When state predation reaches a high degree of oppressiveness, there is no telling what the tyrannized will resort to in order to survive. A widespread lack of material sustenance or nourishment turns craven behavior into the norm. Society turns on
Archive for January, 2013
Teacher Oversupply or Pupil Undersupply
My high school education spanned a now unusual five years, over an even more unusual two continents and three countries. I started in the south European backwater that is Macedonia for my first two years, took my “junior year†in
An Austrian view of the VIX
Please, click here to read this article in pdf format: January 31 2013 The collapsing CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) and its implication that it is now safe to dive into equities has received much attention in the press (see here and here). Today, I
Comments are off for this post
The Bank of Canada’s Gold Hoards
With the media abuzz about German Bundesbank´s plan to repatriate its gold holdings held in foreign lands, officials at the Bank of Canada must be a little embarrassed. Not only does the BoC not have any gold holdings in foreign
The CRTC… Nazis?
OK. Obviously they’re not murdering people in genocidal ovens but they are being anti-competitive bureaucrats. The title actually comes from a conversation I once overheard on the bus. Some old guy was talking about phone companies to a young family.
Where is the Inflation?
Reprinted from Mises.org Critics of the Austrian School of economics have been throwing barbs at Austrians like Robert Murphy because there is very little inflation in the economy. Of course, these critics are speaking about the mainstream concept of the
In defense of Rodney Bowers
On page 4 of last Monday’s Metro Toronto, journalist Jessica Smith detailed the heroic actions of Toronto chef and restaurateur Rodney Bowers, as he joined Vancouver chef and restaurateur Mark Brand’s effort to address poverty in his community. The Brand-Bowers plan to
Gun Control Does Not Mean Murder Control
In 2010 the RCMP gave its employees who roam about Parliament Hill Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns. The MP5 can be configured for fully automatic operation. Such a weapon is off limits to the average citizen, though. Whereas the
Mark Carney: Canada’s National Treasure
Hat tip to James E. Miller for the title of this post. The United Kingdom’s Daily Mail reports, “Growth more important than inflation says new Bank boss as he insists they are not ‘maxed out’ of ideas” My take? New
Comments are off for this post
No Vapour For You! Canada’s Ban on Smokeless Electronic Cigarettes
Reprinted from Le Quebecois Libre When I was a kid, my favourite aunt was a smoker. It bothered me that she smoked, because if I knew anything, it was that cigarettes were bad for you, and I worried for her.
Steve Jobs and Say’s Law
With a release date of April 19th, the first footage of the Steve Jobs biopic “jOBS†recently found its way onto the internet. The film, which stars Ashton Kutcher, recounts the career of Jobs from the time he built the
Comments are off for this post
Harper’s War on Pot Growers
Last fall, Health Canada announced the national government will be leaving the marijuana distribution business and privatizing the whole affair. For a conservative administration like Stephan Harper’s, this can be seen as a welcome step in taming Leviathan’s reach over
The Fairytale Connection to Government Bonds
At the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, economist Nouriel Roubini indicated that “bond vigilantes are asleep at the wheel” insofar as U.S. Treasury debt is concerned. In other words, he is suggesting that investors who continue to purchase
Comments are off for this post
How Liberals Can Win
[This article is excerpted from Liberalism, Chapter 4] 1. The “Doctrinairism” of the Liberals Classical liberalism has been reproached with being too obstinate and not ready enough to compromise. It was because of its inflexibility that it was defeated in
Under Sound Money, Everyone Understands Monetary Theory
Understanding today’s convoluted domestic and international fiat monetary system frankly requires a great deal of time and study. One must understand fractional reserve banking, which requires that one understand the concept of fractional reserves and the way this system affects
Comments are off for this post
Arun Smith’s Victimology & Cognitive Dissonance
There is no better way to get an unwitting populace clamoring for more state power than instilling the pathological thought pattern of victimology. With much of the public believing themselves to be victims of a nameless apparition, the allure of
Toronto Casino Is Not A Political Issue
The idea of a casino in Canada’s largest city has been discussed on and off for the past few years, and the topic seems to have picked up ground in recent months. This week National Post, owned by Postmedia, whose
Should We Trust Economists?
We live in a complex world. So logically we need complex solutions to our problems, right? Not according to certain people; according to them, we just have to follow the advice of economists. That way, most of our problems would
Comments are off for this post
The Impact of Canada’s Regulatory Burden
On Monday, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) unveiled the third edition of Canada’s Red Tape Report. It reveals the pecuniary impact of the various government regulations imposed on Canadian businesses. For the first time ever, it also compares
Comments are off for this post
A Note on Socialism as Elitism
Reprinted from The Daily Bell Since ancient times some people have considered the market place an unruly forum in which to determine whose work and what commodities are worth how much. With Marxism this view acquired a pseudo-scientific status. The
Comments are off for this post
