Call Me Stormy

Finding righteous currents in turbulent times

Archive for the tag “Learn Liberty”

14 Jun 2013

Capitalism and Imperialism

Although many conflate capitalism and imperialism or think the two systems are closely connected, they are actually quite different, even at odds with one another. Capitalism is a system based on voluntary exchanges that benefit all of the parties involved. In contrast, imperialism is based on exploiting the poor through political power and military force.

Prof. Stephen Davies shows that capitalism has been blamed through the years for a number of catastrophes—such as political corruption, exploitation of the poor, mass famines and others—that were, in fact, a result of imperialism. H/T Learn Liberty

Posted in Economizing and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment
01 Jun 2013

How to Rig a Majority Vote

Do you think that a majority vote is always the fairest way to reach a consensus? Think again! In this Learn Liberty video, Professor Diana Thomas of Utah State University illustrates a paradoxical outcome that arises when people vote on three or more items — known as Condorcet’s Paradox — and proves that it is quite easy for a savvy politician to manipulate the voting process in this scenario.

Posted in Political, Hey! and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
05 Apr 2013

Student Loan Write-offs?

Student loans are difficult to repay in a sluggish economy, and many recent graduates are struggling under considerable debt. One proposal is forgiving student loans, but Prof. Daniel Lin from American University in Washington DC argues that debt forgiveness does not resolve the underlying causes of rising student debt, and therefore cannot prevent future debt problems.

Instead of debt forgiveness, Prof. Lin suggests making student loans like other types of loans: dischargeable in bankruptcy. This places the burden on lenders to ensure that students are not taking more debt than they can handle. While it would lead to a reduction in the amount of loan dollars awarded and increase interest rates, these are natural incentives that encourage borrowers to be more careful right now, and in the future, which puts pressure on colleges and universities to control their costs. H/T Learn Liberty

Posted in Economizing and tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
27 Feb 2013

Why Are Gas Prices Soaring?

How many times have we heard that rising gas prices are the fault of villainous oil companies taking advantage of helpless consumers? Prof. Art Carden explains that this popular story is false.

Gas prices go up and down based on the laws of supply and demand. Political problems, such as wars and barriers to the development of new sources and new energy sources, also contribute to rising prices. Prices would also be lower if demand were not artificially increased. H/T Learn Liberty

 

Posted in Economizing and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
09 Jan 2013

Drugs Swelling Inmate Ranks

Fully 24 percent of inmates in U.S. prisons are nonviolent drug offenders. The drug war has been adding to a growing U.S. prison population for the past 40 years. Today, the United States holds more human beings in prisons than any other country, both as a percentage of the population and in counting total numbers.

Loyola University Prof. Daniel D’Amico shows how the war on drugs has led to significant increases in the U.S. prison population and argues that perhaps this is an ineffective way to address drug use in America. The United States is spending billions of dollars and locking up hundreds of thousands of people. Might there be a better alternative? More from Learn Liberty.

Posted in Bureaucrats Run Amok and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment
24 Nov 2012

Why There’s Corn in Your Coke

Coke is made with corn syrup, not real sugar. Why is this? According to Professor Diana Thomas of Utah State University, part of the reason is because government policies artificially raise the price of sugar. Although these government policies actually cost Americans approximately $3 billion each year, the laws remain.

The law benefits one group of people (farmers) at the expense of another group (consumers). But because the cost to each American is so small, average Americans don’t have an incentive to combat the lobbying groups who fight to keep the laws in place. More from Learn Liberty.

Posted in Economizing and tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
23 Oct 2012

Does Money Corrupt Politics?

Should we worry when money and politics mix? Common wisdom suggests that large campaign contributions can corrupt politicians and disenfranchise regular voters. But Bradley Smith, former chairman of the Federal Elections Commission under President George W. Bush, warns that laws designed to regulate campaign contributions can have unintended consequences, actually making the playing field more advantageous for incumbents and stifling broad participation in the political process.

Smith is currently the Josiah H. Blackmore II/Shirley M. Nault Professor of Law at Capital University Law School in Bexley, Ohio — a suburb of Columbus. Here, he explains the downside to campaign finance reform in a brief talk for LearnLiberty.org

Posted in Political, Hey! and tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Post Navigation

Newer Entries →