Liberty for Me, But Not for Thee

At last night’s plenary dinner at the Association of Private Enterprise Education (APEE) conference, William Easterly of New York University was awarded the association’s highest honor, the Adam Smith Prize. In a powerful speech, Easterly juxtaposed the contrary visions of economic development represented by the two laureates of the Nobel Prize in economics in 1974, Friedrich Hayek and Gunnar Myrdal. Continue Reading...

I’m Not Buying Bitcoin

We’ve had some intriguing discussion about Bitcoin at the Acton Institute offices today. It is certainly a phenomenon worth greater attention, and something of significant cultural, social and economic import. But I’m not buying Bitcoin, at least not yet. Continue Reading...

10 memorable Thatcher quotes on economics and freedom

1. “Pennies don’t fall from heaven, they have to be earned here on earth.” (Speech at Lord Mayor’s Banquet, 11/12/79) 2. “If a Tory does not believe that private property is one of the main bulwarks of individual freedom, then he had better become a socialist and have done with it.” Continue Reading...

Video: Thatcher on Socialism

More interesting archival video and quotes here, including: “No one would have remembered the Good Samaritan if he’d only had good intentions. He had money as well” — Television interview, 1980. Continue Reading...