Essays

A millionaire, a market crash and a murder

"He may have been dubbed the founding father of economics, but, when he was alive 300 years ago, banker Richard Cantillon drew the fury of angry investors who lost money in schemes he had recommended. He was jailed briefly, but emerged with the millions he made from share dealing and currency speculation intact. Sound horribly familiar? Cantillon was the first to use the term 'entrepreneur', describing the vital role of risk-takers and speculators in generating economic growth. He practised what he preached, and the financial risks he took made him one of the wealthiest men in the Europe of his day." Continue reading →

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Great Scientist ≠ Good at Math

"Many of the most successful scientists in the world today are mathematically no more than semiliterate. Pioneers in science only rarely make discoveries by extracting ideas from pure mathematics. Most of the stereotypical photographs of scientists studying rows of equations on a blackboard are instructors explaining discoveries already made. Real progress comes in the field writing notes, at the office amid a litter of doodled paper, in the hallway struggling to explain something to a friend, or eating lunch alone. Eureka moments require hard work. And focus. Ideas in science emerge most readily when some part of the world is studied for its own sake." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGreat Scientist ≠ Good at Math

Great Scientist ≠ Good at Math

"Many of the most successful scientists in the world today are mathematically no more than semiliterate. Pioneers in science only rarely make discoveries by extracting ideas from pure mathematics. Most of the stereotypical photographs of scientists studying rows of equations on a blackboard are instructors explaining discoveries already made. Real progress comes in the field writing notes, at the office amid a litter of doodled paper, in the hallway struggling to explain something to a friend, or eating lunch alone. Eureka moments require hard work. And focus. Ideas in science emerge most readily when some part of the world is studied for its own sake." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGreat Scientist ≠ Good at Math

How the Taxman Cleared the Dance Floor

"Clubs that provided strictly instrumental music to which no one danced were exempt from the cabaret tax. It is no coincidence that in the back half of the 1940s a new and undanceable jazz performed primarily by small instrumental groups—bebop—emerged as the music of the moment. How differently might bebop have been expressed if it had been allowed to develop organically instead of in an atmosphere where dancing was discouraged by the taxman? The cabaret tax was finally eliminated in 1965. By then, the Swing Era ballrooms and other 'terperies' were long gone, and public dancing was done in front of stages where young men wielded electric guitars." Continue reading →

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CITIZEN SAFETY ALERT: You Have The Right To Go Home To Your Family Too

"Should citizens have the right to resist? Absolutely. Is it wise to resist an unlawful arrest? Probably not. Resisting arrest may indeed help you to avoid jail, at least temporarily. But, it may also be your ticket to the trauma room or the morgue. Thus, the decision to resist must be well informed, not impulsive. I would like to offer some tips that I hope will help you to stay free and alive. When police officers justify a use of force, they often say that they feared for their lives and were just trying to get home safely to their families. You also have the right to go home safely. This should be your primary goal anytime you are detained by the police." Continue reading →

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Will Grigg: Nationalizing Children

"Like many others of her ideological persuasion, Harris-Perry is a stranger to concision. In describing the totalitarian state’s proprietary claim on children, someone who represented a slightly different strain of collectivism – albeit not as different as Harris-Perry would insist – stated the matter much more tidily almost exactly eighty years ago." Continue reading →

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Downturn Millionaires – How to Make a Fortune in Beaten-Down Markets

"The price of gold bullion has fallen from its 2011 highs and the prices of good junior companies have been slashed to as little as half their former valuations. All the more reason to start returning broker phone calls according to David Galland, Casey Research managing director, speaking on the Friday eve of the webinar he is moderating that features some of the biggest names in the industry. The webinar features Casey Research Founder Doug Casey, Sprott Global Resource Investments Founder Rick Rule, International Speculator Editor Louis James, 'Endgame' Author John Mauldin and Diary of a Rogue Economist Editor Bill Bonner." Continue reading →

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Detlev Schlichter: Good riddance to deposit ‘insurance’

"Although the mechanics of fractional-reserve banking have not changed in 300 years the public’s expectations have evidently changed greatly. Today banks are expected to lend ever more generously while depositors are supposed to not incur any risk of loss at all. State deposit 'insurance' is not insurance. Insurance companies calculate and calibrate risks, charge the insured party and set aside capital for when the insured event occurs. A state deposit ‘guarantee’ is simply another unfunded government promise, extended in the hope that things won’t get that bad. When they finally do the state does what it always does: it will take from Peter to pay Paul." Continue reading →

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Thaddeus Russell: ‘A Renegade History of the United States’

"You think you know American history? Think again. Drunks, slackers, prostitutes, and pirates were the real heroes of the American Revolution. Slaves created a culture that made America free. Prostitutes, not feminists, were the pioneers of women's liberation. Gangsters helped establish Hollywood, birth control, Las Vegas, legal alcohol, and gay rights. And zoot-suiters and rock-and-rollers, not generals or the Air Force, brought down the Soviet Union." Continue reading →

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The Myth of Journalistic Objectivity

"For generations we have been taught that the ideal journalist is fair, balanced and objective. But the idea of the objective journalist is a myth. Join us today on The Corbett Report as we explore the ideologies and assumptions behind all news media and what alternative models we have for journalism in the online era." Continue reading →

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