John Adams on the Purpose of Government
January 21, 2020 – Gary M. Galles …… At a time when we often forget that liberty is both America’s rationale and its greatness, Americans would profit from Adams’s wisdom.
Rebellion Is in Fashion: Ersatz Couture and Avant-Garde Design in East Berlin
January 20, 2020 – Laura Williams …… The raucous, rebellious beauty of illegal fashions fed East Germans’ need for creativity and individuality under a government that controlled every aspect of life.
10 “Subversive” Jokes That Could’ve Landed You in an East German Prison
January 16, 2020 – Jon Miltimore …… Here are 10 jokes that were popular in East Germany, but were almost certainly too hot (or just too honest) for the Stasi.
Huge Debt Got Us Hooked on Petrodollars — and on Saudi Arabia
January 15, 2020 – Ryan McMaken …… Petrodollars and petrodollar recycling are at the heart of what keeps the US debt and money-printing mechanism going. The geopolitical stakes are very high.
Without Free Speech, All Speech Becomes Government Speech
January 14, 2020 – Barry Brownstein …… There is no such thing as government regulated free speech.
How Free Trade Increases Peaceful Interaction Between Nations
January 13, 2020 – James Devereaux …… Unilateral trade is no guarantee of peace, but the evidence suggests it beats the alternative.
How the US Wages War to Prop up the Dollar
January 12, 2020 – Ryan McMaken …… After decades of Cold War spending, the US had to find a way to keep its massive war budgets and domestic spending going without ruining the dollar. Controlling the flow of dollars spent on oil turned out to be a fix.
Henry Ford Did More for Workers than Unions Did
January 9, 2020 – Chris Calton …… In the early 20th century, Henry Ford’s factories had a hard time keeping workers because the work was monotonous. In a successful effort to retain workers, Ford doubled their pay, reduced their hours, and provided vacation time and other benefits that are now considered typical.
2019 Was a Bad Year for the “Only Cops Should Have Guns” Narrative
January 8, 2020 – Ryan McMaken …… From cops killing innocents in their living rooms to private citizens shooting down criminal gunmen, 2019 provided some highlights of why so many Americans choose to arm themselves rather than trust in government protection.
A Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist on “The Essence of Tyranny”
January 7, 2020 – Gary M. Galles …… Seven decades ago, Felix Morley’s “The Power in the People” explored the central distinction between self-government and coercive government.