Explore Freedom

Is Free Trade Obsolete? Part 2

by Sheldon Richman May 1, 2004

Part 1 | Part 2 Is it time to throw out all the textbooks that defend free trade? Some people — including one former free trader — think so. Last month we saw how Ricardo’s law of comparative advantage, operating through the price system and the phenomenon of opportunity cost, induces people and groups to specialize in the production of ... [click for more]

Wal-Mart as a “Wedge Issue”

by George Leef April 9, 2004

The major political parties thrive on what are known as “wedge issues.” A wedge issue is one that takes advantage of the fact that many voters are motivated far more by emotion than by reason. It works at the gut level, driving people into anger first, and then into the voting booth, even though, when ... [click for more]

The Keys to Economic Development:

by Jacob G. Hornberger April 9, 2004

VIDEO: The Keys to Economic Development Dear FFF Supporters, I just returned from Porto Alegre, Brazil, where I delivered a speech entitled “The Keys to Economic Development” to a conference sponsored by the Institute of Entrepreneurial Studies, one of the most prestigious free-market ... [click for more]

Outsourcing Is a Natural Force in the Free Market

by Jeffrey A. Singer April 5, 2004

The other day, while performing an emergency operation on a patient with a bleeding ulcer, it occurred to me that surgeons don’t see many ulcer patients these days. Back in the 1970s and early 80s I would operate for ulcer disease every week or so. But with the advent of new ... [click for more]

Ignoring the Fear-Mongering about Outsourcing

by Sheldon Richman April 5, 2004

From the way some people talk in this political season, you’d think all the good jobs are being shipped to India, leaving nothing for Americans to do but flip hamburgers and shine shoes. Don’t expect to hear sensible talk about economics in an election year. It doesn’t fit into ... [click for more]

Is Free Trade Obsolete? Part 1

by Sheldon Richman April 1, 2004

Part 1 | Part 2 In the last several decades, areas of the developing world, particularly Asia, have become politically more stable and free, more open to foreign investment. The populations there are better educated and have access to modern technology, including the Internet. They are thus more productive. This sounds like something to be welcomed, not only in a ... [click for more]

We Need Real Free Trade Now

by Sheldon Richman February 4, 2004

People in parts of the developing world are becoming more free, better educated, and increasingly dexterous with modern communications, such as the Internet. As a result, they are more vigorously participating in the world economy. They are in a position to make things and do things for us ... [click for more]

The Deerslayer, the Bootmaker, and the Violin Player, Part 2

by Scott McPherson October 1, 2003

Part 1 | Part 2 The months went by, and winter’s long nights held a hint of spring and summer to come. The snow had stopped falling, and turned to water in the occasional sunlight that poked through the breaking clouds. The Deerslayer and the Bootmaker could often be found sitting on the porch watching the drops fall from ... [click for more]

Trade Restrictions Show Hypocrisy

by Sheldon Richman September 12, 2003

A lesson in government hypocrisy — as if one were needed these days — is to be found in the agricultural policies of the rich nations of the world, including the United States. The U.S. government incessantly proclaims its desire to help the world’s poor. Empty words. Sure, the ... [click for more]

The Deerslayer, the Bootmaker, and the Violin Player, Part 1

by Scott McPherson September 1, 2003

Part 1 | Part 2 Once there lived a man called “The Deerslayer.” The Deerslayer lived in the plush green valley of a rugged mountain range and survived through his cunning and skillful use of a rifle to hunt game. His mountain valley home was far to the north; he saw only a few short months of warm weather ... [click for more]

A Rare Moment of Candor

by Sheldon Richman November 9, 2002

President Bush says he’s got the economy under control. That’s supposed to comfort us. I’d feel better if he said he had the federal government under control. It’s spending wildly — and it can’t blame the “war on terrorism” for it all. That’s just the latest spending. ... [click for more]

The Real Solution to Business Misconduct

by Sheldon Richman August 20, 2002

The way people talk about the need for new regulation of business, you’d think it was 1930. Have we not already lived through the New Deal with its pervasive regulation of corporations? Have we not lived through the regulatory explosions of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s? Are not the transgressions ... [click for more]