In Economics in One Lesson, Henry Hazlitt contends good economics requires us to look beyond the immediate benefits of a policy. While the beneficiaries of a policy are easy to see, those bearing the costs are often unseen. Good economic policy decisions require us to look at the seen and the unseen. Both New York…
It is fashionable for Trump’s critics to label him as a fascist. While that label is correct, few realize that many of his critics and political opponents also embrace fascism. Indeed, over the past one hundred years, nearly every President has supported policies consistent with fascism. Contrary to conventional wisdom, fascism is not a right-wing…
When the United States House of Representatives debated the “Parents Bill of Rights Act,” Democrats made a series of strange claims. One of the more curious statements came from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), who declared that she values “freedom over fascism.” It has become fashionable among Leftists to call conservatives fascist. While this is often an…
During the reign of Donald Trump, it was fashionable to compare him to Adolf Hitler. Trump certainly exhibited dictator-like characteristics, but that comparison was used to mask policies that are much more consistent with Hitler. For example, rent control is fascism. In recent years, rent control has become more popular as a means for keeping…
In a capitalist society, government is limited to defending the rights of individuals—the freedom of individuals to act without coercive interference from others. But that is not what occurs when cronyism is practiced. Cronyism is the practice of dispensing political favors to some at the expense of others. With altruism and collectivism serving as the…
Cronyism is the exchange of political favors for political support. Voters and donors scratch the backs of politicians, and the politicians reciprocate by supporting legislation favorable to the voters and donors. In most instances (but not all) the political favors involve placing restrictions on how others may use their property. For example, low-income voters (and…
Cronyism is the practice of dispensing political favors to some at the expense of others. Those with the proper political connections are the beneficiaries. Those who provide electoral support through donations or votes are rewarded with favorable legislation. Fascism is a form of collectivism, as are socialism and communism. In each of these systems, the…