While the world waits for a vaccine to give us relief from the pandemic, global warming and the climatic consequences are accelerating. This rapid pace of change required that our research on the subject, first completed only in 2018, be fundamentally rewritten. Here is a brief summary of what we learned.

(882 words, four-minute read)

Harry Truman said that “there is nothing new in the world except the history that you do not know.” With that in mind, I am reluctant to suggest that the 2020 election will be different from any other. Nonetheless, at least three things will make the contest both unusual and a challenge to analyze in an unemotional, nonpartisan way.

In a world clouded by COVID-19, polarized politics, and a dysfunctional federal government, it is easy to become discouraged. As is usually the case, however, there are still many intrepid Americans who believe that our institutions can be improved and that we as individuals can make a difference. One of those is Kevin Bowe.

On April 7, in “This Bubble Too Shall Burst,” I shared my view, based on traditional economic thinking, that the mounting US debt is likely to become a serious economic problem for our children. What I didn’t do was address whether or not such borrowing is moral. Yes, I mean moral.

(728 words, three-minute read)

When the 2020 presidential debate begins, President Trump will renew his campaign against illegal immigration. When he does, both sides will obscure the real issues by retreating to their familiar, polarized themes. How might independent thinkers navigate this unproductive debate?

(627 words, three-minute read)

College education in America has become unaffordable for too many and a poor investment for many more. Candidate Biden is proposing to expand tuition subsidies and forgive some student debt. Is there a way to address the problem without more spending?

In the wake of Covid-19, President Trump is ramping up his attacks on China. It looks like candidate Biden will not be outdone. Must China be an enemy? Or might we be displacing blame for our growing problems?

(837 words, four-minute read)

A heavily armed man recently killed 22 random Canadian citizens. Two of the guns were purchased in the US. While such violence is relatively rare in Canada, Prime Minister Trudeau responded with more than just “thoughts and prayers.”

(713 words, three-minute read)

Opposition to companies buying back their stock has historically been a partisan issue. Both sides, however, agreed to prohibit companies that accepted stimulus money from doing so. How might independents think about this issue? The short answer is “it depends.” Here is why.

(755 words, three-minute read)

As the COVID-19 death toll rises, it is clear that several countries have handled the health crisis better than we have. Learning from our failure could be the silver lining of this crisis. But it won’t be easy.

(689 words, three-minute read)

Richard Nixon famously said to David Frost, “Well, when the president does it…that means that it is not illegal.” President Trump recently engaged in negotiations to increase the price of oil. Price fixing in the US is illegal. Was there a better, and legal, policy response?

(545 words, two minute read)

The good news is that we will survive the COVID crisis. The bad news is that when we do, all the same challenges facing our country will be here. Is there a coherent way to think about the coming 2020 election debate? Here is a suggestion.

(623 words, three-minute read)

Director of the NIAID since 1984, Dr. Fauci has become the media darling of the COVID-19 crisis. Clearly masterful at describing the crisis, has he also been masterful at shirking responsibility for it?

(1,226 words, six-minute read)

With problems abounding here and now, it is hard to get excited about a problem that is in potential, in the future, hard to understand, and worst of all, requires current sacrifice to address. Fat chance of selling that. Ever. Nonetheless, here goes.

(879 words, four-minute read)

Criticism of corporations remains a staple of several of the Democratic candidates’ stump speeches. Could it be that the rise of corporate power in the US requires a regulatory response?

(743 words, three-minute read—contributed to by Alexis Chapman)

Would you be surprised to learn that the universal healthcare systems in Germany and Japan were designed by the US? It’s true. Here is how it happened there and why it didn’t happen here.

(669 words, three-minute read)

What may be the definitive Democratic primaries take place tomorrow across 14 states. As voting begins, how can we distill what really matters?

(353 words, one-minute read)

The utter vacuity of the modern media-as-entertainment complex was on full display during the last two debates in Nevada and South Carolina. This is no way to pick a dogcatcher, let alone a president.

(667 words, three-minute read)

After two years of tariffs and bellicose rhetoric, a revision of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was recently agreed upon. What really happened?

(760 words, three-minute read)

Corporations are taking a beating in this election year. Depending on who you listen to, they don’t hire enough or pay enough taxes. They buy back too much stock, and they outsource too much. Do they do anything worth applauding?

(770 words, three-minute read)