Author: Thomas L. Knapp

Source: Free Association
by Sheldon Richman

“Should we be comforted because Zohran Mamdani & Co. sugarcoat the word ‘socialism’ with the qualifier ‘democratic’? I suggest not. Hayek spelled out why. Mamdani can quote Hayek dismissively, but has the mayor read the relevant book, published 47 years before his birth? He shows no signs of having done so. … Hayek explained that democracy cannot withstand the requirements that would be imposed on it by the very nature of comprehensive central economic planning (socialism, whether national and international). This criticism did not refer to the fatal Mises-Hayek calculation/knowledge problem with socialism or the public-choice incentive problem. It concerned rather the political incoherence of democratic socialism.” (08/14/26)

https://sheldonrichman.substack.com/p/tgif-sugarcoated-socialism

Source: The Daily Economy
by Stone Washington

“Closed administrative courts with no impartial reviewers were overruled in SEC v. Jarkesy. Strangely, FCC procedures won’t get the same scrutiny.” (08/14/26)

https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/the-fcc-denies-jury-rights/

Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Blaise Malley

“In the early months following Israel’s brutal war on Gaza, Latin American leaders emerged as some of the world’s sharpest critics of the military campaign. Then-Colombian President Gustavo Petro was among the first world leaders to call Israel’s actions a ‘genocide.’ Chile and Honduras recalled their ambassadors from Tel Aviv, and Belize and Bolivia severed diplomatic ties with Israel. But just two years later, across the region, governments that had distanced themselves from Israel are now moving quickly to repair ties. Not surprisingly they are the same leaders who have rushed to ingratiate themselves with the Donald Trump administration in Washington.” (08/14/26)

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/latin-america-israel/

Source: Independent Institute
by Daniel Sánchez-Piñol

“It has become increasingly common, particularly among politicians on the far right, to describe episodes of large-scale unauthorized immigration as an ‘invasion.’ Few words carry more emotional weight in politics. An invasion evokes images of hostile armies, territorial conquest, and a nation’s fight for survival. It transforms a debate over immigration policy into a struggle against an existential enemy. The events in Ceuta show why that analogy collapses under scrutiny.” (08/14/26)

https://www.independent.org/article/2026/08/14/ceuta-debunks-immigrant-invasion-narrative/

Source: EconLog
by Walter Block

“In the good old days, dump trucks came in one discrete unit. Nowadays, they pull trailers with as much cubic space as themselves. Once upon a time, buses, too, were constituted in a fairly modest vehicle. Today, they are double their previous size. Half as many drivers are now required to pilot these roadway behemoths. This ’causes unemployment,’ in the view of many folks. … Such is the source of a widespread economic anxiety. Those struck by it suffer from the ‘lump of labor’ fallacy. In this view, there is only so much work to be done, and if machines take away a lump of labor, there will be just that much left for human beings to do. This is mistaken.” (08/14/26)

https://www.econlib.org/econlog/dump-trucks-ai-and-unemployment