Tag: government
Should You Hire a Private Bodyguard?
March 18, 2016 | Post
Editor’s note: This blog post contains descriptions of rape and sexual assault. Reader’s discretion is advised. I lived in Erlangen, Germany for much of 2009, getting around on a bicycle. After the big April beer festival, the “Bergkirchweih,” my lock was cut and my bike was thrown down a hill and set on fire (it […]
The Red Rising Trilogy, A Review
February 29, 2016 | Post
The Red Rising trilogy is a “must read” for those who follow young adult dystopias, dystopian fiction in general, and contemporary science fiction, as well as those interested in “big idea” fiction about individualism and liberty. Red Rising owes a debt to many science fiction works that came before it, from Frank Herbert’s Dune and […]
Quote of the Day: Thomas Jefferson the Anarchist?
February 2, 2016 | Post
The First Rule of Wing-Walking
January 25, 2016 | Post
Wing-walking was the practice of getting out of the cockpit of a biplane (while someone else was flying the thing) and staggering along the wing holding onto struts or wires. It was a thrill show for onlookers at air shows and barnstorming events in the 1920s and 1930s in the U.S. But for the wing-walker […]
New Smoking Ban is Anti-Liberty
January 18, 2016 | Post
The government “smoking police” are at it again. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently proposed a rule that will force more than 3,100 housing agencies in the United Sates to become smoke-free. Specifically, the regulation will prohibit “lit cigarettes, cigars and pipes in all living units, indoor common areas, administrative offices and […]
Quote of the Day
January 5, 2016 | Post
Star Wars’s Timely Message on the Rise of Dictatorships
December 17, 2015 | Post
The next installment of Star Wars premieres Friday. The Star Wars franchise tells the story of a republic that falls into a dictatorship because its citizens desire safety and are willing to sacrifice civil liberties in response to fear. Sound familiar? Western countries, including the U.S., have sacrificed hard won civil liberties as a way […]
The Hunger Games as a Political Allegory
December 16, 2015 | Post
Over at the Foundation for Economic Education, Jeffrey Tucker has broken down the political allegories of the Hunger Games. With the long-awaited finale of the Hunger Games series just recently released, it’s a great time to consider the political implications of the story, especially considering the series’ popularity with young people. Tucker touches on many […]
Discrimination, Freedom of Association, and “True Capitalism”
December 14, 2015 | Post
In order to label a country “capitalist” there must be complete freedom of association and private property. There is a limited government in place, but the government would be a referee, not a player. It would be outrageous to watch ESPN and hear, “The ref had a great game! He sacked the quarterback twice and […]
Human Rights Day
December 10, 2015 | Post
Today is Human Rights Day, a day when we commemorate the respect for individual rights, which are largely responsible for the human flourishing enjoyed in recent centuries. In the U.S., human rights are enshrined in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They guarantee basic rights like freedom of expression, self-defense, and due process. Historically, […]
Staff Profile: Cassie Whalen
December 8, 2015 | Post
Learn Liberty: First, when did you join the Learn Liberty team and what is your role? Cassie Whalen: I joined the Learn Liberty team in September of 2014 as an intern, but I loved working here so much that I didn’t want to leave. Luckily I got hired, so now I write for various Learn […]
Free Books on Free Markets
December 4, 2015 | Post
Looking to learn more about Austrian economics, libertarianism, or classical liberal thought? The Mises Institute (named for famed Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises, author of Human Action) offers a huge online library of books, journal articles, and other writings on a range of topics related to Austrian economics and classical liberalism. Here are just a […]
Richard Epstein: The Continuing Relevance of Hayek's "The Constitution of Liberty"
November 4, 2015 | Post
Richard A. Epstein is the inaugural Laurence A. Tisch Professor of Law and Director of the Classical Liberal Institute at the New York University School of Law. He is also the James Parker Hall Distinguished Service Professor of Law Emeritus and senior lecturer at the University of Chicago. He served as editor of the Journal […]
A Five Minute Crash Course on the Greek Crisis
November 3, 2015 | Post
The economic and financial turmoil in Greece has been in and out of headlines frequently over the last few months. The Greeks claim austerity measures have only made things worse, while the EU claims Greece continues to fail the austerity measure put in place to receive future bailouts. In this video, we explain what has […]
Medicare: The Numbers Don’t Speak for Themselves
October 15, 2015 | Post
I got a powerful reminder a few months ago of a lesson I learned in grad school: numbers don’t speak for themselves. We must interpret them alertly if we are to learn from them.The numbers I came across are these: [Medicare] spends roughly $3 on administration for each $100 of medical services it buys for […]