Why a tolerant society is not a free society
Individual freedom is the libertarian ideal, the abstract value which guides moral action. As a political idea, libertarianism emerged in the latter part of the 19th century from liberalism, the overarching political paradigm to come from the Enlightenment. Liberalism centred the individual, both as the architect of his own destiny through his faculty for [...]
When war meant sacrifice and debt had to be paid back
‘It’s a war,’ said President Trump, when describing the fight against the Coronavirus, labelling himself a ‘war-time President’. Sure enough, with a state of [...]
What the Coronavirus fight will cost – and if it’s worth it
In health economics, a quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) is
a generic measure of the burden of disease, capturing both the quality and the
quantity of life lived. It is used [...]
Coronavirus could prick the corporate debt bubble
Coronavirus has left economies across the world in suspended animation as governments attempt to contain the spread of the virus by pursuing draconian measures, with little [...]
Why the case for a smaller state may fall victim to Corona virus
The UK is in lockdown. In spite of his initial
instinct to try to preserve civil liberties, Boris Johnson surrendered to the pressure
and turned his country into a police [...]
Boeing, bailouts and the future of the free market
This week, US President Donald Trump seemingly caved in to
pressure from failing airplane manufacturer Boeing Inc. and others, who have been
lobbying for financial assistance [...]
The courts tell Boris that virtue signalling has consequences
Last week, in a landmark British legal case brought by
environmental charities, Friends of the Earth and Plan B Earth, a judge ruled
that the planned expansion of Heathrow [...]
A decade without a recession: were the doomsayers wrong?
On 1st July 2019 the US economic
expansion, which started in the wake of the global financial crisis in June
2009, entered its 121st month and thereby officially became [...]
Preventing a pandemic – without the state
It was a bright Sunday morning in March 2014 when the first
case of Ebola was diagnosed in Harbel, a town of some 80,000 people in the West
African country of Liberia. An [...]
Don’t fight inequality, it is both desirable and inevitable
Recently the actor Simon Pegg, star of Shaun of
the Dead, was one of 120 wealthy signatories from around the world to a letter calling
for higher taxes on the rich. The [...]
Why limited-government conservatives invite the label of heartless
By Bradley Thomas
Conservatives who argue to “limit” the welfare state are routinely painted as cold-hearted by welfare state supporters.
With good reason.
“I [...]