“Despite being popularly positioned as leading advocates of opposing political philosophies, the signature works of public choice founder James Buchanan (with co-founder Gordon Tullock) and philosopher John Rawls share the same foundational approach. While Buchanan became more critical of Rawls’s work when A Theory of Justice finally appeared in 1971, his criticisms are more tempered than many readers would expect. Buchanan also admitted that his criticism of Rawls likewise indicted the approach that he and Tullock developed a decade earlier in The Calculus of Consent. …they are commonly conceived as occupying opposite and rival positions on the political spectrum. Yet throughout the 1960s, after publication of The Calculus of Consent, Buchanan and Rawls communicated frequently and warmly with each other, drawn together intellectually by commonalities in their work.” (02/04/26)
“Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s downfall was a blow for the Kremlin, but it did take it on the chin. Now, the relationship needs to be rebuilt on a new basis — not between patron and client, but on an equal footing. Russia is a part of the new Syrian government’s diversification agenda: Syria needs all the friends it can get, but without becoming a pawn in somebody else’s geopolitical game. Moscow, for now, seems happy to offer that.” (02/04/26)
“Billie Eilish won the Grammy Award for ‘Best Anti-ICE Tantrum’ on Sunday night by declaring that ‘No human being is illegal on stolen land.’ Unfortunately, the blowback against her is serving as the latest in a long line of reminders that Hollywood celebrities should lay off the politics and stick to doing what they do best, which is cocaine. Now, obviously, I have no idea if Billie is taking any drugs whatsoever, but you’d have to be on SOMETHING to think all of this Trump bashing is helping awards shows. Ratings were down 9% year over year for the Grammys, and of course, we all know that viewership has fallen by 50% in the last two decades for that Well-Dressed-Group-Therapy- Session we call the Oscars.” (02/04/25)
“When I wrote Compulsory monogamy as sexual socialism for mediocre men in 2023, I was very focused on the individual. It’s a lot about how dumb compulsory monogamy’s assumptions turn out to be upon just a hint of examination and how weak and silly men end up seeming when they insist upon those assumptions. In 2026, I’m less interested in the mechanics of monogamy versus consensual non-monogamy for the individuals involved and more interested in how monogamy functions in society. Like, what is the purpose of compulsory monogamy? What is its utility? Who does it serve, and how?” (02/04/26)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Deborah Palma
“The launch of Bitcoin in 2009 represents one of the most disruptive phenomena in financial history, establishing a unique link between computer science and an economic tradition opposed to the mainstream. To understand Bitcoin’s importance, it is not sufficient to analyze its cryptographic architecture alone; it is essential to delve into the intellectual roots that shaped its existence, primarily found in the Austrian School of Economics.” (02/04/26)
“All over the world, people are being fined and jailed for criticizing governments and law enforcement. The future looks grim for dissenters.” (02/04/26)
“Leaving aside the events that made the current monetary system possible, banknotes that are printed monopolistically (currency) by central banks have purchasing power and serve as a general medium of exchange (money) for billions of people around the world. Such currencies (paper money), with no backing and with no non-monetary use, make up the monetary base upon which the fractional reserve banking system relies; first, through their privileged backing by central banks as lenders of last resort and second, through the reserve multiplier, allowing commercial banks to provide loans (bank money) beyond their reserves. The new funds created and lent by commercial banks via mere accounting entries perform the same function as money and therefore increase the money supply.” (02/04/26)
“A preview to this year’s congressional primary season kicks off, unusually, on Thursday. Former Rep. Mikie Sherrill won a landslide to become New Jersey’s governor last year, and a crowded primary to replace her in the state’s 11th Congressional District is being held tomorrow. It’s a light-blue district, but the winner of the 11-candidate Democratic primary is expected to easily prevail in the general election in early April. That’s brought a familiar face out of the shadows to help determine the outcome: AIPAC. Though some reports indicated that the pro-Israel PAC was pulling back on electoral spending, it has thrown down nearly $2.3 million in television ads through its subsidiary United Democracy Project (UDP), and $1.83 million more in direct mail and phone banks, to block former Rep. Tom Malinowski from winning the seat. As is typical for single-issue groups, the ads are 100 percent pretextual.” (02/04/25)
