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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…
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Rebel Against the Tyrants
For nearly two months, Americans have allowed government to shut down businesses, destroy jobs, and wreck the economy. For nearly two months, Americans have tolerated an unprecedented destruction of values. This isn’t a new occurrence in American history. In the 18th century Great Britain enacted a series of laws that shut down businesses, destroyed jobs…
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Free the Innovators from the FDA
For more than six weeks, Americans have endured the hardship and uncertainty of a lock down. Millions of businesses have been forced to close, and many will never reopen. Tens of millions have lost their job, and with the closure of so many businesses, it will be difficult for many to find work. This unprecedented…
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When we Disagree
Rational people do not always agree on the proper course of action. They may not possess the same knowledge of the issue or put more emphasis on some facts. They may have different values or goals. When rational people disagree on the proper course of action, they attempt to persuade one another. They present facts…
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Protecting the Weak by Shackling the Strong
Many critics of opening the economy claim that it means sacrificing the weak. The truth is, not opening the economy means sacrificing the strong–those who can and produce the values that all of us–weak and strong alike–want and need. Regardless of our risk level, we must consume values in order to live. And before values…
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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…
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Facts vs. Fear
A recent study conducted in New York State concluded that 13.9 percent, or about 2.7 million, of the state’s residents have been infected with the coronavirus. That number is ten times higher than the state’s official count of 269,000. While government officials were quick to point out that these are preliminary results, it supports a…
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Altruism and the Economic Shutdown
A growing number of individuals are calling for an end to the economic shutdown. But with only a few notable exceptions, virtually nobody is questioning the moral code that gave rise to the economic shutdown. Virtually nobody is questioning the morality of altruism. As a moral code, altruism demands that we place the welfare and…
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Free People don’t Take Orders
This afternoon, Harris County Judge Lina Hildago ordered the residents of the most populous county in Texas to wear face masks when in public. This wasn’t a suggestion of a proper precaution to take in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. It was an order. And violators will be subject to a $1,000 fine. To…
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Tough Times
Tough times demand tough talkDemand tough heartsDemand tough songs Rush, “Force Ten” Tough times do demand tough talk. They demand an honest discussion of the issue at hand, all of the alternatives, and an explicit awareness of the full context. This is true of us individually and as a society. Tough times do demand tough…
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Life without a Livelihood
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, government officials have repeatedly told us that their primary objective is to save lives. And to accomplish that goal, they have forced businesses to close or operate under less than ideal conditions. Not surprisingly, many workers–more than twenty million–have lost their job, their livelihood. The government’s efforts to save lives has…
