Blog 3 Columns

Why It Might Be the Right Time to Quit Your Job 0
- Economics
- July 17, 2018
There is something absolutely beautiful about a tight labor market. It seems to shift decision-making from the boss to the employee. The jobs report is better than we’ve seen since the 2008 financial crisis, and perhaps in decades, and wages are on the rise. It’s a matter of supply and demand. Employers now are begging for talent, and ready
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What the Origins of Money Teaches Us About Spontaneous Order 0
- Economics
- July 17, 2018
Money has been around for most of human history. From Mesopotamia (or even earlier), all civilizations have employed some kind of medium of exchange to facilitate transactions regardless of their geographical locations, legal and economic systems, religious beliefs or political structures. Have you ever wondered why? In a brief essay entitled “On the Origins of
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What Pundits Missed About the Trump-Putin Press Conference in Helsinki 0
- Politics
- July 17, 2018
When Presidents Trump and Vladimir Putin ended their joint press conference in Helsinki, the punditocracy predictably swarmed all over it like ants around a pile of crumbs. Was Trump winking at Putin? Did he really say he believes Putin more than he believes Robert Mueller about whether Russia interfered in the 2016 election? Former Gus
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Should Immigrants be Required to Learn English?0
- Culture
- July 17, 2018
One of the most popularly cited silly laws in my home state is a prohibition on crossing state lines with a duck atop one’s head. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on whether you see it from the perspective of the duck or the individual wearing said duck, this so-called law is bogus. An urban legend. There are,
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Obama Pushes Back on Identity Politics 0
- Politics
- July 17, 2018
Progressives have been lamenting the absence of Barack Obama. The former president has been largely absent from the political arena since President Trump’s ascendancy to the office. This, of course, is the norm for ex presidents. But, as I noted in 2017, this tradition has proven difficult for progressives to accept for various reasons, including
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In 2017, the U.S. Led the World in CO2 Emission Reduction. It’s the 9th Time This Century 0
- International
- July 17, 2018
From the June 2018 BP Statistical Review of Global Energy (67th edition) here are some details on C02 emissions in 2017: 1. Global CO2 emissions from energy in 2017 grew by 1.6% (and 426.4 million tons, see data here), rebounding from the stagnant volumes during 2014-2016, and faster than the 10-year average of 1.3%. 2. Declines in CO2 emissions
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Ben Franklin’s 6 Steps to Becoming a Good Conversationalist 1
- July 17, 2018
While recently participating in a course on business and networking skills, I took part in an interesting exercise. Pairing every individual with another class member, the instructor gave each team a couple minutes to discover two previously unknown things they held in common. The results were fascinating. Not only were a number of topics covered, but
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Aristotle: 4 Reasons Private Property Is Better Than Communal Property 0
- July 17, 2018
In “The Communist Manifesto,” Karl Marx aptly summarized the implications of a communist society, stating that “the theory of the Communists may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property.” As an institution, private property has been a crucial factor in the flourishing of Western society and its political thought. However, its defense
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The Real Reason Many People Recoil From Political Correctness 0
- Culture
- July 16, 2018
Scrolling through Twitter recently, I came across a person questioning why so many are opposed to “political correctness.” The tweet conflated the dreaded PC with being polite and having respect and compassion, and expressed confusion as to why so many people were opposed to the concept. Strangely enough, I absolutely agreed. That is to say,
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Why It Might Be the Right Time to Quit Your Job 0