by Elizabeth Nolan Brown. The White House Council of Economic Advisors gets it. Horse masseurs. Hair braiders. Funeral attendants. Florists. All are
subject, at least in some states, to "occupational licensing," defined
by the Treasury Department as "a government permit allowing workers to
legally practice." Since the 1950s, the ... MORE
Whenever liberals complain about deregulation, show em this. One of the biggest arguments against
conservatives and libertarians is the belief that evil deregulation is
what caused the economic collapse in 2008 and the current income
inequality. Politicians like Elizabeth Warren have built their careers
around this false argument. They want to ... MORE
by Robert Taylor. A little rebellion. What would you do if the US government suddenly
announced a bank holiday, limits or bans on ATM withdrawals or other
types of cash and capital controls? Or implemented a “bail-in” where
part of your bank deposits were used to further pyramid debt and save an
oligarchical financial system? Is there any doubt ... MORE
More than the others, but there is room for improvement. Last week about 40 people paid at
least $2,700 each to hear Rand Paul talk about drug policy during the
National Cannabis Industry Association's conference at the Denver
Convention Center. That "private briefing" made the Kentucky senator the
first major-party presidential candidate ... MORE
by Virginia Postrel. Wielding subpoenas demanding information on anonymous commenters, the government is harassing a respected journalism site that dissents from its policies. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York claims these comments could constitute violent threats, even though they’re clearly hyperbolic ... MORE
The madness of truancy laws. We've seen it happen again and again: libertarians are derided over some supposedly crazy or esoteric position, years pass, and eventually others start to see why our position made sense. It's happened with asset forfeiture, with occupational licensure, with the Drug War, and soon, perhaps, with ... MORE
by Theodore Schleifer. Presidential candidate Rand Paul has christened himself a different kind of Republican, and now he's embracing a unique moniker: tree hugger. In a new book released on Tuesday, Paul said he composts and believes in clean air and clean water. Paul notes that he has planted giant sequoias in his yard and repurposed old ... MORE
Too much government distortion. In 1970 country singer Lynn Anderson had a hit recording of a Joe South song
that opened with the line: "I beg your pardon. I never promised you a
rose garden." I often think of that song in connection with the
libertarian philosophy. You may be asking: for heaven’s sake, why? Because it’s what I want to
say ... MORE