Global restrictions on migration are holding the world economy back by two decades. The economic loss we suffer every single year as a result of governments’ arbitrary barriers on labor mobility is equivalent to the next 20 years of economic growth. Simply put, lifting restrictions on immigration would double world GDP.1 We can get a headstart … Continued
The story of Hampton, Florida, could be the plot for a classic rise to power story–like House of Cards, for rednecks–or, under some interpretations, just the origin story of all government–a bunch of people with guns decide to hold up travelers on the highway. But as hilarious and impossible as it sounds, this one is … Continued
Sometimes conspiracy paranoia just makes me want to laugh–other times, it makes me want to cringe. If you enjoy that kind of thing, the current uprisings in Ukraine and Venezuela against vile, corrupt, authoritarian police states will provide you with plenty of fodder. Based on the assumption that America is the root of all evil … Continued
Background Since the Congressional Budget Office released its report earlier this week on the United States’ ten year economic outlook, a furious debate has been raging about over the report’s findings about the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”). In the report, CBO revised its estimate of the impact the health care reform will have on the … Continued
Stopping overdoses means having an open, educated, honest discussion about drugs and how to use them safely. This horrifies many people who seem to think that the only thing one can say about crack or meth or heroin is “EVIL SUPERDRUG! Never, ever touch it!” The people receptive to this scaremongering are not the users. This … Continued
Appendix C of the Congressional Budget Office’s ten-year economic outlook, regarding the labor market effects of the Affordable Care Act, explains in devastating detail just how much the Act will hurt the already weak labor market. It’s pretty straightforward price theory, gauging the effects of the various taxes imposed and subsidies offered by the ACA. Below … Continued
Obligatory libertarian boilerplate: A&E has every right to hire or fire anyone they want; everyone has a right to free speech, but they don’t have a right to someone else’s microphone. Obligatory atheist boilerplate: Animus towards gays is abhorrent, and I support equal rights for gays and lesbians. That being said, I don’t think it’s wise … Continued
“The United States is the freest country on earth.” It is a comforting story Americans tell ourselves when we feel our position in the world challenged, or when chest-thumping nationalists mount the platform to brag about “American exceptionalism”, or when we need to excuse our behavior internationally. But is it true? How does the United States stack … Continued
