After a long break, I have found myself sufficiently annoyed once again at arguments regarding property that make no sense and fail to apprehend even the most basic criticisms that have for centuries been levied against them. So, I have decided once again to clarify how incoherent it is to say your views on taxes… Continue reading Violence, Property, Theft, and Entitlement
Author: Matt Bruenig
Frozen Darkness Is Depressing
Every so often, a major publication publishes an article about how everyone has the Nordic countries wrong and that they aren’t utopias. My favorite example of this is a 2005 article in the New York Times purporting to dispel the myth that Norwegians are rich and wealthy via the author’s anecdotes about such things as… Continue reading Frozen Darkness Is Depressing
Pareto Fail
Occasionally, I happen upon people who claim that they base their economic justice views on the idea of Pareto Improvements. On this view, economic justice requires that all moves to make individuals better off must not make other individuals worse off. Those who promote this view often seem to have roughly laissez-faire capitalist preferences. In… Continue reading Pareto Fail
Low Hanging Tax Code Simplification
Like everyone else in policy circles, I think the tax code as it is currently constructed is a complicated joke. There is a lot that can be said for how to fix it, some of which I don’t know enough to comment about. One thing I do know enough to comment about is how to… Continue reading Low Hanging Tax Code Simplification
Uber Surge Prices, Part III
I wrote twice previously about Uber jacking up prices in an emergency in Sydney, Australia (I, II). In both cases, I have pointed out that in addition to it being rational for many (and perhaps even the majority) to prefer non-surging in emergencies, it’s also totally plausible aggregate utility, measured in conventional ways, is maximized… Continue reading Uber Surge Prices, Part III