Why is it that those who have been right in the past are often ignored, while great attention is paid to those who have been wrong? Many "politically correct" forecasters' words are accepted as gospel by the media despite dismal records. Published November 27, 2017
If your income remains constant but the prices of many things you buy decline, you are richer. There are many articles and books asserting that the inflation-adjusted incomes for the middle- and lower-income groups in the U.S. and some of the other developed countries have remained almost flat while the upper-income "rich" have seen a great rise in their incomes. Not true when correctly measured. Published November 20, 2017
The folks in Washington have a knack for almost always asking the wrong question, and then coming up with an answer that makes things worse. The current debate about tax reform is a prime example. Many Democratic critics, some Republican critics (mainly from the conservative side), and many in the media argue that we cannot "afford" a tax cut. In reality, we cannot afford not to cut tax rates. Published November 13, 2017
On Nov. 4, a conference was held in London to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, which occurred in October 1917. Rather than learn from the untold human misery which stemmed from that event, many of those who participated were celebrating the revolution or decrying it as incomplete. Published November 6, 2017
There are a few actions one can take that have no downside, only an upside. Economists teach students, "There is no free lunch," meaning an action that might be beneficial to some may well be harmful to others. An example would be an increase in the minimum wage, which is beneficial to those receiving it, but harmful to all of those who do not get jobs or are laid off because employers either cannot or are unwilling for competitive reasons to pay the mandated higher wage. Published October 30, 2017
Are government-created institutions out of control? Domestic and international government institutions and agencies are created on the premise that they will make things better for the people. But all too often, those who lead these institutions and agencies drift away from the core mission or become corrupted. When they do so, they undermine faith in civil society. Published October 23, 2017
Once again, there is more evidence that economic freedom leads to success. Many of the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union have made enormous economic progress from the time they became free almost three decades ago. Published October 16, 2017
What do you call someone who keeps making the same mistake over and over and fails to learn from others who have made a similar mistake? If one doesn't know history and basic math, and the fact that people adjust their behavior on the basis of incentives, then one should not prove ignorance by commenting on the likely effects of tax changes. Published October 9, 2017
The disastrous hurricanes that struck Puerto Rico might provide the excuse for the necessary, fundamental reform on the island. Puerto Rico has spent most of the past 12 years in recession, leading to its current bankruptcy. Published October 2, 2017
It is a fair bet that Sen. Bernie Sanders (and most of his followers), unlike tens of millions of others, never read George Orwell's "Animal Farm" or Friedrich von Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom." Why do so many embrace a system -- socialism -- that has always failed, whether it was a form of state socialism or the various utopian communities started in the United States and Europe over the last couple of hundred years? Published September 25, 2017
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma were as powerful as the big South Florida hurricanes of 1926, 1928, and 1935, but the death toll was very small compared to the earlier hurricanes in the area, even though the population is now more than 10 times the size. The Great Galveston hurricane of 1900 is estimated to have cost 6,000 to 12,000 lives. The hurricanes that have hit the U.S. in the last 50 years have resulted in relatively few lives lost, with the exception of Hurricane Katrina where an estimated 1,833 died. Published September 18, 2017
It is tough to play hardball with your friends. Have you ever known someone who was exceptionally smart, very personable and highly accomplished, but was not particularly good at managing a large number of independently minded people? I have. His name is Paul Ryan. Published September 11, 2017
How much should corporations pay in taxes? Published September 4, 2017
It is a safe bet that everyone reading this column had an ancestor who was either a slave or slaveholder. It is also no coincidence that the effort to abolish slavery on a sustained and global basis did not occur until after the advent of the industrial revolution. Persistent slavery can be found in all cultures once people ceased being exclusively hunter-gatherers. Slavery was in fact "normal" until recent times. Sudan became the last country to legally abolish it in 2007 but, although illegal, it continues to be practiced in some countries. Published August 28, 2017
Is more inflation desirable? Those at the Federal Reserve seem to think so, and they have explicitly said their target is 2 percent, or about double the current level. Published August 21, 2017
Lawmakers who violate campaign pledges could lose lawsuits by donors Published August 15, 2017
If a political candidate asks you for a donation with a promise that he or she will do some specific act if elected and then fails to do so, should you be able to sue for fraud? Published August 14, 2017
Venezuela is the latest global disaster caused by socialism. Over the last couple of hundred years, virtually every variety of socialism has been tried -- from communism to national socialism (Nazism) and fascism, to various varieties of "democratic socialism" -- with one common characteristic -- they all failed. Published August 7, 2017
Which government agency has done the most to destroy innovation? The American Founders tried to create an environment to foster innovation, because they understood new inventions would increase the well-being of the citizens. And that is the reason the Constitution enabled Congress to create patents of limited duration. Published July 31, 2017
For the past decade, a strange migration of a couple of thousand people from all over the world to Las Vegas takes place -- in the middle of July. They come -- at least most -- not to gamble and certainly not for the weather where the normal daytime temperature is a 100-plus degrees, but to participate in an event called FreedomFest. Published July 24, 2017
