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The Most Enjoyable Graph of 2018
I don’t think I’m a glass-half-empty kind of person, but I realized that I have a habit of sharing “depressing” charts. The “most depressing” chart about Denmark. A “very depressing” chart about the...
View ArticleMeasuring American Democracy
Since the election of Donald Trump there’s been a lot of ink spilled regarding the state of American democracy. An interesting addition to this conversation, I think, comes from my friend Dr. Eduardo...
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New Academic Research: Reduce Violent Crime by Ending the Drug War
The War on Drugs is a bad idea. Not because people should be using drugs, but rather because the societal harm of prohibition is much greater than the societal harm of legalization. Moreover, even...
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Ruling on Federal Genital Mutilation Law Poses a Libertarian Quandary
My opinions on crime are very straightforward. Have very few laws, mostly at the state level, with the goal of protecting life, liberty, and property. Have strong constitutional and procedural...
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Baltimore’s Anti-Gun Government Offers Free Money to Gun Owners
I have many examples of gun control humor, all of which were created to mock anti-2nd Amendment zealotry. But nothing I’ve ever read is as funny as this week’s gun buyback scheme by the Baltimore...
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Individualism and Society
When talking with people who dislike free enterprise, it’s quite common that they will admit (at least once I share some of the evidence) that markets produce more prosperity than statism. But that...
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Good News from Washington: Social Security’s Long-Run Fiscal Shortfall Is...
Every year, the Social Security Administration issues a “Trustees Report” that summarizes the program’s financing. So every year (see 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, etc) I cut through all the verbiage and...
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Obama, Brazil, and Guns
I have a confession. I miss Obama. On the issue of guns, at least. He was so wrong, yet so ineffective, that it was almost funny. Heck, it was funny. Fortunately, he’s decided to make an encore...
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Was Jesus a Socialist Jesus
As part of my collection of pro-and-con libertarian humor, I’ve shared some images of “Libertarian Jesus.” Libertarian Jesus I Libertarian Jesus II (though I suppose this is actually an example of...
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Another Honest Liberal Pours Cold Water on Gun Control
My collection of liberals who are honest on the issue of gun control is expanding. In 2012, I shared some important observations from Jeffrey Goldberg, a left-leaning writer for The Atlantic. In his...
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How the Welfare State Undermines Support for Immigration
When non-libertarian audiences ask my opinion about immigration, I generally point out that it is a very good sign that so many people want to come to the United States. Almost everyone agrees with...
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Protecting the Innocent: Gun-Free Zones vs. Armed Citizens
When I wrote yesterday’s column, which augmented my collection of satire about gun control, I had no idea I would feel compelled 24 hours later to address the issue from a serious perspective. But two...
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Defending the Second Amendment in Virginia
Other than an occasional column about events in my home county of Fairfax, I’ve never written about public policy in Virginia. This is because the Commonwealth has had a dull profile. It doesn’t have a...
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The Gun Control IQ Test, Part II
Back in 2012, I asked readers to pretend they were criminals and to contemplate whether they would want to rob a house with armed residents. This “IQ test” was designed to help people understand that...
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Pandemics, Civil Order, and Gun Control
About 10 years ago, when Europe was in the midst of fiscal crisis, advocates for welfare spending rioted in some nations. Given the continent’s grim long-run outlook, that got me thinking about the...
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Coronavirus and Gun Ownership
Back in March, I explained that the coronavirus pandemic showed why it’s so valuable for people to have the right of gun ownership. Let’s revisit the topic and we’ll start with the bad news. As...
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If We Want Better Policing, We Need to Curtail Police Unions
Since I’m a “right libertarian” according to the political compass test, it’s no surprise that I’m generally sympathetic to cops (notwithstanding my undesired encounters). But with important caveats. I...
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If We Want Better Policing, Eliminate Qualified Immunity
Yesterday’s column focused on how police unions protect the bad apples who misbehave and therefore cause some people to resent law enforcement, especially in the minority community. Curtailing the...
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Riots, Government Failure, and Gun Control
In some cities, legitimate protests about abusive and improper police behavior have degenerated into riots. One consequence of this mayhem is that police don’t have the manpower to effectively protect...
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Is Gun Control Dead?
In recent months, governments released prisoners and announced that some laws wouldn’t be enforced because of the coronavirus. Now, with protests against police misbehavior, we’re seeing governments...
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