Ceteris Paribus

Economics & philosophy
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  • Rick Kelo

On Independence Day 2 Classic Liberals Speak Jul 4, 2014

"It would be a hard government that should tax its people one-tenth part of their income." ~ Benjamin Franklin Food for thought. America rebelled against England, in part, over taxation that was only a fraction of today's tax burden.  In fact, the Founding Fathers struggled with the notion a nation would tax its people at even 10%! Scholars at the time considered oppressive taxation by using a "1/3 test."  Feudal overlords had required homage equivalent to 1/3 of the crop produced on their land by serfs.  So the belief, in the late 1700s, was that any taxation over 1/3 was...

By Rick Kelo Vote3 0

What Capitalism Did to Botswana Jul 3, 2014

Since Botswana adopted capitalism & free trade it has enjoyed the highest economic growth rate of any nation in the world, even surpassing Hong Kong. Private sector growth in Botswana has been in the double digits for going on 4 decades! All accomplished through peaceful cooperation – no seizures, no expropriation, no redistribution. - That is the power of economic liberalization. - That’s the power of trade liberalization. - That is the power of markets.

By Rick Kelo Vote15 6

Mussolini: The Swashbuckling Rapist Jul 2, 2014

When we look at Mussolini's life several trends jump out. The first was he loved women - he slept with 169 of them. The second is he loved socialism and devoted his life to it.

By Rick Kelo Vote6 1

Debunking Keynesian Economics: Part 1 Jun 25, 2014

Debunking Keynesian Economics pt. 1 By Rick Kelo This is the first in a 10 part article series. Ever wanted to learn more about Keynesian economics?  Ever found it incredibly hard to put your hands on an organized presentation of the beliefs and the errors in Keynesian economics?  Its hard for the lay-person to even nail down what Keynesians actually stand for since that name is used by several opposing ideologies.  There are things Keynes actually said, then things that his acoloytes have later expanded upon and now claim in his name. We will look at both. In this article series...

By Rick Kelo Vote5 2

America’s Secret Ruling Class: The Bureaucrat Jun 16, 2014

The bureaucrat takes home a larger paycheck than 87% of the people working in America. You cannot take pay away from the bureaucrat. A vote for a smaller government does not mean less benefit to the needy, it means less money taken from the needy to make the bureaucrat rich.

By Rick Kelo Vote3 0

The Austrian & the Income Gap Jun 10, 2014

A brief, a priori examination of the income gap.

By Rick Kelo Vote6 0

Krugman Calls for Death Panels & Middle Class Tax Increases Jun 9, 2014

A look inside the glib justifications of the Statist mind.

By Rick Kelo Vote4 0

Income Inequality: A Critique of Piketty & Saez Jun 6, 2014

Income inequality is a tricky subject and very few people understand it. After reading this article you will know more about the subject than almost anyone else you'll ever discuss it with. Also, by the end of this article I'll have armed you with both the sources & theoretical framework of this topic.

By Rick Kelo Vote7 2

Socialism & Mass Murder in the 20th Century Jun 5, 2014

Without equal, the worst evils mankind has ever had to endure have all been inflicted by big governments. This is an examination of the major democides in the 20th century. It is a list of the people murdered by their own government.

By Rick Kelo Vote31 2

How Capitalism Makes You Fat Jun 4, 2014

Starvation, as it turns out, is the biggest killer of mankind over our entire 200,000 year history. So how did this reversal between obesity and starvation happen?

By Rick Kelo Vote9 3

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