Public Education – A socialist fetish
Much is said about education. In fact, it seems that saying that ‘education is the solution for the world’ is, alongside various forms of entertainment, in a hedonistic society, unanimous. I intend to question the reason for this fetish for education, but first I want to question why people turn to the worst means of realising this fantasy, the state.
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Public Education – A socialist fetish
Everything supplied through the state is always of poorer quality and more expensive than when supplied by the market. This is because the state is guided by political pressures, and not...
The ECB is raising rates, but it is also committed to buying more government bonds
The European Central Bank (ECB) raised interest rates for the second time this year (by 0.75 percent). The eurozone's CPI was 8.9 percent in July. In that month, the ECB raised rates by...
The real meaning of inflation
First let's see what the mainstream definition of inflation is. According to Mankiw (2013) inflation is:An increase in the overall level of prices in the economy (MANKIW, 2013, p....
Monetary Policy and Environmental Progress
Many people are growing concerned about pollution and its growing effects on our environment and quality of life. So much so it seems, that politicians are now taking nuclear power much...
Philosophy
Public Education – A socialist fetish
Much is said about education. In fact, it seems that saying that ‘education is the solution for the world’ is, alongside various forms of entertainment, in a hedonistic society, unanimous. I intend to question the reason for this fetish for education, but first I want to question why people turn to the worst means of realising this fantasy, the state.
Cars in Free European Cities
Liberty respecters throughout the world have a bit of a love affair with cars, indeed it appears rather similar to the love affair which liberty disrespecters have with centrally planned golem conveyors. But is it just as dumb?
What can we learn from Jordan Peterson on a macro scale?
We have to fix our own countries before we think of foreign affairs in distant countries that do not affect us directly.
War in Ukraine: Individuals are the victims of States
Should we care for Putin’s, Biden’s or Zelenskyy’s objectives, or for individuals vs States? Here is a question that is unfortunately forgotten by too many freedom lovers.
The Vegan Extreme of the Non-Aggression Principle
Vegans received more than a fair share of ridicule throughout the years. Not eating meat generated a ton of mediocre memes, meanspirited jokes, but also comedic genius with its peak on Jack Whitehall standup special. Though the British comedian pokes fun at the shortcomings of the plant positive dietary position, he ends his bit on a less hostile reflection that much of the hate vegans get is linked to the self-control they manifest. Successfully maintaining a stringent habit, is an achievement many might struggle with. I must confess to yielding quite a lot of enjoyment from vegan-related comedy, but nevertheless, I hold some respect for the vegan position. Firstly, it indeed requires a certain amount of self-control. Perhaps it is self-control misguided into unnecessarily sad life, but still admirable.
Economics
The ECB is raising rates, but it is also committed to buying more government bonds
Like the Fed, the ECB is just pretending to fight the high CPI. The fact that the ECB’s balance sheet has stopped increasing and that eurozone’s M2 is increasing at a slower pace than in 2020 and 2021 are factors that reduce the pressure on price increases, but this only means that, best case scenario, the ECB will be able to bring the CPI to lower levels. It is less likely that prices will return to pre-2021 levels. This would require a price deflation.
The real meaning of inflation
A distinctive feature of the economists of the so-called “Austrian School of Economics” is that they advocate a theory of money considerably different from that of their colleagues in other schools of economic thought.
The differences between the aforementioned approaches already begin in the very definition of the word inflation and this will be the main topic of this article.
Monetary Policy and Environmental Progress
Why Bad Money Drives Up Pollution
What the Monetary Authorities Should Do
Why Low Rates and High Taxes Won’t Help Against Inflation
Croatia May Become the 20th Member of the Eurozone in 2023: What Does this Mean to the Euro?
In addition to Croatia, there are six countries that have not yet joined the euro but should do so once the requirements are met: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Sweden.
The ECB concludes that only Croatia and Sweden meet the price stability criteria.
Politics
French Elections: The Illusion of Democracy
The French presidential election happened a few weeks ago and the results were no surprise to myself nor to many people. From the first round, it was clear that the left-wing Emmanuel Macron would once again win and be the president of France for a second term. Those who have been following the situation in France over the last five years know this result can only be tragic for France’s future in terms of freedom.
However, I thought it was important, in this context, to discuss the notion of democracy, that is always being praised in France, particularly by politicians, and what the figures of this French presidential election reveal about it. By the end of this article, it will be clear to you why France is not a democracy and why democracies are doomed to fail.
New Geopolitical Equilibrium
All conflicts between two or more people could end in two ways. Either the people involved sit down and try to find a compromise in order to get back to normal relationships, or they completely ignore each other for the rest of their lives and the conflicts ends once they are all dead. For nations, the second alternative is almost impossible, because nations live for centuries or even ages. In consequence, a compromise will follow sooner or later. If all nations involved are satisfied with the compromises they have made, we enter a new phase of equilibrium, in case of states, a geopolitical equilibrium.
Who is responsible for the energy prices surge?
Gas prices have risen to record levels in October this year and are back to similar levels as we speak. The main reasons that the mainstream media are giving you are the Ukraine-Russia tensions, or the delay regarding the approval of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. But what if at the core of the surging prices in Europe was the European Union itself?
They want the end of detached houses
The government of Emmanuel Macron wants to put an end to the detached houses, according to Minister Delegate for Housing, Emmanuelle Wargon. France is not alone when it comes to those absurd ideas regarding housing and we should be concerned.
Is it wrong to use the Star of David to protest Discrimination?
The Yellow Star of David, which the National Socialists would make the Jews wear in order to stigmatise them, started to be used again, recently, with the wording ‘Not vaccinated’, by protestors against the mandatory Covid-19 vaccination and vaccine passport schemes. The mainstream media, outraged by this, labelled the action as radical and antisemitic. Is it really? Or is it just a way to make a political statement proportionate to the current government policies? I will answer this question through an analysis of facts.
Science & Technology
Essential reading for your pro-lockdown friends
“The quicker I give up my freedoms, the faster I will get them back”, said the person who has never read a history book. “Two weeks to flatten the curve” turned into lockdown measures that already have lasted over a year.
Get a Clear Picture of Science News
Pop-science is currently no topic to overlook on social media. Websites or social media groups sharing factoids or infographics amass millions of likes and receive a high number of content re-shares. In parallel, pop-science magazines also attract many readers and have a strong online presence.
What You Need to Know to Join the Alt-Tech Exodus
So, you’ve heard that big tech companies have transcended the niggling free market and reached the lofty heights of partisan politics — and act accordingly. Unlike prominent political figures you might not make the top of the purge list, but it’s no secret that censorship is surging. Both to protect your freedom, and to stop providing resources to those who would undermine it, it makes sense to jump ship. Now, when everybody else is also doing it. But how?
History
City air makes you free: How cities freed medieval people
‘Stadtluft macht frei’ (‘City air makes you free’) is a popular German saying, referring to a principle of law in place in Europe during the Middle Ages. This one would enable a serf living unfree under feudalism to become free from their lord, in a city, after a period of one year and one day. This increased the migration of medieval people seeking freedom from the feudal territories to the cities from the 11th century onwards.
Because of that freedom, cities became a centre of trade, gathering merchants, entertainers and much more, and offering a large variety of products and services. This made the cities vibrant and prosperous, with its inhabitants enjoying better life conditions than on the feudal territories.
Britain’s Free Radio Revolution
In the beginning of the 1960s, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) had the monopoly of radio in the United Kingdom. In fact, apart from one commercial TV network, the airwaves were owned by the BBC. As it happens with any monopoly, because of the lack of competition, the broadcaster was not particularly interested in providing better quality services, and ones that would fit the demand of the British. Because of that, some people started their own radio stations broadcasting their programmes from boats located outside the British territorial waters. These were known as free (or pirate) radios.
The Window Tax: Daylight Robbery
The Window Tax was a property tax based on the number of windows in a house, first introduced in Britain in 1696 and later on, in France. It resulted in a new form of tax avoidance, as people started to brick up their windows in order to avoid paying the tax. Those old houses with windows having been bricked up or plastered can still be seen in England and France today.
Reblochon: the French Cheese born from Tax Evasion
Reblochon is a soft French cheese made in the Alpine region of Savoie from raw cow’s milk. It is, without a doubt, one of the most famous French cheeses. It is commonly used for cooking in France and is a key ingredient to several dishes such as the popular Tartiflette; a Savoyard gratin made from potatoes, bacon and onions. However, few people know the story behind the origin of this cheese. In fact, Reblochon was born as a result of an early form of tax evasion in the Middle Ages.
The anarchist Republic of Cospaia
People often think that the lack of a government and the lack of laws would create some kind of Mad Max Society, where people would savagely kill each other. Hollywood certainly helped to shape our thinking about how the abstention of some authority would lead us to total chaos, after all, they have been making a lot of movies with themes such as the wild west since the beginning of the twentieth century. I am sorry to disappoint you, but the wild west was not that wild. Perhaps in another article I will talk about the Wild West not being Wild. In this article I will talk about something older and in the old continent.
Français
L’éducation publique – Un fétiche socialiste
On parle beaucoup d’éducation. En fait, il semble que dire que « l’éducation est la solution pour le monde » fait, à côté des diverses formes de divertissement dans une société hédoniste, l’unanimité. J’ai l’intention de m’interroger sur la raison de ce véritable fétiche pour l’éducation, mais je veux d’abord me demander pourquoi, si ce fétiche existe, les gens se tournent vers le pire moyen de réaliser ce fantasme, l’État.
Derniers Articles
L’éducation publique – Un fétiche socialiste
Tout ce qui est fourni par l'État est toujours de moins bonne qualité et plus cher que lorsqu'il est fourni par le marché. En effet, l'État est guidé par des pressions politiques et non...
La BCE augmente les taux, mais s’engage également à acheter plus d’obligations d’état
La Banque centrale européenne (BCE) a relevé ses taux d'intérêt pour la deuxième fois cette année (de 0,75 %). L'IPC de la zone euro était de 8,9% en juillet. Au cours de ce mois,...
Socialisme et fascisme : les deux faces d’une même pièce
Religions laïques Le socialisme et le fascisme ont été créés dans la même période historique et sociale, celle où le pouvoir du christianisme a commencé à perdre sa capacité d'affecter les...
Le vrai sens de l’inflation
Voyons d'abord quelle est la définition courante de l'inflation. Selon Mankiw (2016) l'inflation est :L’augmentation du niveau général des prix de l’économie (MANKIW, 2016, p. 40).D'autres...
Português
Educação Pública – Um fetiche socialista
Muito se fala em educação. Na verdade, parece que dizer que “a educação é a solução para o mundo” é, ao lado de diversas formas de entretenimento numa sociedade hedonista, unanimidade. Pretendo questionar o porquê desse verdadeiro fetiche por educação, mas antes quero questionar o porquê de, existindo este fetiche, as pessoas se voltarem para o pior meio de se realizar esta fantasia, o estado.
Últimos Artigos
Educação Pública – Um fetiche socialista
Tudo que é fornecido por meio do estado é sempre de pior qualidade e mais caro do que quando fornecido pelo mercado. Isto porque o estado se guia por pressões políticas, e não pelo...
O verdadeiro significado de inflação
Primeiramente vamos ver qual a definição mainstream de inflação. Segundo Mankiw (2013) inflação é:Um aumento do nível geral de preços da economia (MANKIW, 2013, p. 15).Outros economistas...
O que é fascismo?
Mas afinal, o que é o fascismo? Essa é uma pergunta que a maioria das pessoas não sabe responder. É normal que a maioria das pessoas não saiba o que realmente é o fascismo, porque a maior...
A Teoria austríaca dos Ciclos Econômicos (TACE): Uma introdução
As raízes históricas da teoria podem ser rastreadas até a publicação da "Theory of Money & Credit" de Mises. O que Mises fez foi incorporar a teoria do capital desenvolvida por seu...
Español
Educación Pública – Un fetiche socialista
Mucho se habla de educación. De hecho, parece que decir que “la educación es la solución para el mundo” es, junto a las diversas formas de entretenimiento en una sociedad hedonista, unánime. Pretendo cuestionar el por qué de este verdadero fetiche por la educación, pero primero quiero cuestionar por qué, si existe este fetiche, la gente recurre al peor medio para realizar esta fantasía, el Estado.
Últimos Artículos
Educación Pública – Un fetiche socialista
Todo lo que se suministra a través del Estado es siempre de peor calidad y más caro que cuando lo suministra el mercado. Esto se debe a que el estado se guía por presiones políticas y no...
El verdadero significado de la inflación
Primero, veamos cuál es la definición convencional de inflación. Según Mankiw (2013) la inflación es:Incremento del nivel general de los precios en la economía. (MANKIW, 2017)Otros...
¿Quién se beneficia de la inflación? El efecto Cantillon
Cantillon hizo grandes contribuciones a la economía, siendo su obra principal Essai sur la Nature du Commerce en Général. Un tratado que tuvo una gran importancia para la economía. Entre...
El aire de la ciudad te hace libre: Cómo las ciudades liberaron a la gente medieval
Siervos bajo el señorío El señorío era un sistema feudal de propiedad de la tierra vigente en partes de Europa, incluso en lo que se convertiría en Alemania, durante la Edad Media. El...
Italiano
Cos’è il fascismo?
“Fascismo” è un termine che è stato banalizzato dalla sinistra, così come i termini “Nazismo” e “Nazi”, che si riferiscono rispettivamente a Nazional-socialismo e Nazional-socialisti Specialmente dopo l’ascesa di gruppi di estrema sinistra, come gli Antifa, tra i giovani, le parole fascismo e fascisti sono usate di continuo per attaccare i propri nemici.
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Cos’è il fascismo?
Ma dopotutto, cos'è il fascismo? Questa è una domanda alla quale la maggior parte delle persone non sa rispondere. E' normale che la maggior parte della gente non sappia cosa sia realmente...
Socialismo e fascismo: Due facce della stessa medaglia
Religioni secolari Socialismo e fascismo sono nati nello stesso periodo storico e sociale, quello in cui il potere del cristianesimo ha iniziato a perdere la sua capacità di influenzare le...
Negativa e Positiva: Due concetti di libertà
Costringere un uomo è privarlo della libertà - libertà di cosa? [...] Propongo di esaminare non più di due di questi sensi - sebbene centrali, con molta storia umana alle spalle e, oserei...
Libertà e uguaglianza: perché non possiamo avere entrembe
Nascondendosi dietro l'idea di vero socialismo- qualcosa di molto diverso da ciò che si è visto ogni volta che è stato provato- hanno sostenuto che il reale obiettivo del socialismo fosse...
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