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THINK TANK
We figured there was no point in releasing much when the papers are running you-know-what news on pages 1, 3-14, 21, 35-38. So we have a backlog to release when all the arguing’s over. Should be quite a busy time for us in 2024, then. Still, our recent paper on HS2, which will deliver 78p of value for every £1 spent (and there’s quite a few billion of those) got extensive coverage, so that’s good. [There’s quite a few coming in the next couple of weeks boss — Ed.]
GAS TANK
Last week we staged a sensational and packed meeting with Denise Ho, Hong Kong singing star turned rights activist, on the civil unrest in the territory. Unsettling stuff. Watch out for it on our YouTube channel. And she’s a lot prettier than Matt Lesh, who does most of our other videos. [I don’t think you’re allowed to say that—Ed.]
Coming up, we have a sensational speaker of a quite different sort, the noted philosopher, business analyst and liberal guru Dr Elaine Sternberg. Her subject will be Spontaneous Order: Common Confusions, Unexpected Examples. Sounds riveting, huh? But actually you need to be there to understand a key defence of individual liberty. Economists know all about the ‘invisible hand’ but social ’scientists’ and politicians just don’t get why the rest of society can run itself perfectly well without them. Friday 29 November at 6pm. Ask [email protected] for invites.
In December it’s the celebrated ASI Christmas Party [Christmas? Look, you can’t say that anymore either—Ed.]
And then in January KCL Prof Dr Anja Shortland will tell us about The Economics of Kidnapping. No, it’s not a how-to-do-it manual, but she will explain why kidnapping is not just random but a complex and well-run international business—as is the response to it. An intriguing insight into a hidden world. Wednesday 22 January at 6pm. Ask [email protected] for invites.
Leading economist Roger Bootle is joining us in February, by the way, to talk about Work, Wealth and Welfare in the Robot Age. [If he charges us a speaking fee we’ll be replacing him with a robot!—Ed.] Details on www.adamsmith.org/events .
Remember: Ninety percent of success in life is simply turning up… [The rest is having lunch—Ed.]
Speaking of lunch, our friends over at the Institute of Economic Affairs are hosting Ron Manners who is launching his new book “The Lonely Libertarian” – a compelling book explaining how to combine a successful career whilst simultaneously still speaking up for liberty. The event will take place on Wednesday 30th October 11am to 1pm at IEA’s offices in Westminster. To get yourself a spot and a sandwich, email [email protected]
BATTLE TANK
Extinction Rebellion—the only pressure group to pick its name out of a thesaurus—chose to stand outside our door beating drums and hurling slogans, insults, and puerile speeches at the government department opposite. So we made them feel how annoyed ordinary folk get by such things by drowning out their speeches with loud music blaring from our window. They didn’t much like it…
Yes, the planet will overheat and we will all die...I think. Though ten years ago a NASA scientist predicted that the Arctic would be ice-free by now and that New York would be under water, while in the 1970s satellite data made everyone worried about the coming Ice Age. In 2002 we were told we’d all be starving by now unless we stopped eating meat and fish. And every year since about 1910, people have predicted that oil will run out in ten years. Just some of the interesting death-cultism recorded by Dr Madsen Pirie.
Meanwhile, Parliament has decided to ban gas boilers (even biogas or hydrogen) in new homes from 2023. (Poor dears, they are getting so confused about things these days—Ed.) They’d be better to specify outputs, not particular technologies, says Tim Worstall, but they have form: in 1690 Parliament voted money for new warships, specifying the tonnage and artillery for each. So the Navy ended up with cramped, weak, unstable and over-heavy ships. Why not leave the actual technology to people who actually know something?
PRESSURE TANK
The Government has announced that the Porn Laws - age verification for adult content - will not go ahead. This is a huge victory for online freedom and privacy. You will not be forced to enter identification to view perfectly legal adult content.
This follows the Adam Smith Institute's extensive campaign covered by The Sun (a few times), Evening Standard, Daily Mail, Daily Star, The Telegraph, UniLad, Attitude, i Newspaper, Guido Fawkes, and including opinion pieces in The Times, CapX, and Spiked!.
The government’s social-justice proxies are at it again. The Bank of England now wants even more businesses to release their ‘gender pay gap’ statistics. Our Morgan [despite the unisex name, she’s a woman - Ed.] roundly dismisses the idea in The Telegraph.
Gap year kids Charlie and Julia have been writing non-stop for 1828. Charlie on reforming National Insurance [he’s very annoyed at the amount the Chancellor takes out of his paycheck every month — Ed.], and Julia on the failures of Spain’s socialist party to come up with any good ideas [despite writing up 370 of them in their manifesto — Ed.]
EXPANSION TANK
Charlotte Kude has now joined us as our new Head of Government Affairs and is already making her mark, explaining to CityAM why the UK should resist any level playing field requirements in the next round of EU-UK negotiations.
MONUMENTAL TANK
Today the ASI launched our newest project, a memorial to F A Hayek. We had such fun raising a statue to Adam Smith in Edinburgh that we had to give it another go. This time we hope to erect a monument to the work of Hayek in London, his adoptive city. To find out more (and to donate to the cause) visit adamsmith.org/hayek. [Excuse the language, only so many ways to say ‘put up a statue’ … - Ed.]
ANTI-TANK
As the UK Parliament drowns in its own chaos, I recall the wise words of philosopher Sir Karl Popper:
"I am inclined to think that rulers have rarely been above the average, either morally or intellectually, and often below it. And I think that it is reasonable to adopt, in politics, the principle of preparing for the worst…"
The Open Society and its Enemies, Ch. 7
Bye…
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