My essay, Defending Shylock: Productive Work in Financial Markets, is now available in Kindle format. In this essay, I discuss the great value that financial markets add to an economy and the nature of the intellectual work that underlays them. In addition, I argue against the critics of financial markets who argue that those who
Defending Shylock — Kindle version Read More »
I’m looking forward to learning new things at my APEE session tomorrow on “Hayek and Rand on Values.” The panelists are Emily Chamlee-Wright, Steve Horwitz, Edward Hudgins, and William Kline, each of whom knows a lot about both Hayek and Rand. At the opening banquet tonight, we heard an address from Lin Ostrom, 2009 Nobel
APEE update — Elinor Ostrom Read More »
In the Atlas Shrugged chapter entitled “Wyatt’s Torch” (1.10), Rand has the increasingly desperate central planners pass the “Public Stability Law,” one provision of which states that “All the manufacturing establishments of the country, of any size and nature, were forbidden to move from their present locations.” In the novel’s collapsing economy, many companies are
Atlas Shrugged is really a documentary, datum #217 Read More »
My list of the Top Ten issues the current fracas in Wisconsin has raised. 1. Is Wisconsin’s state budget deficit a problem that must be dealt with? Yes or No 2. Should changing the wages and benefits package of public school teachers be part of the solution to the deficit? Yes or No 3. Do
Checklist of Wisconsin political issues Read More »
I interviewed Dr. David R. Henderson after his talk at Rockford entitled “Seven Myths of Free Markets.” Professor Henderson teaches economics at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California and is a research fellow with Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. Dr. Henderson also explains the surprising, true origin of “the dismal science.” For more about Professor
David Henderson on seven myths of free markets Read More »
For this year’s conference of the Association of Private Enterprise Education, I am organizing and chairing a session on two giants of the twentieth century — Friedrich Hayek and Ayn Rand — with four scholars comparing their views on values and political economy. Topic: Hayek and Rand on Values Chair: Stephen Hicks, Ph.D., Rockford College,
Hayek and Rand on values — APEE 2011 conference Read More »