If wokeness should continue and “win,” by now we all know where it will end up. After all, this is not a prairie-fire, peasants-with-pitchforks...
[link removed]
[link removed]
May 11, 2021 | Weekly Newsletter

Tuning Out Wokeism ([link removed])
By Victor David Hanson (American Greatness)
[link removed]
If wokeness should continue and “win,” by now we all know where it will end up. After all, this is not a prairie-fire, peasants-with-pitchforks, spontaneous bottom-up revolution. Any time “revolutionaries” at the outset of their enterprises seek exemption from the consequences of their own ideology, we know their plans will end badly for everyone else. What do we need? A few, the “happy few,” to say to the mob: “no mas,” and pop this nightmarish balloon. READ MORE » ([link removed])
FutureEconomic Peril or Prosperity? ([link removed])
Edited by Christopher J. Coyne, Michael C. Munger, Robert M. Whaples
[link removed]
Biden’s Spending Binge Is Costlier Than Advertised ([link removed])
By Steve H. Hanke (The Wall Street Journal)
[link removed]
President Biden’s first three domestic spending programs will give taxpayers a $5.7 trillion sticker shock, with advertised costs of $1.9 trillion for Covid-19 relief, at least $2 trillion for infrastructure, and $1.8 trillion for family benefits. Not seen, however, are the hidden costs and burdens that will accompany the tax increases Biden proposes—roughly $3 per additional tax dollar collected! Do the math. Multiply $5.7 trillion by 3, and you get a true cost of $17.1 trillion. That’s 80% of last year’s gross domestic product. And all this after less than 100 days in office. Yes, November 2024 can’t come soon enough.... READ MORE » ([link removed])
Beyond PoliticsThe Roots of Government Failure (Revised and Updated Edition) ([link removed])
By Randy Simmons
[link removed]
Oligarchy, and Remedies ([link removed])
By Angelo Codevilla (American Greatness)
[link removed]
Those who rule us, regardless of party, are essentially the same people. They are interchangeable, with near-identical interests, loves, hates, and tastes. Often, they are friends and colleagues, united about coercing whomever is not on their own sociopolitical side. We live, in other words, under an oligarchy. But we need not. The ruling class has only the power we grant its members—and it’s high time we took it back. READ MORE » ([link removed])
Liberty in PerilDemocracy and Power in American History ([link removed])
By Randall G. Holcombe
[link removed]
Restricting the Unvaccinated Sets a Dangerous Precedent ([link removed])
By Abigail Deveraux (The Hill)
[link removed]
Should we be concerned about vaccine passports? Aren’t they simply a way for vaccinated people to go out again, for restaurants to open confidently, to get back to, well, normal life? Yes, we should be very concerned. Grant the government the power to surveil here, and who knows what else, using the same technology, it will spy on. Besides, given the unimaginably effective, and now widely distributed, vaccines, do we really need further intervention by Big Government? READ MORE » ([link removed])
New Way to CareSocial Protections that Put Families First ([link removed])
By John C. Goodman
[link removed]
Falling College Academic Standards: New Evidence ([link removed])
By Richard K. Vedder (Forbes)
[link removed]
Coin of the realm for quite some time: academic performance by American college students is on the rise. But a new study has finally pulverized that myth. What is on the rise is—grade inflation. Broadly speaking, American college students typically are earning much higher grades than those of a half century or so ago but doing about one-third less work. Doing less for more—but at a far higher cost. How long can we sustain such foolishness? READ MORE » ([link removed])
Restoring the PromiseHigher Education in America ([link removed])
By Richard K. Vedder
[link removed]
The Beacon: New Blog Posts
* The Essential James Buchanan ([link removed]) , by Randall G. Holcombe
* Reality Check Ahead on Deficit Spending ([link removed]) , by Craig Eyermann

Catalyst: New Articles
* Regulation, Moderation, and Social Media Decentralization ([link removed]) , by Gavin Hanson
* Kansas City Southern and Future Freight Rail Regulations ([link removed]) , by Scott Beyer


Book Store ([link removed])
Donate ([link removed])
[link removed]
An easy and free way to support Independent is to set us as your designated charity on AmazonSmile ([link removed]) . Then, when you buy something on Amazon, head to smile.amazon.com ([link removed]) and a portion of the purchase price will be donated to Independent at no cost to you.

============================================================
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Twitter ([link removed])
** YouTube ([link removed])
** LinkedIn ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
** Website ([link removed])
The Lighthouse is made possible by the generous contributions of supporters of the Independent Institute. If you enjoy The Lighthouse, please consider making a ** tax-deductible donation ([link removed])
to the Independent Institute. Click ** here ([link removed])
to unsubscribe.

** Past issues of The Lighthouse ([link removed])
| ** Other Publications ([link removed])

The Lighthouse^®
ISSN 1526-173X | © 2021
Independent Institute
100 Swan Way, Oakland, CA 94621-1428
(510) 632-1366

You received this message because you are subscribed to The Lighthouse.

** Manage Email Preferences ([link removed])