[Economic Perspectives – 49] BACK TO BASICS – AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FEEDBACK Last week’s economics essay [EP 48] posted on the “Going Postal” platform generated almost 4,000 comments. The following four responses represent views expressed by many, and prompted me to expand on their subject matter this week. As follows: 1 – Understanding […]

Economic Perspectives 48 GOING POSTAL – 28 JANUARY 2019 How to unravel economic complexity – the simple citizen’s guide Here’s a clue: if there are things that you, as a rational citizen, would never choose to do, it’s almost certain that government should stay clear of them too. But governments rarely act rationally, and the […]

‘DEBUNKING ECONOMIC MYTHOLOGY – PART 6’ [ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVES 47] EXPOSING THE “NO DEAL” MYTHOLOGY Emile Woolf – December 2018 ____________________________________________________________________________ The myth that a “no deal” Brexit will bring catastrophe to the UK is at last being shown up for the fiction that it truly is. “Remain” stalwarts are not giving up easily, however, and […]

  HUMAN RIGHTS & GOVERNMENT ACTION In many of these essays on economics I have been at pains to point out that the prosperity of any community, anywhere, anytime, if it is to last, must be based on observance of the guiding principles of free people; free trade; sound money; and small government. Colleagues sometimes […]

  My colleague Steven Spencer has reminded me of an anecdote relayed by the owner of a brand new Corvette sports car.   A bystander speculated: “I wonder how many people could have been fed with the money that sports car cost?”   The owner replied: “ I really don’t know the answer to that one. But […]

EMILE WOOLF – GOING POSTAL [19-11-2018 – EP43] “DEBUNKING ECONOMIC MYTHOLOGY – PART 6” “WHAT GOVERNMENT CAN – AND CANNOT – DO” Whenever confronting a puzzling situation, it’s worth asking how it came about. When doing this I usually find it helpful to write about it and, given my personal orientation, my way through the […]

DEBUNKING ECONOMIC MYTHOLOGY – PART 4 My colleague Steven Spencer has reminded me of an anecdote relayed by the owner of a brand new Corvette sports car. A bystander speculated: “I wonder how many people could have been fed with the money that sports car cost?” The owner replied: “ I really don’t know the answer to […]

FRESH START AFTER BREXIT – GOING POSTAL 29-10-18 [EP41] One of last Monday’s blog-readers, “WinstonSmith”, challenged me to describe what I would do if, after Britain has finally left the EU, I were to be appointed Prime Minister! Well, I can’t miss out on an invitation like that. Recognising that a fresh approach requires a […]

GOING POSTAL – 15 OCTOBER 2018 DEBUNKING ECONOMIC MYTHOLOGY – PART 2   <EP4> THE INFLATION CONUNDRUM Typically, the general public confuses any economic phenomenon with its manifestation. Both are thought of as the same thing. For example, the phenomenon “inflation” is assumed to mean the same thing as its manifestation, which is rising prices. The […]

GOING POSTAL 20/8/18 [Part 1 of “This time it will be different” appeared as Going Postal last week.] PART 2 THE SCOURGE OF CREDIT EXPANSION – THE SYSTEM’S DEMISE COULD BE SOONER THAN YOU THINK The monetary conjuring trick employed after the last crisis, described in Part 1, required central banks to purchase government bonds […]