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Without Property Rights, Flourishing is Impossible
The economic shut down has exposed a fundamental truth that few are willing to acknowledge: Without property rights, flourishing is impossible. This is true of individuals, and it is true of societies. The right to property means the freedom to create, use, keep, trade, and dispose of material values. This is precisely what the shut…
The Opportunity in Our Present Crisis
Property rights suffered unprecedented attacks in 2020. These attacks came from a variety of sources and took many different forms. Virtually nobody was spared from the destructive consequences. The assault was started by local and state governments when they restricted our freedom to produce and trade. Businesses were forced to close, and many will never…
The Burden of Proof
Imagine for a moment what would happen if the government declared, “Since every individual has the potential to commit a felony crime, we are going to incarcerate everyone.” There would be outrage, protests, and defiance. “That is unjust,” the protestors might proclaim. “You are treating innocent citizens the same as actual criminals.” Yet, in principle,…
An Insensitive A-hole
Even in normal times, it can be extremely difficult to make certain statements without being considered an insensitive a-hole. In these days of a pandemic, that has become even more true. Those who question the government’s actions are quickly labeled as caring more about money than people. But sometimes such statements need to made if…
The Chickens are Coming Home
Throughout the pandemic, government officials have made policy decisions founded on short-term thinking. They have made decisions to solve an immediate problem while failing to consider the full context. It was inevitable that eventually the chickens would come home to roost. For example, when government forced businesses to close, tens of millions lost their jobs…
Principles Provide Foresight
Demonstrating a lack of principles, in an interview last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that he regrets not speaking out “much louder” at the beginning of the pandemic. I never thought in February, early March, that (coronavirus) would lead to locking down the country. I just didn’t. I didn’t think that was on the…