Historians still disagree over why the East endured while the West crumbled. And they cite the various roles of differing geography...
[link removed]
[link removed]
October 20, 2021 | Weekly Newsletter
Is America Becoming Rome Versus Byzantium? ([link removed])
By Victor Davis Hanson (American Greatness)
[link removed]
Historians still disagree over why the East endured while the West crumbled. And they cite the various roles of differing geography, border challenges, tribal enemies, and internal challenges. We moderns certainly have developed unfair stereotypes of a supposedly decadent late imperial Rome of Hollywood sensationalism that deserved its end. And we likewise mistakenly typecast a rigid, ultra-orthodox bureaucratic “Byzantine” alternative that supposedly grew more reactionary to survive in a rough neighborhood. READ MORE » ([link removed])
Crisis and LeviathanCritical Episodes in the Growth of American Government (25th Anniversary Edition) ([link removed])
By Robert Higgs
[link removed]
How the Fed Finances U.S. Debt ([link removed])
By Judy L. Shelton (The Wall Street Journal)
[link removed]
The recent deal in Congress to raise the debt ceiling through early December may offer another few weeks of partisan wrangling, but it won’t solve the deeper problems of funding the government. Such is the sorry state of America’s hand-to-mouth finances that White House officials have launched apocalyptic warnings about imminent financial collapse, along with hallowed invocations to preserve the full faith and credit of U.S. Treasury debt. READ MORE » ([link removed])
Financing FailureA Century of Bailouts ([link removed])
By Vern P. McKinley
[link removed]
Why Americans Are Not Anxious to Get Back to Work ([link removed])
By John C. Goodman (Forbes)
[link removed]
The latest jobs report was dismal. Only 194,000 people were newly employed last month, well below the 500,000 that analysts were predicting. There are 5 million fewer people employed today than before the Covid epidemic struck and 7.7 million are officially counted as unemployed. Another 6 million say they want a job but are not counted as unemployed because they are not actively seeking work. Yet job openings are at a record high, and employers around the country report having a hard time filling positions, even after offering higher pay. So, what’s wrong with the labor market? READ MORE » ([link removed])
Out of WorkUnemployment and Government in Twentieth-Century America ([link removed])
By Lowell E. Gallaway, Richard K. Vedder
[link removed]
The Second Amendment Was Adopted to Protect Liberty, Not Slavery ([link removed])
By Stephen P. Halbrook
[link removed]
Contrary to recent claims, the Second Amendment right of the people to bear arms was not adopted so that the Southern states could maintain militias to suppress slave rebellions. Instead, the abolitionists, and then the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment, showed that “the people” meant just that. African Americans were people and were thus entitled to all of the rights of Americans. The failure at the Founding was not that the rights of citizens were accorded to whites, but that these rights were not accorded to all persons without regard to race. By its very terms, the Second is a xxxxxx for the protection of the fundamental rights of all of the people. READ MORE » ([link removed])
The Right to Bear ArmsA Constitutional Right of the People or a Privilege of the Ruling Class? ([link removed])
By Stephen P. Halbrook
[link removed]
How Innovative Is Crypto? ([link removed])
By Steve H. Hanke and Matt Sekerke (National Review)
[link removed]
Like those in other emerging industries touting cutting-edge technologies, cryptocurrency boosters never tire of telling the public just how innovative, disruptive, and beneficial the crypto ecosystem is. The sales pitch goes something like this: “The new private, digital money made possible by blockchain technology will decentralize the world’s financial system and become an incorruptible basis that ushers in a new era of economic life.” In light of this impressive sales pitch, discussions about the regulation of crypto invariably gesture at the “need” to balance protections with a respect for “innovation.” But before any balancing can be done, one must determine the veracity of the sales pitch. Just how innovative are cryptos? READ MORE » ([link removed])
ChoiceCooperation, Enterprise, and Human Action ([link removed])
By Robert P. Murphy
[link removed]
Eight No Cost Federal Collegiate Reforms Improving Access and Learning ([link removed])
By Richard K. Vedder (Forbes)
[link removed]
Although you would not know it from congressional actions nor from the fiscal record of the federal government under both Republican and Democratic administrations, our debt-laden nation with nearly bankrupt social insurance programs simply cannot responsibly afford new expensive initiatives in higher education. But a few no- or even negative-cost Fed-initiated reforms would enormously improve higher education. READ MORE » ([link removed])
Restoring the PromiseHigher Education in America ([link removed])
By Richard K. Vedder
[link removed]
The Beacon: New Blog Posts
* Learning to Vote ([link removed]) , by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
* Are We Too Distracted to Notice Inflation? ([link removed]) , by Randall G. Holcombe
* How Governments Botched COVID-19 Testing, Reinforcing Destructive Lockdowns and Massive “Relief” Spending ([link removed]) , by Lawrence J. McQuillan and Jonathan Hofer
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])