The Wage Experiment Known as Seattle


  Recently, Seattle has been the buzz of free market enthusiasts throughout social media and business websites. Soon, Seattle will attempt to implement a “living wage” of $15 per hour. The web has been awash in reports of restaurants and small businesses already closing their doors or , at least, preparing to downsize significantly in…

What’s Up with the Middle Class


  A simple internet search about the vanishing middle class in America would yield literally thousands of articles about the topic. Not to mention Elizabeth Warren’s infamous book. Left-leaning Russia Today talk show host, Thom Hartmann has also chimed in by postulating that the middle class isn’t normal. He opines that society needs to make…

Markets or Mercantilism


    A few days ago, I had a discussion with a co-worker about the need for the government to regulate “The Market”. Consistently, the definition of terms, most certainly economic terms, leads the discussion to devolve into a debate. Each side arguing past the other as definitions of words or terms are taken for…

Putin and His Four Black Swans


Here we are at the end of 2014 and about to kick off the new year. Many writers take this time to do a recap of the year or even make predictions of what may happen in the next 365 days. I thought I’d have a go at what I believe will be the most…

The Scots and Gresham’s Law


The recent Scottish independence elections had raised certain hopes among libertarians and anarchists. Their desire to see a free and independent Scotland (and a smaller Great Britain) enraptured images of Mel Gibson playing “Braveheart” William Wallace and a proud people, once again donning their kilts and marching to the pipes, taking up the cause for…

The Error of Pricing Goods in Gold


We’ve all heard experts, pundits and talk show hosts pontificating about gold and silver. We’ve heard examples of their so called “intrinsic” value, about how gold and silver retain their value over time. Aside from any intrinsic value, this is accurate, except when these people attempt to make price comparisons of goods in gold or…