Peter Leeson’s study of “The Hidden Economics of Pirates”, The Invisible Hook, is theoretically correct, thoroughly grounded in historical research and fun to read. From the jacket: Pack your cutlass and blunderbuss–it’s time to go a-pirating! The Invisible Hook takes readers inside the wily world of late seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century […]
Read MoreThe TARP song, which shows people can find a way to laugh at most things (contains moderate bad language): TARP is the Troubled Asset Relief Program, a massive bailout in the USA. In a similar vein, The Spectator recently reported a truth about current monetary policy: QE — the ultimate […]
Read MoreFrom a comrade, 1. “Spain is not Greece.” Elena Salgado, Spanish Finance minister, Feb. 2010 2. “Portugal is not Greece.” The Economist, 22nd April 2010. 3. “Ireland is not in ‘Greek Territory.’” Irish Finance Minister Brian Lenihan. 4. “Greece is not Ireland.” George Papaconstantinou, Greek Finance minister, 8th November, 2010. […]
Read MoreAmerican musician Ray Stevens has produced this superb analysis of the Obama Budget Plan: I’m sure Ray has much to teach politicians and the public in the UK and Europe too, particularly about ethics and decency in the public finances. For more on that subject, see Jörg Guido Hülsmann’s brilliant book […]
Read MoreVia ConservativeHome’s Platform: Steve Baker MP: The EU is not yet beyond ridicule: I enjoyed delivering a brief polemic against EU spending in yesterday’s debate on the 16th consecutive failure of the EU budget to pass audit. Over 90% of EU spending was “materially affected by error” but I shared […]
Read MoreYou and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on Earth, or we will sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness. We will keep in mind and remember that Barry Goldwater has […]
Read MoreVia The Cobden Centre: The absurd tragedy of our situation, explained brilliantly here (albeit in a US context), is astonishing. For a more formal corrective, see this primer.
Read MoreA joke doing the rounds by email at the moment ((And see also this speech by Mark Littlewood at the IEA, which makes good use of another version.)): While walking down the street one day a Member of Parliament is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives […]
Read MoreOne kind Christmas gift was Churchill’s Wit: The Definitive Collection. I am particularly savouring this gem (1906): For my own part I have always felt that a politician is to be judged by the animosities which he excites among his opponents. I have always set myself not merely to relish […]
Read MoreA friend recently sent me this celebrated letter on the absurdity of bureaucracy. If you have not seen it, enjoy: Rt Hon David Miliband MP Secretary of State. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Nobel House 17 Smith Square London SW1P 3JR 16 July 2009 Dear Secretary of […]
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