GDP and a Culture of Consumption

Many have the misconception that a true advocate of the free market (a condition where individuals are free to exchange, invest, and economize without coercion) is necessarily an advocate of our consumer culture.  Nothing could be further from the truth.
Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, as it is commonly known, measures three indicators: consumption, investment, and [...]

Bold Automotive Predictions

With President Obama’s proposed upgrade of car fuel efficiency standards (government-mandated standards, of course), I have a few bold predictions to make:
1. The administration’s estimate of an average increase of $1,400 per vehicle is far too low.  A more accurate estimate would be an extra $4,000 or $5,000, what one would pay extra (at least) for [...]

Sunday Morning Thoughts on Nihilism and Transcendentalism, and Exaltation in Film

I recently have been persuading my four year-old to watch snippets of the Disney film Fantasia 2000 (one of my favorite all-time films) on youtube.  So far, he has been willing to do so.
I have a passion for classical music, and I find that the music featured on Fantasia 2000 (similar to the music featured [...]

Recession and the Austrian School

All is vanity. -Ecclesiastes 1:2
Who is right about the current recession?
Most economists from the Austrian School of Economics have been saying since the beginning (before most mainstream economists admitted we were even in a recession) that this economic downturn would be long and prolonged, likely a depression.  They are still saying this.  None of the [...]

300,000 Pounds and Ducks

I sometimes listen to Radio 2 Morning on CBC in the morning commute.  It’s the most entertaining radio show I have ever heard, both musically and in prose.  The songs are pure, simple, subtle, and sincere, both musically and lyrically, not overly sugary, forced, or over-the-top as I find some American music to be.
Prose is [...]