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Civil Liberties
Who’s Running for President in 2024?
The Lesser-known Presidential Candidates and Parties November 2024 will see the American electorate picking a new head of state. Despite low levels of approval, it seems as though the two major party candidates will again be Donald Trump and incumbent Joe Biden. I’ll cover them below, but let’s face it: You’re probably sick of hearing about them by now. Besides, they are not the only candidates for president this year; each party still has a few token candidates and there will also emerge third-party and independent candidates. Who are these people and parties with little to no chance
Civil Liberties
My Experience with Campus Climate at a Liberal Arts College
William F. Buckley famously authored God and Man at Yale in 1951. In it, he decried his alma mater’s overt efforts to undermine what he called good,
History
Debunking Putin’s Alternative “History”
On February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin commenced a brutal, full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Two years on from this calamity, let’s examine
All Learn Liberty Blog Posts
Free Speech
The state of free speech among high school students
As reported in the New York Times in 2017, a Knight Foundation survey of nearly 12,000 high school students found that such students’ support for the First Amendment’s free speech protections is “stronger today than it has been in the last 12 years.” As far as it goes, this is good news given the avalanche […]
History
4 things you probably never knew about John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill was born 217 years ago, on May 20, 1806, and is remembered as one of the most foundational classical liberal philosophers and political economists to this day. Here are some things that you might not have guessed about John Stuart Mill.
Role of Government
Getting good results vs doing the right thing
Would you tell a lie to protect someone from harm?
Free Will and Moral Responsibility
Freaking out over tiny risks: A case study from a moral panic
Cognitive psychologists have long recognized that people overestimate the occurrence of rare events. But these heuristics are not without cost.
History
The Declaration of Independence says we have the right to overthrow the government
The right to overthrow a government remains an important principle to uphold, as it serves as a check on government power. It is a reminder that governments exist to serve the people, not the other way around. The possibility of revolution also serves as a deterrent against abuses of power and as a last resort when all other avenues have failed.
Economics
F.A. Hayek accomplished several careers’ worth of economic achievements in one lifetime
Each of his separate bodies of work would constitute a monumental achievement. Hayek did it all over the course of a single career that established him as one of the most important social thinkers of the 20th century.
Entrepreneurship
What is free-market environmentalism?
Free-market environmentalism combines the ideals of environmental protection with the principles of a free-market economy. It acknowledges that markets can provide powerful incentives for conservation and environmental stewardship, and that private property rights and contracts can be leveraged as tools to protect the environment. But how exactly does this work?
Politics & Policy
A realistic look at Iran’s nuclear program
Let’s take a brief look at the history of Iran’s nuclear program and former nuclear agreements to see where we might be headed.
Civil Liberties
The right drug policy: legalize and educate
Decriminalization, as we define it today, removes the penalty for simple possession of drugs, but still enforces penalties on individuals found selling or trafficking.This policy is certainly better than prohibition and will undoubtedly save countless lives. However, it does maintain the worst problems created by prohibition. Here’s why the right drug policy is to legalize and educate…
Entrepreneurship
How sustainable farming is paying off for Australian farmers
Tired of riding the fortunes of the weather, Australian farmers are increasingly turning to regenerative agriculture to sustain their land during periods of drought.
Basic Economics
Why disasters should remind us of Bastiat’s wisdom
Disasters, such as the horrific earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria in February 2023, bring up a recurring myth — one that demands the wisdom of Frederic Bastiat.
Environment
The tragedy of the commons explained
The tragedy of the commons is a concept that describes the depletion or degradation of shared resources that are not owned or managed by any individual or group. It occurs when multiple individuals, each pursuing their own ends, overuse or exploit a shared resource to the point of depletion, resulting in harm to all users of that resource in the long run.
Civil Liberties
280 years later, here’s how Thomas Jefferson is still shaping our society
As we commemorate Thomas Jefferson’s 273rd birthday (he was born on April 13th, 1743) we could certainly remember him for more than one accomplishment. But one contribution in particular really does stand out.
Politics & Policy
Silencing dissent: the dangerous precedent set by Tennessee’s partisan expulsions
In a troubling display of political retribution, two Democratic lawmakers in Tennessee, Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson, were recently expelled by the Republican supermajority in the Tennessee House for violating decorum rules. Their transgression? Participating in a protest on the House floor advocating for gun control in the wake of a tragic school shooting in Nashville. This vote marked the first time in Tennessee’s history that expulsion has been wielded as a partisan weapon against lawmakers on the other side of the aisle.
War on Drugs
Expert answers on the Drug War: highlights from Prof. Jeff Miron’s AMA
In 2017, Professor Jeffrey Miron held an “Ask Me Anything” conversation on Reddit as part of the Learn Liberty Reddit AMA Series.
The conversation focused on Dr. Miron’s 30+ years of study on the effects of drug criminalization. Check out some of the highlights…
Civil Liberties
Political Islam and the violation of individual rights
Can you imagine living in a country where your government can kill you for not following a state-imposed dress code; or jail you for ten years for sharing a video of yourself dancing with your fiance; or kidnap you for daring to speak your mind? Iranians live in such a place.
Censorship
Is Covid China’s Chernobyl?
Just as COVID has changed our lives in many ways since 2020, Chernobyl changed the world in 1986. These were two great disasters emanating from two major communist nations. The results and consequences of both will affect us for a very long time, maybe even forever.
As many will know, Chernobyl was instrumental in accelerating the end of the Soviet Union and is critical to our understanding of this period. However, could COVID be the key to understanding, in the future, perhaps, the end of Communist China?
Environment
Why innovation is the solution to the carbon crisis
The distinctly human capacity for innovation has reduced hunger and poverty, and greatly expanded our life expectancies since the Industrial Revolution. Many industries may have contributed to the carbon crisis, but a new industry will be what solves it.
Censorship
The TikTok dilemma: privacy risks vs the importance of free choice
TikTok has been under intense scrutiny for its data collection and sharing practices, with concerns raised about the platform’s relationship with the Chinese government and its potential for mass surveillance of Americans. But should it be banned?
History
A legacy of liberty: the Portuguese Liberal Revolution of 1820
Many are familiar with Portugal’s Carnation Revolution that brought an end to the authoritarian Estado Novo regime in 1974 and paved the way for democracy. Still, perhaps fewer are aware of the fascinating circumstances around the country’s Liberal Revolution, which took place just over 200 years ago.
Healthcare
The do’s and don’ts of medical marijuana in Pennsylvania
For many people who suffer from a debilitating illness or who are in chronic pain, medical marijuana has proven to be an effective remedy. Researchers estimate that over 5.5 million Americans are currently using medical marijuana for a variety of conditions, including MS, HIV or AIDS, cancer, chronic pain, IBS, and glaucoma.If you’re thinking about trying medical marijuana in Pennsylvania, here are some tips…
Civil Liberties
The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the changing role of government
Alongside economic devastation and a mental health crisis, another legacy of lockdowns will be changed perceptions of the role of government
Economics
A tale of three Austrian entrepreneurship views
While Austrian economists have made great contributions in many subdisciplines of economics, their critiques of mainstream views of entrepreneurship have received arguably the most praise. Modern-day finance and entrepreneurship classes even use Austrian ideas dating back to Carl Menger’s Grundsätze der Volkswirtschaftslehre (Principles of Economics). But has Austrian Entrepreneurship Theory remained constant ever since?
Economics
Joseph Schumpeter: the most important economist you might not know of
Joseph Schumpeter (1883-1950) was an Austrian economist and political scientist. Born in what is now the Czech Republic, he studied at the University of Vienna, and his publications were closely tied to the Austrian school of Economics.