Why Hong Kong’s Economy Has Grown 7x Faster Than Cuba’s Since the 1950s
Back in 2014, I compared Hong Kong’s amazing growth with Cuba’s pitiful stagnation and made the obvious point that free […]
Business & Economics
Why Socialism Often Leads to Tyranny
There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that communism leads to tyranny. Mention the countries North Korea, Cuba, the Soviet Union, […]
93 Vermont Towns Have No Public Schools, But Great Education. How Do They Do It?
In just a couple of weeks, 50 boys with learning disabilities will take to a stage in Vermont, one after […]
This Comic Book’s Persuasive Case for Open Borders
Economists tend to prefer trade to charity. Charity is fickle because it relies on the transient benevolence of donors or […]
6 Things We Learned from Prohibition
Just over 100 years ago (October 28, 1919), the National Prohibition Act became law. Better known as the Volstead Act, […]
8 Venezuelan Industries Hugo Chavez Nationalized (Besides Oil)
Venezuela has experienced one of the sharpest economic declines in modern history—rampant inflation, near-famine, and an exodus of millions of […]
I, Coffee: Why You Should Thank 1,000 People for Your Cup of Morning Joe
Your morning cup of coffee, A.J. Jacobs wants you to know, is a miracle of human cooperation. Jacobs writes in […]
The Miracle of the Market
At this time of year especially, the wide variety of individual human preferences and interests becomes abundantly clear. My children’s […]
FEE’s Top 10 Articles of the Decade
It’s been a wild decade, especially here at FEE. We’ve covered a lot of stories and ideas throughout the past […]
What Streaming Services Teach Us about Economics
“Fifty-seven channels and nothing on” is an adage and a so-so Bruce Springsteen song from the ‘90s. Obviously, he is […]
“Common Good Capitalism” Is No Substitute for Free Enterprise
The notion that, left unguided, without any sort of of policy involvement, the market will solve our problems will not […]
My Response to Time Magazine’s Cover Story on Capitalism
[Editor’s note: The following is in response to the cover story, “How the Elites Lost Their Grip,” by Anand Giridharadas […]
9 of the 10 Richest People in the World Are Self-Made Entrepreneurs
Every year Forbes publishes its list of the 400 wealthiest Americans. Topping the list in 2019 for the second year […]
Rose Wilder Lane: Pioneer of Educational Freedom
My eight-year-old daughter Abby recently started reading Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was prompted, […]
Anti-Capitalism: Trendy but Wrong
You can’t escape it; capitalism has a bad rap. Last night, thousands of anti-capitalist protestors took to the streets in […]
Solar Panels Produce Tons of Toxic Waste—Literally
A Popular Choice Solar panels have been heralded as the alternative to fossil fuels for decades. Most readers have likely […]