Category: Political Issues
Ideas about the role of government in society, its relationship to citizens, and about how much power the government should be given.
Ideological Labels: Nationalism, Conservatism, Liberalism, Progressivism, Neoliberalism
I have just read a thought-provoking article on The American Interest website entitled National Conservatism: A Guide for the Perplexed. The post, written by Aaron Sibarium, notes how political and ideological … Read More
Is Populist Nationalism the Leftist Bogeyman?
The bogeyman is a mythical being used by parents since time immemorial to frighten unruly children into good behavior. “Be good, ” the parents would say, “or the bogeyman will … Read More
The Rahn Curve: What Makes Economies Grow?
Recently, I read an article by Richard W. Rahn about public hoaxes. Although he wrote mostly about the Trump Russian collusion delusion, the most important part of his essay was … Read More
The U.S. Southern Border: A Crisis Democrats Dare Not Acknowledge
President Trump is driven by frustration at the crisis on our southern border. As a last gasp endeavor, he threatened Mexico with high and accelerating import tariffs. Should Mexico not … Read More
Modern Monetary Theory Madness
American progressives have a real problem. Somehow, they must figure out how to finance the huge new social programs they would like to impose on us. Lately, a number of … Read More
What We Will Fight Over In the 2020 Campaign
It has only been a few months since the end of the 2018 U.S. campaign season. Nevertheless, we can already see what we will fight over in the 2020 campaign. … Read More
Balance of Social Justice with Human Freedom in the Social Contract
What should the social contract between the rulers and the ruled be? Responses to this single question are the sources of our growing political conflict. As the image above suggests, … Read More
Curious, Erroneous Progressive Ideas About Taxes
Differing views about taxes generate much of the anger between the American Left and Right. Progressives, insisting government should be the major tool for solving social and economic problems, look … Read More
What Is at Stake in the 2018 Midterm Elections
In the coming 2018 midterm elections, we will have an opportunity to see if the same old dysfunctional political patterns observed in recent decades continue. With a cold civil war … Read More
Good Intentions and the Seduction of Power
Sen. Susan Collins’ full speech explaining why she would vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. YouTube / CNN One of the major lessons to take … Read More
Polarization, Not Partisanship, Is Causing U.S. Political Dysfunction
Every now and then, I read something reminding me a great many believe our political dysfunction is rooted in simple partisanship. I have just done that again, reading The Serve … Read More
Income Distribution and Economic Freedom
The vicious ideological warfare between the Left and the Right is caused by one salient question: Just how useful is government in solving social and economic problems? A subsidiary issue … Read More
Is the US Economic Boom Sustainable?
Evolution of the Atlanta Federal Reserve’s GDPNow estimate for real GDP growth in Q3 2018. The current estimate for Q3 growth is 4.4 percent. Atlanta Federal Reserve District Bank / … Read More
U.S. Economy and Stock Markets, July 2018
Real GDP growth rate from 2010 to the second quarter of 2018. Red line is the linear trend from Q4 2011 to Q1 2017. The green line is the linear … Read More
American Progressives Have Gone Completely Bonkers!
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) telling her supporters to harass Republicans in public with a call for mob action. Washington Post / YouTube The American Left has become certifiably insane! One … Read More
Does Any People Deserve a Democracy?
Germans stand on top of the Berlin Wall at the Brandenburg Gate days before it was torn down in 1989. Wikimedia Commons / Unknown photographer The photograph above is a … Read More
Individual Rights Versus Collective Responsibilities
On the Left, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, advocates for collective responsibilities. Wikimedia Commons / Friedrich Karl Wunder and George Lester On the Right, John Locke, champion for individual rights. … Read More
Trump Becomes More Convincing About Foreign Trade
Peter Navarro and Larry Kudlow, Donald Trump’s top advisors on foreign trade. Left: Prof. Peter Navarro Wikimedia Commons / White House Right: Larry Kudlow Wikimedia Commons / … Read More
What Comes Next With Iran After the JCPOA?
President Trump announcing the U.S. pullout from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on May 8, 2018. YouTube / CBC News Now that President Donald Trump has decided to … Read More
Has the Democratic Party Lost Its Edge?
Democratic Party workers watching the presidential election returns in shock on the night of November 8, 2016. Photo Credit: AP / Matt Rourke For a very long time, progressives have … Read More
Taming Putin’s Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin talking to Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky in May 2001. In the center between them is another Russian oligarch, Mikhail Fridman. Wikimedia Commons / Kremlin.ru Russia represents … Read More
Confirmation Bias: Who Is Most Guilty?
Using a compass and a map to find one’s desired direction. Wikimedia Commons / Audrius Meskauskas Echo chambers for different ideological orientations abound throughout the modern world. One can see them … Read More
Do We Need Tariffs To Attack Foreign Trade Problems?
U.S. Trade Balance as a percent of GDP and Trade Policies from 1895 to 2015 Wikimedia Commons / James4 The plot above is highly suggestive of what has caused our … Read More
How Probable Is a Trade War With China?
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump pose for a photo with Chinese President Xi Jingping and his wife, Mrs. Peng Liyuan, Thursday, April 6, 2017, at the entrance … Read More
Is Trump Killing the Liberal World Order?
A NATO naval fleet including warships from five nations. In four descending columns, from left to right: ITS Maestrale (F 570), De Grasse (D 612); USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74), … Read More
Western Elites Still Stunned By Populist Revolts
Faces of American Populism: On the Left, Bernie Sanders Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore On the Right, Donald Trump Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore Western elites … Read More
Donald Trump’s Stupidity About Foreign Trade
Bethlehem Steel (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania facility pictured) was one of the world’s largest manufacturers of steel before its closure in 2003. Wikimedia Commons / Jschnalzer By now, you have almost certainly … Read More
The Great Irish Economic Experiment with Capitalism
Ten-year moving time-averages of Northern EU countries’ GDP growth rates. All have currently fallen below 2% growth, with the exception of the Republic of Ireland, which in 2016 had 4.2% ten-year moving average … Read More
The Economic Decay of the West
Romans during the Decadence by Thomas Couture. Is the West retracing the steps of the ancient Romans? Wikimedia Commons / Thomas Couture (1815-1879) I often get the feeling my fellow … Read More