To “spoil” a child does not refer to treating the child well. To spoil someone means to create a sense of entitlement where none exists. To spoil a child means to create and maintain the impression in a child that … Continue reading →

A school district in Massachusetts is reportedly instituting an “honor roll for effort.” In other words, students who are seen as trying hard get on the honor roll even if their performance is mediocre or they fail. For a school … Continue reading →

The Life Savers (a true story by DrHurd.com fan Tim Scharff, reprinted here with permission) In the early 1960s, when I was a little kid about five years old, my mother used to give me a nickel each week as … Continue reading →

Immigration reform? Here’s a thought: How about no freebies — not for immigrants, not for anybody. Government will protect citizens from foreign enemies and domestic crooks and killers. That’s it. No transfers of wealth. No “free” benefits or services — … Continue reading →

Thomas Jefferson wrote, “To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, … Continue reading →

The people most self-conscious about having a “social conscience” are among the least conscious … and the least conscientious.

Psychologists and other “child experts” are advising public schools to develop policies which discourage, or even forbid, students from having a “best friend.” It’s thought that having a best friend is a form of unfair discrimination which fosters alienation and … Continue reading →

It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.” So wisely written by Adam Smith back in 1776 in his classic, The … Continue reading →

Most people, when they think of a “capitalist system”, think of a relationship between established businesses and politicians — the two always scratching each other’s backs for unearned favors. Each gains favors from the other: The business person is allowed … Continue reading →

To most people, “working for yourself” means working for an employer or business rather than being self-employed. This is an economic definition, but isn’t the real definition. Properly understood, “working for yourself” is actually redundant. Think about it. The alternative … Continue reading →

A reader writes in: “Dr. Hurd, in reference to your article on individual and property rights…don’t forget the airlines that require a ‘person of size’ purchase two tickets for one person to fly. Since the airline is privately owned, it’s … Continue reading →

“We’re dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environment[al] disaster. It could extend for a long time. It could jeopardize the livelihoods of  thousands of Americans who call this place home.” This is the current American President talking about … … Continue reading →