Europe and its colonies–especially British colonies–led the way in global prosperity and innovation between the 1600s and the 1900s. Small governments, constitutional law, and the industrial revolution led the people of the West to lead the world. Now a new report indicates that Asian societies–especially those in southeast-Asian nations that have mostly rejected socialism and …
Category: the sociology of innovation
Sep 12
Ridesharing is safer than taking cabs
For decades, the act of driving a cab has been preposterously overregulated. Government hacks in almost every jurisdiction have enacted stupid laws and policies requiring government licensing and approval of all cab companies. In many states, cab companies are ridiculously regulated as “public utilities” like water and electricity. Cab companies, in turn, have paid off …
Sep 09
More Businesses are Dying than Starting in America
According to Jim Clifton, chairman and CEO of Gallup, “for the first time in 35 years, American business deaths now outnumber business births.” See here. Small business startups are being choked off by mountains of taxes and regulations. “Believe it or not, when measured in per-capita terms, socialist countries such as Denmark, Finland, New Zealand …
Aug 04
Democrats push for higher taxes while Republicans do not appear to be pushing for lower taxes
The two major American “political parties” are largely two sides of the same coin: they both trust and support expansive and intrusive government. Polling has consistently shown that American voters–often by supermajorities–view their own taxes as too high. See here. The average American, when asked, states that the U.S. government wastes 51 cents of every …
Jul 31
Government scrambles to protect its vast stupid regulatory schemes from the threat of Uber
To operate a taxi cab business is to navigate through one of the most over-regulated industries in the world. But the actual act of cab-driving is relatively simple, and poor people of limited means should be able to participate and enter the market. This disconnect is caused by decades of stupid overregulation of the taxi …
Jun 24
Study demolishes the myth of multi-generational inherited wealth
Government trusters and advocates of violent redistribution of wealth frequently claim that the superrich are hoarding and amassing inherited investment wealth at rates that surpass the upward mobility of working classes. For example, government-trusting economist Thomas Piketty made such a claim in his book Capital in the 21st Century (2014). Piketty argued that economic inequality …
May 11
Government health care regulation driving more people to do their own dental work.
Health care is probably the most regulated industry in the world. Much of this regulation subsidizes demand without increasing supply, causing prices to rise. Consequently, health care costs have generally risen much faster than inflation. Now, more and more people are simply avoiding government “health care” altogether and seeking to treat themselves. Here is a …
Mar 30
The Increasing Disconnect Between Private Entrepreneurs and Government Control Freaks
The FINANCIAL TIMES magazine is out yesterday with a brilliant article by by Edward Luce, “The great American disconnect.” Luce points out that while lawmakers and politicians everywhere are seeking to tax, regulate, control, classify, limit, and stifle every aspect of American life, entrepreneurs in the tech sector and industry are still “trying to make …
Mar 15
Even as Policymakers Add Burdens to Car Travel, Private-Sector Innovators Are Perfecting Driverless Cars
In the past 50 years, policymakers have saddled car drivers with an immense array of rules and regulations designed to turn drivers into virtual slaves. Licenses, taxes, fees, government inspections, registrations of all kinds, traffic cops pulling drivers over at gunpoint to issue citations for minor infractions. Upon being pulled over at gunpoint, drivers are …
Mar 09
Private-sector innovators create ever-cheaper medical products while government regulation keeps driving healthcare costs higher
If the power of capitalism and free markets were unleashed on health care, we would immediately see costs go down. The poorest people in society could afford high-quality health care products and services. Witness this story about fifty-cent microscopes. Private sector innovators have developed microscopes that can be sold for less than the price of …
