Learn Liberty Blog
We tackle big questions about what makes society free or prosperous and how we can improve the world we live in.
Blog Posts in Focus
FIVE MYTHS ABOUT HEALTHCARE
April 1, 2022 | Nazlican Kanmaz
Healthcare in the United States is Pandora’s Box: even the mere thought of it releases physical and emotional curses upon policymakers.
Legends of Liberty: Lysander Spooner
November 18, 2021 | Learn Liberty Team
As we witnessed during the 2020 election season, and as we are sure to witness during the upcoming holiday season, the United States Postal Service doesn’t exactly instill confidence.
The organic industry is a case study in rent-seeking.
February 5, 2018 | Henry I. Miller
If businesses get government subsidies to make their products cheaper, or “capture” regulation to hurt their competitors, that’s rent seeking.
Blog Posts
Most benefits of eating local are wildly exaggerated, and this is why
September 7, 2017 | Art Carden
The locavore movement, like many parts of environmentalism, has an unfortunate tendency to dress itself in the clothing of science before lapsing into mysticism.
How this screwy IRS policy kickstarted the American health care crisis
September 6, 2017 | Howard Baetjer
As a believer in small government, I usually favor anything that reduces taxes. But this tax break has wreaked havoc on American health care.
Will capitalism kill its own culture?
September 5, 2017 | William Reddinger
To gain a proper appreciation of the free market and its benefits, we need to also become aware of its weaknesses.I have written previously at Learn Liberty about how 20th-century economist Wilhelm Röpke argued that while the free market has the capacity to encourage morality, other institutions—like families and churches — are a more reliable […]
Why some people think Hurricane Harvey is good for the economy (and why they are wrong)
September 1, 2017 | Rosemarie Fike
In times of disaster it’s natural to try to find a silver lining — but don’t go looking for it in broken windows. Not only is this line of thinking flawed, but it’s also patronizing to those whose lives have been affected by this tragedy.
Will the Warriors win forever? The NBA's problem with team balance
August 31, 2017 | Matt Ryan
Over the last several seasons, top-tier players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul appear to be self-selecting themselves onto teams with other top-tier players.
How “price gouging” could help Houston right now
August 29, 2017 | Ninos Malek
The invisible hand of the market reaches out to help people in a disaster, but anti-gouging laws cut it off at the wrist.
Why a Canadian city tore down the staircase its residents had always wanted to build
August 29, 2017 | Michael Munger
Toronto city officials recently threatened a man with fines for building an unlicensed staircase in a local park.
Why the state hurts parents and kids — and how to make it stop
August 28, 2017 | Aeon J. Skoble
A toddler screaming about time-out prompts a neighbor to summon the authorities, but months of relentless bullying are laughed off by neighbors and ignored by the authorities.
Breaking the wheel of Westeros: why heroes aren't enough
August 25, 2017 | Ilya Somin
As much as we love Daenerys and Jon, they and their real-world counterparts are unlikely to give us a better wheel on their own.
How taxing the rich paradoxically resulted in more inequality for all
August 24, 2017 |
Whenever we have raised taxes on the rich, we have seen horrible offenses against inequality and economic growth.
Millennials are in a love triangle with capitalism and socialism
August 23, 2017 | Andrew Taylor
Millennials may talk the socialist talk, but this look at the evidence shows they also walk a rather capitalist walk.
It’s useless to yell at racists. So what can we do about them?
August 22, 2017 |
Shaming may be successful at shutting people up. But changing their minds? That’s a different task entirely.
Diary of a stupid jerk: why we need free speech on campus
August 21, 2017 | Art Carden
Like just about every other male between the ages of 13 and 25, I had tendencies, habits, and dispositions that could be charitably described as self-absorbed and boorish.
Ugly, senseless, hateful speech — it’s still not violence
August 18, 2017 | Sean Rife
The health effects of speech are inherently subjective. So who decides what speech is “harmful”?
The first federal criminal case on female genital mutilation will test the limits of religious liberty.
August 17, 2017 | Emily-Lynn Warren and Mark David Hall
Six people in Michigan — including two doctors, two assistants, and the girls’ mothers — have been charged with participating in the mutilation of two seven-year-old girls.
Why you vote for corn syrup even though it might be killing you
August 16, 2017 | Chris Freiman
The US government spends billions of dollars a year subsidizing American farms, providing massive benefits for some farmers and dispersing the costs among millions of taxpayers.
Expert Answers on the Drug War: Highlights from Prof. Jeff Miron's AMA
August 15, 2017 | Ted Wray
Last week, Professor Jeffrey Miron joined us on Reddit for an “Ask Me Anything” conversation 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 below. GPSBach While there seems to be an emerging consensus on […]
If you want to be free, it's time to break through your own resistance.
August 14, 2017 | Barry Brownstein
You can’t overcome Resistance as long as you think the problem is external.… I was too tired, too busy, too upset by events of the day—the self-deception goes on.
What is “risk preference,” you ask? Consider the waffle…
August 11, 2017 | Art Carden
It looked … delicious. I was sure that it would taste delicious, too. But eating it would have been a bad idea for two reasons.
Why new mothers usually don't sue doctors who violate their rights
August 10, 2017 | Lauren Hall
Lawsuits are the only weapons most ordinary people have to protect their rights against powerful institutions.
You’re probably going to rate your next AirBnB at 5 stars after reading this
August 9, 2017 | Charity-Joy Acchiardo
I found piles of laundry in the bedroom, cans and bottles in the yard, and construction materials everywhere — not at all what the pictures had depicted.
Capitalism could save lives with the most boring innovation of all
August 8, 2017 | Karol Boudreaux
A combination of drought, political instability and poor policies is threatening the lives of thousands. Fortunately, for some herders, insurance products are helping to make a desperate situation a little bit better.
Why you’re just as greedy as a corporate CEO
August 7, 2017 | Ninos Malek
It’s silly to think businesses and CEOs are evil and greedy, but ordinary customers are helpless victims.
Reddit AMA with Professor Jeffrey Miron of Harvard University
August 4, 2017 | Ted Wray
Dr. Miron has written over 100 op-eds and several books, including Drug War Crimes: The Consequences of Prohibition (2004) and Libertarianism: from A to Z (2010).