The purpose of the intellectual property system that we have is to promote the progress. When there is strong evidence that certain elements of it hold back the progress, it seems like something that should be explored. Glyn recently wrote about the plans to make 3D object plan files available on the Pirate Bay. In that post, he pointed to a great interview with M... (more)
Several months ago, I was visiting some friends in Sydney and was invited to the house of a friend-of-a-friend for some late night drinks and a chat. My host and his friends were left-wing bohemian types and had been informed by my friend that I am a "free-market anarchist," or something like that. They found this notion intriguing, and so they quizzed me on what that means, and this naturally led into a discussion of the merits of a free market versus a democracy.
The year before a presidential election is a period of great euphoria for the American people, for this is the period of time when presidential candidates are extremely nice to the American people.
And why not? They’re seeking votes. They’re seeking to be elected or reelected. They have to be nice.
This is the time when presidential candidates promise tax cuts and increases in welfare benefits. They promise to create jobs. They assure us that they&rs... (more)
Robert Reich who was secretary of labour under Bill Clinton wrote an article that he called "The Seven Biggest Economic Lies". I intend to show the reader how deeply flawed this article is in the hopes that sound economic principles may get the attention that they deserve. I will not take his statements out of context but rather quote them in their en... (more)
HOUSTON—A mother has accused three Houston police officers of brutality. She said they bruised and punched her in the face over a cell phone video.
Her face is bruised, left arm swollen, lips are busted in two places and her back is scarred. Annika Lewis claims all of those injuries came at the hands of three Houston police officers.
“I am very stunned,” Lewis said. “I always thought, you know, people got beat by police because they were r... (more)
When legislators in the US abandoned their support of SOPA and PIPA in the wake of mass popular protest earlier this month, many of those who had been mobilized by the legislation–which would have granted the US government almost total power to block access to foreign websites accused ... (more)
Presented by Jeff Tucker at "Contemporary Issues in Economics," a high school seminar hosted at the Mises Institute and sponsored by Jeremy S. Davis, 18 November 2011.
It looks just like a reality show that’s not going to be renewed for another season. President Obama’s State of the Union ratings are headed in the same direction as American Idol’s so far this season – down.
Let me make a secret confession right here. For years, the producer of my radio talk show and I would draw straws each January to see who would "have the high privilege and distinct honor" of watching the president’s State of the Un... (more)
Two British tourists were barred from entering America after joking on Twitter that they were going to 'destroy America' and 'dig up Marilyn Monroe'.
Leigh Van Bryan, 26, was handcuffed and kept under armed guard in a cell with Mexican drug dealers for 12 hours after landing in Los Angeles with pal Emily Bunting.
The Department of Homeland Security flagged him as a potential threat when he posted an excited tweet to his pals about his forthcoming trip to Hollywood w... (more)
In the wake of the MegaUpload shutdown Bloomberg interviewed Yochai Benkler, Prof. of Entrepreneurial Legal Studies at Harvard and faculty co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society.
Benkler criticizes the actions of the Department of Justice, which he characterizes as “aggressive.”
“What is a surprise is how aggressive the move is, how much it uses extensions of criminal law enforcement and copyright liability to go after and seize... (more)
Soon after Megaupload was shut down, we heard from some lawyers for (legitimate) users of the service who were exploring whether or not they could sue the US government for taking away their access to the data. There was some uncertainty as to whether or not there was a real legal claim here, but now it appears that at least some of the users are, in fact, planning to sue the US government. Perhaps even more troubling, however, is the fact that all of the Megaupload data may be destroyed, ... (more)
CBS News‘ Scott Pelley appears to be one of the very few American journalists bothered by, or even interested in, the fact that President Obama has asserted and exercised the power to target U.S. citizens for execution-by-CIA without a shred of due process and far from any battlefield. It was Pelley who deftly interrogated the GOP presidential candidates at a November debate about the propriety of due-process-free assassinations, prompting Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, and Michele Bachma... (more)
A little over a week after launching my “Defensive/Offensive” fundraiser I’m happy to announce that donations to date (1.29.12) total just over $1,200! I’m inspired and excited by the flood of supporters who’ve come to my aid on such an important issue. Thanks to you, we’... (more)
As a new school year begins, more than 50,000 Australian children will be home-schooled and in most cases, their parents are doing it illegally.
It is compulsory to send children between the ages of six and 16 to school, or register them for home schooling, but more parents are opting out of the traditional school system and keeping their children at home.
However, thousands of parents across the country are not registered and that means they potentially face prosec
Who knew Texas had hundreds of rare exotic animals from all over the globe? Apparently, hunters who want to kill these exotic animals created a massive market for exotic hunting trips in the US, businessmen in turn have created massive wild life preserves where animals which almost went extinct flourish.
A higher percentage of the American population is receiving government benefits than ever before. Yes, there have always been poor people that have needed our assistance, but what does it say about our economy that the number of Americans dependent on the government is at an all-time high? Every night on the evening news we are told that the economy is improving, and Barack Obama is endlessly giving speeches about the "economic recovery" that is supposedly underway. But... (more)
