In June, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a plan for the state to build a wall along its border with Mexico. Trump’s plan to make Mexico pay for his border wall had a very loose relationship with reality from the beginning, and the same can be said about Abbott’s plan. In making his announcement, Abbott…
It is difficult to read anything written by a Leftist without seeing the words “systemic racism” used to explain an issue. Systemic racism is blamed when a white police officer kills a black thug resisting arrest. When a black woman is raising her children without the father, the cause is systemic racism. When a black…
I have written a great deal about the government’s response to the COVID pandemic and little, if any, has been positive. This post is about a positive experience relating to COVID. On Saturday, March 6, I received my first COVID vaccine shot. That isn’t particularly remarkable, other than it provides me a little relief to…
Many pundits are claiming that the state’s power problems this week show the failure of fossil fuels. These pundits are guilty of dropping context–of looking at isolated facts. But if we want to make rational policy decisions, we must consider the full context. We must look at all of the relevant facts. And the facts…
In the late 19th and early 20th century, a series of laws were enacted, primarily in Southern states, that mandated racial segregation. Blacks and whites could not stay in the same hotel, eat in the same dining room, or ride in the same railroad car. Interracial marriage was forbidden, and blacks could not own or…
In any discussion regarding public policy, we must consider the full context. In regard to affordable housing, the full context includes the choices that individuals make. Housing advocates conveniently ignore this issue. They point to poor families paying a large percentage of their income for housing, but fail to address the choices that have led…
Housing advocates are increasingly calling for laws to protect the rights of tenants. But the fact is, tenants have always had rights. New laws protecting “tenants’ rights” will ultimately lead to the destruction of the rights of all individuals, including tenants. The Declaration of Independence declares that all individuals are endowed with certain rights, namely,…
When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. In other words, if you have only one tool, you try to use it for everything. In part, this adage explains government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Government has only one tool—force. Every tool has a proper use. A screwdriver is great for…
Many government policies are intended to protect the foolish, though few politicians or bureaucrats would admit as such. Instead, they tell us that their policies are promoting or protecting the “public interest.” In truth, there is no such as the “public interest.” There are only the interests of individuals, and individuals do not have monolithic…
In the late 1970s, FedEx unveiled its slogan, “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.” Today, Amazon operates under a similar slogan: “When you absolutely, positively need it tomorrow.” But sometimes, tomorrow isn’t soon enough. Last weekend, I was preparing an Indian dinner for some friends. One of the dishes I wanted to…
Government programs and policies may help some low-income individuals survive, but they do not and cannot lift anyone from poverty. Only the protection of property rights enables individuals to improve their economic status, and this is particularly true of those who have little or no property. The right to property means the freedom to create,…
Renewable energy mandates require utilities to get a certain percentage of electricity to come from renewable sources, such as wind and solar. The details of the mandates vary, but they are all founded on the premise that consumers should be forced to reduce their use of fossil fuels. As of 2019, twenty-nine states and the…