Blog

Fury vs. Freedom: The New Left-Right Conflict

Today, social debates are ignited from the political margins. When democracy is in crisis and social cohesion is crumbling, it is time for intellectuals to focus on the essentials. What is needed is an anti-totalitarian self-enlightenment from the political center.

Racial Accounting and the Galvanization of Group Rights in the U.S. – Not a Liberal Solution

To combat racial discrimination, government agencies in the U.S. keep a kind of accounting system based on race and ethnicity. Well-intentioned policies perpetuate divisions in society.

“Irrational Stock Exchanges” and the Wirecard Scandal: On the Blanket Suspicion of Financial Capitalism

Joint stock companies and stock exchanges have made the upswing of modern economies possible. However, they have always been suspected of serving the greed of a few. What, then, is the function of “financial capitalism”?

Why Intellectuals Don’t Like Capitalism

Anti-capitalism is widespread among both right-wing and left-wing intellectuals. Both are united by the belief that economic and social problems can be solved primarily through state action.

What Do Families Contribute to the Social Welfare System?

In Austria, about half of public expenditure benefit the 60+ generation. Pensions, health care and long-term care benefits are the most important public programs aimed mainly at the elderly population.

Racism: On the Bad and “Good” Kinds of Prejudicial Suspicion

For the guardians of political correctness, prejudicial suspicion is not bad in itself, so long as it is directed against the right groups. Moreover, the current hysteria about racism obscures the real problems—creating an obstacle for those who actually want to help.

The Bolivian Fairy Tale – The Illusory Success of “21st Century Socialism”

For years Bolivia was considered a successful example of the “Socialism of the 21st century”. An apparently booming economy blinded economists and politicians and obscured the view of a regime that was in reality authoritarian and corrupt.

Is the Pope Calling for a Universal Basic Income?

Pope Francis never called for a “universal basic income” as a new socio-political model. He asked for financial assistance for those on the margins who have been harmed by the quarantine. Even so, the idea of a “basic income” is only feasible, if at all, in a country with strong protection of property rights and a market economy.

For Eurozone Countries, the Problem Is Not So Much the Coronavirus, but Italy

The Italian people are hardworking, noble, and clever but held back by their own decadent institutions. With no end in sight, this mess hurts the entire European monetary union. It would be better for Italy and the other eurozone nations if Italy had an orderly departure from the euro.

What Comes after the Coronavirus Crisis – More Socialism or More Capitalism?

Statism is on the rise, despite the fact that western nations were ill-prepared for the Coronavirus pandemic. Old leftist demands are now given even more credence than usual. How can classical liberals and capitalists counter this statist impulse?

Rescuing Businesses during the Coronavirus Crisis Accelerates the Path to a State-Run Economy

The lockdown has accelerated the onset of the financial crisis. Global rescue programs are opening the door to a creeping nationalization. We now face the threat of the kinds of restrictions found in former planned economies.

The Coronavirus Crisis Shines Light on the Debt Spiral

The coronavirus crisis has exposed once again the fragility of our debt-based economic system. There are alternatives to this artificial system of the last 70 years. There are ways that we can better incentivize saving, which will create not only more productivity but more robustness.