The fable of the bees
The fable of bees (or private vices, public benefits) was written in 1714 by Bernard Mandeville, who is today considered one of the first purveyors of economic theory. At the time of his writing...
A great deal of ruin in a nation
Asked if the loss of the American colonies would mean ruin for Britain, Adam Smith replied, “There is a great deal of ruin in a nation.” Even after the loss, Britain went on to...
Class warfare and how the Vietnam war finally ends
“He got rid of the intellectual elites,” said my guide. “Brutal—but I think it saved our country. I mean, consider what happens to a place when workers are devalued...”
I was dazed by his words....
He who lives by the crystal ball will eat shattered glass.
In times such as these who needs prognostication? Truth alone is a wonder if you’re working from facts. Here are just a few.
“We are in a very favorable place, the economy is strong,” said...
Everyone loves to be sold
The common thread throughout this wide and diverse sea of goods is identifying a solid value to the intended market.
Here’s a secret. Selling is not that hard. If you understand human behavior, you’re practically...
The most important thing
Capitalism, wrote Marian L. Tupy and Gale L. Pooley in their book, Superabundance, succeeds not only because it is efficient but because it correctly locates the source of wealth in the human mind.
Their book...
I’m afraid to blink.
Never before has the world been safer, freer, wealthier, or healthier.
In 2014, 54 percent of the nation’s counties had zero murders and more than half of last year’s murders occurred in only two percent...
History repeats itself
It’s happening again.
Once, knowledge was sequestered away on manuscripts in Monasteries only to be set free by the printing press. Suddenly, the Renaissance. The Reformation. The Industrial Revolution.
Men read, collaborated and created. Our modern...
Hope, enthusiasm and joy
That’s what business owners are feeling. In fact, there’s historically high optimism around the nation’s economy according to the latest PNC survey. Just for context and to discern what’s real in today’s headlines—fear, despair...
Let business go: regulations
It was just months ago that economic indicators marked the most welcome creation of wealth and growth, and the nation made record gains in prosperity fueled by optimism and ability.
How do we get the...
Truth, freedom, and flourishing
Don’t misunderstand. Indonesia is beautiful. Its citizens are most gracious and the scenery, inspiring—some of God’s finest.
Core values, however, change the world says the World Value Survey, a non-profit research center based in Stockholm,...
A human being is a deciding being
Like those before me and, perhaps, those beyond my view, I want the whole field advantage. It's a view that assures the tension of new and the vigor of limitless context. But mostly, it...
The power of 10
I was sitting in his office as he recounted the secret of life. It was 2005 and we spent the next two hours talking about everything from his theory of successful urban planning to...
The measure of brilliance: results
I’ll lace up my running shoes again tonight. Unlike most runners who start their day on the road, I finish my day in my Asics with my thoughts as my only companion. It’s a...
Affordable housing dies a slow death in California
The activists are restless in California. This past week The Wall Street Journal broke the news that the required threshold of signatures has been achieved to add rent control to the next ballot. The signatures...
