In normal times, it seems to be a national pastime to criticize and castigate businessmen. But these aren’t normal times, and many are beginning to realize the important role that businessmen play in our lives. Without businessmen, most of us wouldn’t have a job. And without a job, we wouldn’t be able to pay the…
The proper purpose of government is the protection of individual rights, including property rights. The proper purpose of government is to protect the freedom of individuals to act on their own judgment, so long as they respect the freedom of others to do the same. Government’s purpose does not change in a pandemic. The role…
The values that human life requires are not simply laying around for us to pick up. They must be produced. Food must be grown, harvested, processed, and shipped to our grocer. Shelter must be built, and that requires countless industries and tradesmen. We can’t survive without consuming values, and we can’t consume values that haven’t…
On March 25, the Austin Police Department (APD) issued a statement that declared that Austin’s “Stay Home, Work Smart” order “is NOT a mandatory lock down.” By implication, that which is not mandatory is voluntary. Indeed, the statement goes on to say that APD’s goal is to gain voluntary compliance. However, APD then declares, “if…
According to Gallup, America’s trust in the federal government has steadily declined over the past fifty years. In May 1972, 70 percent of Americans had a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of trust that the federal government could successfully deal with domestic problems. In September 2019, that number had dropped to 50 percent. Yet,…
The values that humans need to survive and prosper must be produced. Every value from food to smart phones, from shelter to medicines, from clothing to automobiles, must be produced. In their zeal to stop the spread of COVID-19, government officials are destroying America’s productive capacity. The restrictions and controls on production and trade are…
To stop the spread of the coronavirus, governments across the nation have closed businesses and ordered citizens to stay at home except for “essential” business or activities. Gatherings of more than ten people or being within six feet of another person in public is now illegal in many jurisdictions. Freedom of trade, freedom of movement,…
This morning, Harris County Judge Lina Hildago ordered all residents of the county to stay at home unless they have her permission to leave. Of course, Hildago didn’t have the intellectual honesty to put it that way. Instead, she justified her dictatorial mandate by claiming that it will save lives while ignoring the number of…
Last week, a Travis County District Court judge voided two Austin City Council votes to rewrite the city’s land-use regulations. The ruling found that city council had not provided adequate notice of public hearings to property owners impacted by the new regulations. In doing so, the judge found that owner’s “property protest rights” were not…
In the mass paranoia over COVID-19, supplies of surgical masks are being depleted as non-surgeons seek the false comfort of covering their mouth and nose. Of course, individuals should be free to engage in useless activities, but their use of surgical masks poses a potential threat to health care professionals. Some health care professionals are…
Yesterday, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner shut down the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, an event that had an estimated economic impact of $227 million in 2019. David Persse, the city’s public health authority, said, We’re doing this to save lives. What we are trying to do through these very aggressive and, yes, painful decisions, is…