Blog

Socialism Is a Seductive Idea, but It Is Incompatible with Freedom and Prosperity

Why intellectuals have often advocated socialism, and why it is incompatible with freedom. The economist and book author Kristian Niemietz of the London Institute of Economic Affairs is interviewed by Stefan Beig.

European Infrastructure and Tech Policy: Failures, Breakdowns, and Empty Promises

Compared to the USA, Europe is lagging behind in terms of information and communications infrastructure. A reexamination reveals: For too long, billions of taxpayers’ money have been invested in technologies of the past.

How Climate Fears Can Rake in Billions

The decision of the German Constitutional Court on climate policy is presumptuous and far removed from reality. But conservatives and liberals alike are applauding it, because the fear of global catastrophe opens up an inexhaustible source of money.

A New Era: Politicians and Central Banks Reinvent the Wishing-Table

Unbelievable national debts and deficits, direct access of politicians to the printing press and unconditional payments to citizens in the USA. The EU, for its part, is embarking on the path of massive new national debt. Can this possibly end well?

Economic Liberalism Is Not Social Darwinism: From Adam Smith to Charles Darwin

A hundred years before Darwin, the economist and philosopher Adam Smith discovered that, thanks to the division of labor, the most skilled workers and enterprises prevail, not simply the ones with more brute strength. Darwin was significantly influenced by this idea.

Germany’s Poverty: Imported and Homemade

In Germany’s super-election year, the eternal debate about social justice is taking on even more teeth. One-sided interpretations are used by the Greens, SPD and Left Party to justify even more redistribution. The real causes are being concealed.

No More Growth—And Happiness Is Just Around The Corner

Critics of growth call for zero growth or even “degrowth”. Their fears are based on economic misconceptions and a failure to recognize the capitalist dynamic of decoupling growth from resource consumption. Moreover, they fail to recognize the needs of poor countries.

The Primacy of Politics and the “Other” Socialism

The “primacy of politics” over the logic of the economy is repeatedly and categorically demanded. Insofar as such efforts undermine the private property-based power of disposition over the means of production, it is the first step in the direction of the “other socialism.”

Thinking Economically: Only the Market and the Logic of Exchange Create Prosperity

Economics is not a zero-sum game. In exchange, both sides always benefit. Exchange is the soul of the market and creates added value, and does so in a way that benefits everyone involved. A plea for economic enlightenment.

Currency Competition: The Renewed Interest in Cryptocurrencies

Only the sovereign of a liberal democratic community, the citizen, can set limits to state action. Challenging the state’s monetary monopoly through monetary competition would be one means of doing so.

The Discovery of “Capital” in the Economic Ethics of the High Middle Ages

The pioneers of modern economics were moral theologians of the Middle Ages. Petrus Johannis Olivi discovered, among other things, “capital,” the subjective theory of value, and distinguished interest from usury. He thus paved the way for a positive view of commercial activity.

Money Glut, Debt, and Rolling Central Bank Guarantees: Full Steam Ahead towards the Abyss

Central banks have become prisoners of their own policies with their perpetual monetary glut. Everyone knows this, and everyone knows that everyone knows it. But proclaiming a different message, they shirk responsibility. The party must go on at all costs.