Russ Roberts writes wisely and well about economics, scientism, and Adam Smith.
Megan McArdle wisely warns against unleashing the mad dogs of antitrust.
Speaking of antitrust, this short new video from the Competitive Enterprise Institute is a must-see.
Also warning against the mad dogs of antitrust is James Pethokoukis. Here’s his conclusion:
What explains the misguided nature of Warren’s proposal? First, she concedes she doesn’t care about economic arguments, such as how network effects help create dominant tech firms and how these firms generate huge consumer welfare. Second, she has a poor sense of history, pushing the dodgy idea that the “government’s antitrust case against Microsoft helped clear a path for Internet companies like Google and Facebook to emerge.” Third, she ignores the dynamic nature of these firms, which behave like paranoid competitors rather than complacent monopolists. Fourth, the desire of 21st century progressives to see antitrust as a way of energizing the movement as it did for 20th century progressives might play a role here.
Here’s my wise colleague Bryan Caplan on hypocrisy and hyperbole.
And here’s another of my wise colleagues, Alex Tabarrok, on the spirit-level delusion.
Bill Shughart argues that the costs of Daylight Savings Time exceed its benefits.
John O. McGinnis is right that it’s wrong – and counterproductive – to empower the state to promote social conservatism. Here’s his conclusion:
Conservatives, particularly religious ones, benefit from the shrinking of state control in education and administration, because it allows them to live their out their own values and to persuade others by example that their values are right. That strategy is not certain to win the culture war but acquiescing to the big administrative state will surely lose it.
