Economics & Finance

Who is Less Free than 40 Years Ago?

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Over at Reason [h/t Instapundit],  Veronique de Rugy asks:

Many libertarians, eyeing the relentless expansion of the state, worry that freedom is marching backward. But are we really worse off than we were 40 years ago?

She surveys many aspects of freedom in modern life and concludes that on the whole we have gained more freedom than we have lost. Missing from this survey, however, is one critical area in which freedom has shrunk dramatically.  

Economic freedom, especially the freedom of economic creativity, has contracted.

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The EU’s New Reluctant President

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Helen will have informed commentary on the EU; still,  I couldn’t resist putting together a few links about the irrepressible Klaus.    He’s the next president in the rotating European Union.    It’s hard to see someone of his vitality as “reluctant” but it’s also hard to see him as president of  the EU about which he  has so many doubts.   Sure, during our election, I argued that it is generally a good idea to have someone like the body over which he presides.   Still, in sheer entertainment value, Klaus may be a plus.

In The Prague Post,  Ondrej Bouda notes  what may be a recurring problem:

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Four Bad Bears

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…sounds like the title of a children’s book.

It’s not, though.

Experimentation, Uncertainty, and the Economy

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Some interesting thoughts from Jonah Goldberg.

The key point is that uncertainty about government policy makes private-sector decision making very difficult, and tends to inhibit rational and dynamic investment.

(via Betsy)

Is This a Joke?

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I could have sworn that someone was pulling my leg when I read this post over at Six Meat Buffet. No one could possibly imagine that I could be taken in by some tall tale of a socialist restaurant where the patrons pay what they think is fair, or “what they could afford”.

The only problem is that it doesn’t look like it was a hoax. The restaurant managers weren’t even bothering to pay attention to their daily expenses!

I’m in the wrong business. There has got to be a way to fleece liberals that don’t even understand basic market forces!

What about if I become a progressive investment consultant who uses visions that come to me while listening to Joan Baez songs? Think I can get any takers on that?