July 2007

Recovering Republican - Did I leave the GOP, or did the GOP leave me?

Recommended Reading - A little light reading for the liberty-minded individual.

First Principles - Libertarianism from the ground up.

Economic Illiteracy - Morgan Spurlock and Oprah call for an increase in the minimum wage.  Are they right?

Latin America's Lurch Left - An analysis of political trends in South America.

As Harry Browne Once Said, Government Doesn't Work - Any government program runs counter to both ethics and efficacy.

Nonsense in the News - Bolivia bans used clothes, US seeks to increase taxes on cigars, Fort Worth to ban smoking.

August 2007

Buffalo Hunted to Near-Extinction Due to Lack of Government Regulation? - An “economist” who doesn’t understand the tragedy of the commons.

Ideas Matter - Bad philosophy leads to bad results.

Energy Independence - Challenging the notion of self-sufficiency as a political objective.

Hey, No Fair! (A Discussion of Rights) - A comparison of positive and negative rights.

Fort Worth Smoking Ban - Fort Worth:  Where the West Begins and Freedom Ends.

Maybe They Should Change the Name - The Economist is surprised by basic economics.

Projection - What would happen if we applied the market paradigm to judge government solutions?

Public Education - We believe in our public school system so much that we’re willing to take your house away if you don’t go along with the program - because we care about the children.

The Broken Window - Anyone can see the obvious benefits that accrue to a select few.  The trick is seeing the hidden costs.

Better Right Than Popular - Judging the means as well as the ends.

Loving Leviathan - How did we go from fighting for freedom in this country to fighting freedom in this country?

The Illusion of the Competitive Monopoly - Private-sector monopoly bad, public-sector monopoly good?

Give Me Liberty (But You, Not So Much) - Paternalism and its impact on freedom.

Wasting Your Vote - Unless you’re a Chicago Democrat, you’ve only got one vote.  Spend it on someone who’s earned it, or not at all.

Nonsense In the News - Soccer player protectionism, illegal jukeboxes in Mexico, saggy pants bans in the U.S.

Protectionism - Doing to yourself in peacetime what your enemy would do to you in a time of war.

Elect This Man - The GOP's best option is the guy you've never heard of.

September 2007

National “Service” - Time magazine thinks your children should be enslaved to the state.

October 2007

European Travels and a Passengers' Bill of Rights - Congress tries to blame the airlines for the mess caused by Federal control of aviation.

A Cautionary Tale for Conservatives - They’ve already lost the real battle.

Wars and Rumors of Wars - Can real security be achieved by government intervention abroad?  I used to think so…

Time to Take Action on Immigration - A tongue-in-cheek look at the immigration debate.

Capitalism – The Government’s Patsy - Government interferes, the free market gets blamed.

Not Yours to Give  - Davy, Davy Crockett…king of the wild frontier!  The man understood the ethics of wealth redistribution. 

Nonsense In The News - Bolivians ransack bar district in anti-crime move, Cisco accused of tax evasion in Brazil, Bush ties foreign aid to the drug war.

Honest Abe and the Civil War - A critical review of some of the myths surrounding the “Great Emancipator” and the War Between the States.

The Buddhists Are Right - Proof of reincarnation.

November 2007          

Doing Good by Doing Evil - A libertarian perspective on Prop 15 here in Texas.

Keeping the Faith - The results are in.  Capitalism is better.

Nonsense In The News - Racism and sorcery in Brazil.

History’s Costliest Revision - Life, liberty, and property.  What might have been…

For or Against?  - There’s a very positive message behind libertarian opposition to the government programs most people take for granted.

Autumn in Korea - Protectionist sentiment turns violent in Korea.  Again.

Today’s GOP – Conservatives Need Not Apply - An analysis of the Republican Party’s reaction to the Ron Paul campaign.

The Shape of Things to Come - Immunize your kids or go directly to jail.

Face the Nation - Bob Schieffer misses the point.

December 2007

What’s So Great About Liberty? - Liberty is what enables us to pursue the things that are really important in life.

Food Sovereignty - Romney and Giuliani look to follow the Bolivian economic model.  Yikes!

I’m the Philosopher-King of the World! - Plato’s influence continues to this day, unfortunately.

Leviathan’s Next Crisis - Gun-run health care and the expansion of government power.

Athlete, Cancer Survivor, Politician (2 Out of 3 Ain’t Bad) - Lance Armstrong, hero?

The Liberalism of Christian Conservatives - Republican, yes.  Conservative, not so much.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Thermoelectric Semiconductor Cooling Systems - The Texas Emerging Technology Fund, and why politicians make lousy venture capitalists.

Whip Inflation Now! - Let's define our terms, shall we?

Is U.S. History Repeating Itself in Bolivia? - Going from bad to worse in my home away from home.

The Green-Eyed Monster - Behind all of the high-minded talk about "protecting working Americans" lies nothing but greed and envy.

The Social(ist) Contract - The contract on your freedom...don't sign until you've read the fine print.

January 2008

I Know Who Killed the Electric Car - Hollywood should really leave the economic issues to those who actually understand them.

National Insecurity - Uncomfortable questions.

The Wall - How do Americans deal with illegal immigration?  By turning to the East Berlin model…welcome to Checkpoint Carlos.

The Needs of the Many - Watered-down utilitarianism as the enabler for totalitarianism.

Nominees for Political Quote of the Year - Fierce competition for the coveted A Beginner’s Guide to Freedom Political Quote of the Year.

Say It Ain’t So, Joe! - Comments about the Ron Paul newsletter controversy.

Gas: 25¢/gallon - Betcha I can buy a gallon of gas for a quarter.  Don’t believe me?  Read on.

February 2008

Legal Immigration – A Personal Account - It’s not as easy as it sounds.

Party Like It’s 1929 – The GOP nominates another big-government, anti-capitalist RINO.

Oil for Food – Chavez is about to find out which one is more important.

The Essential Feature of Government – Let’s recap, shall we?

Giving Up Liberty for Security – Warrantless wiretaps.

Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss – What’s new in Cuba these days?  Nothing.

Running for Intellectual Cover – Intellectuals who use the language of freedom to espouse slavery, and the politicians who love them.

Use Rabbit Ears, Go To Jail! – Digital TV.  It’s not just a good idea, it’s the law!

March 2008

Fighting Over the Toaster – Is government capable of delivering on the promises made by the political class?  No, but that won’t stop them from fighting for control of the levers of power.

Milkman Meets Pieman – A simple depiction of the benefits of free trade.  There’s a reason it’s not titled “Milkman vs. Pieman.”

Jericho – I’m so used to Hollywood getting political theory wrong, Jericho was a short-lived breath of fresh air.  If you haven’t seen it, check it out.

Good Use – Individuals are subject to the same moral rules.  Working for the government doesn’t change that.

April 2008

Beware of Predatory Lenders! – A new breed of criminal wants to lend you money.  Be afraid!  Be very afraid!

Ryan’s Law – Arguing against the concept of positive rights, even in the really hard cases.

Don’t Cry For Me, Cry For Argentina – Evita II:  Peron’s Revenge!

Tell Congress to Hang Up on the HANGUP Act – The nanny state takes to the skies.

Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me – The religion of statism.

A Disease Masquerading As Its Own Cure – Global food crises and the inevitable calls for more government “cures.”

A Disease Masquerading As Its Own Cure, Part II – One reporter believes the way to help reduce hunger is to make food more expensive.  I disagree.

May 2008

Vox Populi, Vox Dei – Forget the rulebook, Hillary Clinton wants to be President!

Do Americans Really Want Freedom? – Silly me.  Here I am arguing for more freedom, while others cry out daily for less.

June 2008

Libertarianism Made Easy – Boiling it all down to two simple yet profound concepts.

The Myth of Market Failure – What the anticapitalists call failure is usually just a warning.

On the Lighter Side – Making fun of bureaucrats.

The Neocons’ Faustian Bargain – National Review wishes it weren’t so difficult for the government to spy on you.

Participatory Fascism – Comparing the platforms of the two leading presidential candidates.  Can you tell which one is the conservative and which is the liberal?  I can’t.

July 2008

War Powers Act – The Sequel – Presidents have claimed that the War Powers Act is unconstitutional.  They’re right, but not for the reason they think.

I’m From the Government and I’m Here to Help the Housing Market – How do you make the mortgage crisis worse?  Easy.  Just let Congress “fix” it.

It Usually Begins with Snidely Whiplash – Borrowers good, lenders bad?  An odd notion of virtue as reported by The Boston Globe.

Choosing the Form of the Destructor – McCain or Obama?  Giant Slor or Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man?  How would you like your liberties trampled?

Recommended Reading – Three good books to devour.

August 2008

Spinning Slavery – What could be more liberating than involuntary servitude?  Americans for a National Service Act want a voluntary national service plan, and they’re willing to make it mandatory.

The House that Eminent Domain Built - Cowboys Stadium is budgeted at $650M.  Just think of how much more it would have cost the Dallas Cowboys if they had acquired the land honestly!

September 2008

The Benedict Arnold of the Reagan Revolution – Parsing John McCain’s creepy acceptance speech.

Conversations Overheard Overseas – Since when have we told women what they can do with their bodies?  When haven’t we?

With Friends Like These, Who Needs Socialists? – Are these capitalism’s only defenders?

October 2008

Bailing Out the Bailout – Sure, voters are against the bailout plan by a margin of 100 to 1, but that’s no reason the Senate can’t work in a bipartisan manner to pass a bailout plan, right?

November 2008

And Then What? – Challenging the Keynesian assumptions underlying our “consumer-driven economy.”

Lessons From the Campaign Trail – Reflections on a hard-fought campaign.

Redefining Marriage – Gay or straight, be careful what you wish for.  Some things just shouldn’t be subject to majority rule.

Lagniappe – Just a little something extra for the month of November.

A New Morning in America? – More like a long winter’s night.

Demystifying the Gold Standard – We’re going to have to talk about it sooner or later…

December 2008

Founding Errors – The Founders may have made a mistake in thinking Americans wanted freedom.

Forecast for the Free Market: Stormy – Here’s a piece I did for The Whited Sepulchre.

January 2009

Applying Bastiat – 19^th century lessons for 21^st century problems.

Political Football – Making a federal case out of college sports.

Prohibition - A Parable – The folly and hubris of the drug war.

Hope and Fear – The internal contradictions of Obama’s inaugural address.

President Obama Is Mad As Hell! – It’s still fascism, even when a Democrat does it.

February 2009

Ernesto “Che” Guevara, R.I.P. (Revolucionario. Imbécil. Pendejo.) – Hollywood’s continuing love affair with a mass murderer.

The Shape of Things to Come – First they came for the Wall Street executives…

The Cure Is Worse Than the Disease – Trying to conceptualize the enormity of Bailout-palooza.

An Appointment In Damascus – Rushing to worsen our economic fate.

Of Regulations, Red Tape, and the Trade Deficit – Some regulations don’t make sense even by Washington’s own standards.

The State of the Nation – President Obama throws out some really big numbers. 

March 2009

Inflation and the War Machine – Follow the inflated money…

Winging It – Obama and team just make it up as they go along.

Until They Try to Take It – Another gun grab winds its way through the halls of Congress.

Snow on Thursday – President Obama does “Viewer Mail.”

GM: Government Managed – Another day, another American industry nationalized.

April 2009

The Busybody Tax – Ever gone an entire week without a rationalization?

Easter Eggs and Property Rights – A seasonal illustration of the tragedy of the commons.

The Second Republic of Texas – Should it be done?  Probably not.  Could it be done?  Absolutely.

The (Niche) Market for Liberty – Life’s too short to argue with brick walls.

The Progressive Monster – You can’t spend an entire century feeding the federal monster and then act surprised when it goes off and eats a few villagers.

May 2009

Opportunities for Improvement – Time to get introspective.

June 2009

The Happiness Machine – Just what we need – more intellectual cover for wealth redistribution.

The Wit and Wisdom of Oliver Wendell Holmes – A closer look at an anti-freedom legacy.

Trust Me, I’m a Doctor – Just don’t call it socialized medicine.

The Fed’s Good News – What, Bernanke worry?

July 2009

Independence Day – The Tea Party rally speech that never was.

Caritas In Veritate – One more reason to support the separation of church and state.

Lagniappe – NPR, Health insurance vs. health care, and Venezuela.

The Return of the Idiot – El Regreso del Idiota, translated and summarized.

Demon Soda – The new public health enemy number one.

August 2009

The Land of Milk and Honey – Once again, the seemingly immortal fallacy of protectionism raises its ugly head and delivers its harmful unintended consequences.

Citizenship Test – It’s a good thing I didn’t have to take this test.  I’d be deported.

Borrowing Our Way Out of Debt – What do you do when you’re drowning in debt?  If you’re Tim Geithner, you borrow more money.

Media Matters – What we would do without the mainstream media? 

September 2009

The Public Option – A public option in education crowded out private schools.  What do you think a public option in healthcare will do?
It’s Hard To Be Humble – Applying a healthy dose of Hayek to the health care debate.

The Desert Island Test – An easy way to distinguish between rights and desires.

Peter Griffin, Enemy of the State – Hugo Chavez sets his sights on a new target - Family Guy.

October 2009

They’re the Kids in America – Young liberals take to the streets to demand that other people pay for their health insurance.

Tooth Fairy Heralds Dollar’s Demise – She’s taking precautions and deleveraging her dollar holdings.

Macro for Dummies – A reprint of a great piece by Bill Bonner, from The Daily Reckoning.

Lagniappe – News of scary government incompetence, just in time for Halloween.

November 2009

Growth Industry – When I was in school, the hot field was computer science.  Times have changed.

Putting Things Into Perspective – The 20^th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Worst Day Ever – The “Affordable Health Care for America Act.”

Glass Houses – People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.  Politicians, on the other hand…

December 2009

The Upside of Government Failure – Government failure often has disastrous consequences, but sometimes it works to our advantage.

Stealing From Widows and Orphans – You can’t take it with you, so Congress will take it from you.

Lagniappe – Uganda ponders a final solution for homosexuality, Bernanke is named Person of the Year, Stephen Colbert lampoons goldbugs, and my little girl makes a contribution to Toys for Tots.

Christmas in California – My parents are officially on the naughty list.

January 2010

Be Good and You Will Be Lonesome – So be it.

Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? – A Harvard professor looks for virtue in government.  Good luck with that.

Lagniappe – The Feds want to know about your seasonal allergies, Hugo Chavez loses power in Venezuela, the AP breaks news everyone knows, and the TSA wants to see you naked.

The Stimulus Project – CNN goes on a televised snipe hunt, looking for economic recovery from Obama’s stimulus plan.

February 2010

Give Me Fiscal Discipline, But Not Yet – Obama channels St. Augustine.

Roach Motel – Justice Antonin Scalia’s views on secession.

March 2010