By Andy Blom, TES Washington Editor The Viral Rollercoaster — We unlock, we lock back down. Cases surge, deaths don’t. Schools to open, schools stay closed. It almost seems like politics and policy is rational and sane in comparison. Well, virus or no, Free Market policy people are working to offer better perspectives and […]
Tag: economics
Ché Guevara’s house is for sale, and we want to buy it
By Federico N. Fernández, courtesy of Fundación Internacional Bases Fundación Internacional Bases, a think tank headquartered in Rosario (Argentina), wants to purchase the house in which Ché Guevara was born. Located in the center of Rosario, the apartment is on the second floor of a lovely French neoclassicist building. The purchase of the […]
Zitelmann: Socialism always fails, yet somehow never loses its appeal
By Dr. Rainer Zitelmann In his Lectures on the Philosophy of History, the German philosopher Hegel observed: “But what experience and history teach is this – that peoples and governments never have learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it.” It could well be that Hegel’s verdict is too harsh. Nevertheless, […]
What would a smart lockdown look like?
“What Would an ‘Intelligent Lockdown’ Look Like in Canada?” Courtesy of IEDM Because COVID-19 is far less dangerous to the young than it is to the elderly or immune-comprised,[1] and because generalized lockdowns are economically devastating, many countries have implemented targeted policies instead. These policies either specifically focus on senior centres, which […]
UK needs tax cuts, regulatory clear-out to speed recovery
“New report outlines deregulatory and tax-cutting measures to reboot Britain” By Julian Jessop and Len Shackleton, courtesy of IEA The uncertainty created by the COVID-19 crisis has reinvigorated many old debates about the role of the state, says a new report from the Institute of Economic Affairs and Civitas, written by IEA Economics Fellow […]
“Lives versus economy” was a false choice. The truth is far more complex
By Nicolas Marques, courtesy of the Institut Molinari We often hear it said that managing a pandemic such as the coronavirus depends on societal choices. The alternative would be to save lives or savings. Health and economic data show that the reality is far more complex than this caricatural dilemma. Some countries are able to reconcile […]
COVID-19 triggered “cascading structural failures”
By Martin Gurri, courtesy of the Mercatus Center Like most people I know, I am presently trapped in social isolation, stuck in a dreamlike parenthesis between what was once normal life and the uncertain struggles lurking on the other side. We are huddled, most of us—the fortunate ones—in our hiding places, waiting. That […]
Certified COVID immunity is an economic resource
“Certified corona immunity as a resource” Courtesy of IREF In a new IREF Working Paper, David Stadelmann (Bayreuth University and IREF) and his co-authors discuss how the corona epidemic can be made less burdensome. They focus on the role of those who are immune after recovering from the illness and do not pose any health risks to […]
A Call for Reason: TES UK Correspondent Calum Nicholson on pandemic ethics
The Economic Standard’s UK correspondent, Calum Nicholson, recently published an insightful commentary, “Of course, we should do everything to stop Coronavirus. But maybe…”, questioning the received wisdom on pandemic response and calling for a public discussion of the tradeoffs involved in this kind of pandemic response, now and in future emergencies. With some […]
Low-income earners suffer most from the COVID-19 crisis in advanced economies
“Low-income earners suffer most from the COVID-19 crisis. Having the option to work from home is largely a matter of education” Courtesy of IZA Home office at full pay is not an option for all employees hit by the coronavirus crisis. To analyze changes in work arrangements during the pandemic, a team […]