Commentary The loss of the federal seat of Aston by the centre-right Liberal party is, unfortunately, simply the latest chapter in a saga of defeat and decline. Consider the record. In the past few years, the Liberals have lost government in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales. They have also failed to…
What the Liberal Party Must Do to Rebuild
Commentary The loss of the federal seat of Aston by the centre-right Liberal Party is, unfortunately, simply the latest chapter in a saga of defeat and decline. Consider the record. In the past few years, the Liberals have lost government in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales. They have also failed to…
Several Landmines Ahead for US Economy
Commentary Markets have remained relatively stable since the Federal Reserve announced a 25-basis-point hike in March, with no negative surprises jumping out of the U.S. banking sector. But the U.S. economy remains on the verge of trouble. There are landmines on several fronts that could hurt businesses and consumers. And all of this makes the…
Recession Odds Jump as the Fed Crushes Consumers
Commentary Recession odds have climbed considerably since Jerome Powell’s testimony before Congress and the latest FOMC meeting. However, the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Credit Suisse (CS), as higher rates impact regional bank liquidity, also added to the risks. This isn’t the first time we have warned the aggressive rate hiking campaign…
The Culture of Europe
The culture of Europe is culture. The culture of America is business. This year, the Vienna Philharmonic performed in Berkeley’s Zellerbach Auditorium. Characteristic of the world’s great orchestras, the musicians and conductor were absolutely absorbed in the music—as if they, on the spot, were composing the music. Their performance of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8…
Why Was Australia Allowed to Impose Such Draconian COVID-19 Restrictions?
Commentary The view that COVID-19 lockdowns were draconian and often tyrannical is gaining strength throughout the world. For example, Human Rights Watch has accused the UK government of setting aside “human rights for the sake of political expediency” and excoriates it for its “worrying disdain for the rule of law.” In Italy, authors Piero Stanig…
Trump’s Indictment Took the Nashville Murders Off the Front Page
Commentary NASHVILLE—Not much more than 48 hours before the news of the indictment dropped, Politico—a media outlet that makes its reputation by having the “inside dope”—was telling us that a grand jury indictment of former President Donald Trump had been pushed off for a month at least. Their Erica Orden wrote on March 27: “The…
Tom Flanagan: Indigenous Programs and Payouts Help Drive Federal Deficits
Commentary When Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland presented the federal budget, the most obvious fact was the size of the deficit. It came in at $40.1 billion, after having been forecast at “only” $30.6 billion in the fall economic update less than six months ago. What caused the deficit to shoot up $9.5 billion in such…
Social Isolation Bad for Social Mammals–Who Knew?
Commentary Prairie voles were not meant to go through life alone. For those who have not had the privilege of meeting one, a prairie vole is a diminutive rodent autochthonous to the grasslands of the central parts of North America and best characterized as wrong-looking gerbils with rambunctious souls. A favorite snack of coyotes, hawks,…
The Energy Transition Is a Delusion Indeed
Commentary The “energy transition” continues to receive thunderous applause from all the usual Beltway suspects, an exercise in groupthink fantasy amazing to behold. For those with actual lives to live and thus uninterested in silliness: The “energy transition” is a massive shift, wholly artificial and politicized, from conventional energy inexpensive (Table 1b and here), reliable, and very clean given the proper policy…
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