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Economics as Religion: The Paradox of Self-Interest

Over the next few weeks, I will be live-blogging Robert H. Nelson’s Economics as Religion. Though the book is somewhat dated (published 2001), its discussion is still relevant. This is the first post in this series. Hope you enjoy! Introduction: The Market Paradox The role of self-interest in economic growth is a paradox. Of course,…
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Waging War on Work

This piece was originally published by the Ludwig von Mises Institute on February 11, 2013. Employment law is a mainstay of state economic policy. Few question its efficacy as a means to correct “market failures”—like unlivable wages for meaningful work—that would leave society in shambles. In fact, no serious debate exists among American policymakers about…
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In Praise of Speculators

This article was originally published at Values and Capitalism. In recent years, the purported effect of oil speculators in raising the price of oil has sparked much debate and concern. Pundits of various political bents have sought an explanation for the rising price of oil among the activity of speculators, and legislation has recently been…
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UNICOR undercuts economic fairness

Recently, a government corporation established as “Federal Prison Industries, Inc” (more commonly known as UNICOR), has gained attention in the public eye. Although UNICOR has been in existence since 1934, I first learned of its existence just last week while watching The Colbert Report. On October 7th, the Huffington Post ran this article criticizing UNICOR…
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What is the Economy?

The way “the economy” is discussed in our modern day has led to widespread misunderstanding about what “the economy” actually is. In the following, I will briefly share what it is, what it is not, and where the conversation about the economy has gone awry. What it is: The term “the economy” is used to…
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