Free Trade & Trade Policy

Market Liberalism, International Order, and World Peace, Part 1

by Richard M. Ebeling November 1, 2000

Part 1 | Part 2 In this Post–Cold War epoch the world is desperately searching for international order, global peace, and general economic prosperity. The great debate going on around the world is whether these desired goals can be attained through the existing system of national sovereignty or whether they require the establishment of international political organizations with the ...

Abolish NHTSA

by Sheldon Richman September 1, 2000

Purely for the sake of discussion, let’s assume the worst about Firestone and Ford: that someone’s gross negligence led to the production of tires that endangered drivers of Ford Explorers. The common law tort process should be allowed to take its course. If there’s evidence of ...

Is Mexico Asking the Right Questions?

by Jacob G. Hornberger September 1, 2000

In order to solve a problem, it is necessary to ask the right questions. During his recent visit to Washington, Mexican President-elect Vicente Fox asked the wrong questions: "How can we narrow the gap in income on both sides of the border?" and "How can we put together a fund for development?" The ...

No One Is Qualified to be President

by Sheldon Richman August 1, 2000

The Democrats' chief argument against George W. Bush is that he's not qualified to be president. They're right He's not qualified. But neither is Al Gore. Or Dick Cheney. Or Joseph Lieberman. No one is qualified to be president. No one. This is not a statement born of cynicism. It's cold fact. How ...

Gored, Not Gouged

by Sheldon Richman July 1, 2000

Vice President Al Gore has an annoying habit. When he doesn't like the price of something, he sanctimoniously condemns the particular industry that produces it. He's lately accused both the oil industry and the pharmaceutical industry of "price gouging," which after "risky scheme" is becoming his favorite sound-bite phrase.

Stop the Political Gouging!

by Sheldon Richman July 1, 2000

Price gouging! That's the sound of panicking Democrats as they contemplate the prospect of going into the election with the price of gasoline rising. They are miserable about the possibility that the growing economy, on which they long have thought they would ride to victory, might turn around and bite them. The ...

Clinton’s Fair-Trade Fraud

by James Bovard July 1, 2000

PRESIDENT CLINTON prides himself on calling for “free and fair trade” with foreigners every chance he gets. However, what is the Clinton administration’s idea of fair trade? Few things better illustrate the political corruption of the idea of fairness than the abuses of the U.S. anti-dumping laws. Clinton’s Commerce Department found pretexts to condemn foreigners for unfair trade in 98 ...

When the Violent Attack the Peaceful

by Sheldon Richman May 1, 2000

In the topsy-turvy world of Washington, D.C., the federal government is a friend of competition and Microsoft its mortal enemy. To appreciate this fully, keep in mind that the government forbids competition with its activities (beginning with delivery of first-class mail), while Microsoft has rivals at every turn. Yet Microsoft, not the federal government, is on the chopping block. Through federalism ...

What the Market Teaches

by Sheldon Richman April 1, 2000

What are we to make of the recent swings in the stock market? The first thing to keep in mind is that whether people buy or sell stocks, they do it on the basis of their estimation of the future, near or distant. Among the things they take into ...

No Worry about Gas Prices

by Sheldon Richman April 1, 2000

Isn't it funny that people get upset when the laws of economics operate as expected? Gasoline and crude oil prices have risen lately in response to higher demand and lower supply. So what do people do? They frantically call on the government to do something. Truckers drive ...

Monopoly, Competition, and Educational Freedom

by Jacob G. Hornberger March 1, 2000

Unfortunately, while many scholars understand the nature and benefits of the free market in general, they seem to lack a firm appreciation of pure free-market principles in the area of education. An example was a recent speech entitled "Competition" that was delivered to the conservative Heritage Foundation by Gary S. ...

A New Deal for World Poverty

by Jacob G. Hornberger February 1, 2000

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is calling for a global New Deal to combat poverty in poorer nations. His plan raises important issues affecting the economic well-being of people all over the world. Why are some nations wealthy and others poor? Are impoverished nations doomed to remain mired in poverty forever? ...