You are inspired by an idea. You want to share it with your friends. Why? Because it enhances your life, and you hope it will do the same for others. The idea in this case is big. It is human liberty itself, something very much under fire these days. In fact, it has been for […]
Laissez-Faire Today
GAO: Serious Cuts, Tax Increases Possible Due to Health Care, Pension Costs
People will be paying more and getting less from their governments as health costs and pension obligations will force state and local governments to adjust their budgets over the next 50 years, according to a new report. The new report from the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan congressional agency that audits federal programs, paints a […]
For Those Who Just Don’t Get It
You are inspired by an idea. You want to share it with your friends. Why? Because it enhances your life, and you hope it will do the same for others. The idea in this case is big. It is human liberty itself, something very much under fire these days. In fact, it has been for […]
Does Innovation Require the Patent Office?
Two years ago, I spoke to a gentlemen who had started and sold four companies. He was currently working on a new project that sounded very promising (for all I know, he has already sold that one too). We had just heard a talk in which the speaker told people that the whole key to […]
Automated License Plate Readers Threaten Our Privacy
Law enforcement agencies are increasingly using sophisticated cameras, called “automated license plate readers,” or ALPRs, to scan and record the license plates of millions of cars across the country. These cameras, mounted on top of patrol cars and on city streets, can scan up to 1,800 license plate per minute, day or night, allowing one […]
A Blueprint for Internationalizing Yourself
The countries of the developed world are experiencing a new class of refugee — members of the middle and upper classes. These rungs of the socioeconomic ladder are realizing that their countries of residence are in many ways going rapidly downhill without much hope of a short- or medium-term reversal. This is particularly true for […]
Printed Protection and the Future of Defense
We crossed another milestone in industrial history last week. Over the weekend of May 4-5, 2013, the world’s first handgun was printed on a 3-D printer. It was fired and it worked. The implications are dazzling for people all over the world. The printers will become cheaper over time. The files for printing can be […]
Making Sense of Senseless Market Behavior
People seem to do the craziest things when it comes to money. They chase stock market bubbles. They throw good money after bad investments, like a home that’s hopelessly underwater. They spend and spend while racking up crushing debt. They destroy their own businesses with dishonesty and deception. Given all of this, the idea that […]
This Car Won’t Move
The latest unemployment data reveal the hope and tragedy of the American economic plight. Cheers went up for a modest increase in hiring, one that: barely keeps up with population; features mostly temp workers; leaves out prime-age males and all young workers; and keeps labor participation rate at a low level from 1979. This is […]
The Cottage Industrial Revolution
The 20th century was an age of big business. And investors did well backing the giant blue chips on their march to glory. But those days are over. In its simplest terms, my thesis is to bet with the small guys. I think of them as cottage industrials. A cottage industry brings up images of […]