“The main lesson we have learned from the New Deal is that wholesale government intervention can–and does–deliver the most unintended of consequences. This was true in the 1930s, when artificially high wages and prices kept us depressed for more than … Continue reading
I find the controversy over limits on executive pay interesting. I don’t care to argue either for or against limits on pay to executives who receive government funds. My argument is that in a free society, no business should receive … Continue reading
The whole idea of calling mental health or behavioral problems–like depression, alcohol abuse–a “disease” was to encourage people to stop viewing them with shame. If you view your problems with shame, you’ll more likely deny or ignore them rather than … Continue reading
Dependence doesn’t mean delegating to others what you’re able and willing to pay for. Dependence doesn’t mean learning from, or listening to, somebody else. It’s not dependent for a medical student to go to medical school and learn what previous … Continue reading
If the government borrows the money for the stimulus, then it will either have to print money later or raise taxes to pay it back. If the government raises taxes to pay for the stimulus, it will, in effect, be … Continue reading
As respect for a friend, spouse or business associate erodes, you’re increasingly left with only regard. Regard can keep it going for a time, but it’s no substitute for respect. Just as respect occurs for reasons, diminished respect occurs for … Continue reading
Listening doesn’t come from a desire to please others. Listening comes from a desire to understand and learn. A subject is either important and interesting to you, or it isn’t. A person is either important and interesting to you, or … Continue reading
There are more important things than the will of the majority. The most important thing is the right of the individual. Governments that put the rights of the individual above the ‘rights’ of the mob are governments worth having, protecting … Continue reading
If the purpose of mental health is “feeling good,” as many insist — then the proper standard of life should be: If it feels good, do it. But unless you are supremely rational, you might sometimes FEEL like doing something … Continue reading
I read (in the Wall Street Journal) that the new Vice President of the U.S. quipped that he’s never had a boss before. Of course it was only a joke, but it’s a revealing one. Don’t all politicians have a … Continue reading
The “stimulus” claim is based on something called the Keynesian “multiplier,” which is that each $1 of spending the government “injects” into the economy yields 1.5 times that in greater output. There’s little evidence to support this theory, but you … Continue reading
An explanation tells you the cause of something. An excuse tells you why a person had no other choice except to act as he or she did. For example: “I treated you badly because I was drunk.” Being drunk explains … Continue reading