Elizabeth Warren and the doulos
Elizabeth Warren’s recent remarks offer a striking glimpse into one prominent strain of American political thought.
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Politics
Interview with Douglas Den Uyl on “The Essence of Capitalism”
Douglas Den Uyl spoke at Rockford College on four competing (and/or compatible?) theories of the nature of capitalism: Milton Friedman’s “Utility” account, Friedrich Hayek’s “Epistemic” account, Adam Smith’s “Aesthetic” account, and Ayn Rand’s “Self-Fulfillment” account. Here is my sixteen-minute interview with Dr. Den Uyl following his lecture: Part 1: Part 2: Cross-posted at the CEE
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Do conservatives value economic liberty?
The question matters because many smart libertarians and conservatives, Bryan Caplan included, are wondering whether the two groups can overcome their differences, either for short-term coalitions on particular issues and elections or to create a longer-term movement. My view is that the philosophical differences between the two militate against long-term compatibility, though there are prospects
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New state motto for Illinois
This year’s ranking of Illinois among the worst states for business and the retrial of Rod Blagojevich for corruption — meaning he could become the fourth Illinois governor in recent years to go to prison — have inspired the following update: Illinois: Where governors go to jail and business can go to hell. Just a
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FedEx and UPS versus USPS
First, the government monopoly: CNN Money reports that the “U.S. Postal Service reports $2.2 billion loss” in the first quarter of 2011 and expects to lose lots more. Second, two private market companies: Reuters reports that United Parcel Service’s “profit tops estimates” but, sadly, that FedEx’s profits “fell 3 percent to $231 million.” One question
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Am I really a Marxist revolutionary?
[Update: I received a note of apology from the author and the post has been retracted. Thank you to everyone who acted on my behalf to correct the error.] What can I say? According to Andrew Breitbart’s Big Government website, Professor Stephen Hicks of Rockford College is a Marxist devoted to educating cadres of revolutionaries.
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The decade since 9/11
September 11, 2001 was almost ten years ago. The Middle-East since then: Yasser Arafat died, exact cause unknown, in 2004. Saddam Hussein was executed in 2006. Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011. In 2009, Teheran, Iran saw political riots. 2010 saw major and minor protests in a dozen middle-eastern and north African countries spilling
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Chipotle Mexican Grill versus egalitarianism
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
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