In the short span of eight days, three famous centenarians passed away – the spectacularly successful investing whiz Charlie Munger on November 28, world-famous geostrategic thinker Henry Kissinger one day later, and the legendary TV producer Norman Lear a week … Continue reading
Mark W. Hendrickson
Appreciating the USA at Thanksgiving
I love the Thanksgiving holiday. It is a reminder to have a thankful heart for the many blessings in life – a loving God and Savior, a wonderful family, the blessings of friendship, the many fine young people it was … Continue reading
The Supreme Court’s Principled Position on Carbon Dioxide Policy
Decisions rendered by the U.S. Supreme Court reverberate throughout our society and political system. In addition to actual decisions and the written opinions that accompany them, the Court sometimes has a major impact on public policy by choosing not to … Continue reading
The My Lai Massacre Claims Another Victim
On previous Veterans Days, I have remarked that the unseen scars borne by some of our veterans are more traumatic than visible scars. That tragic truth has an added poignancy to me this year. Let me tell you the story … Continue reading
Hottest Day(s) Ever?
Undoubtedly you heard that several days in early July were the “hottest days ever” for good old Planet Earth. The source of that story was an entity called Climate Reanalyzer, affiliated with the University of Maine. It is worth noting … Continue reading
Problems with Government-Run Health Care
Last week, I spoke with a lifelong friend. He has lived in western Canada for almost 50 years, and he was in Phoenix staying at the home of another lifelong friend. Rick flew to Phoenix to arrange for knee-replacement surgery. … Continue reading
Yuri Maltsev (1950-2023)
Last week, economist, professor, and adventurer Yuri Maltsev passed away. Yuri’s passing is a gigantic loss for the economics profession, for the conservative and libertarian movements, and for me personally. He was a courageous advocate for truth, justice, and liberty—a … Continue reading
The Destructiveness of ESG
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at The American Spectator. The Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) scoring system is undergoing intense scrutiny. It also has become quite a political football, with conservative governors, attorneys general, and other officials pushing … Continue reading
Children are less a cost than a blessing
On August 19, The Wall Street Journal published an article titled “It Now Costs $300,000 to Raise a Child.” The calculation came from a study at the Brookings Institution, which in turn relied on data gathered by the U.S. Department … Continue reading
The Orwellian Inflation Reduction Act
You know the old joke: How can you tell when a politician is lying? When his/her lips are moving. That extreme cynicism about politicians is reinforced by the recent passage of the so-called Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). In addition to … Continue reading
Corporate Social Responsibility and its Newest Version: ESG
What is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)? Wikipedia defines CSR as “a form of … private business self-regulation which aims to contribute to societal goals of a philanthropic, activist, or charitable nature.” That seems rather vague, even amorphous. As Wikipedia acknowledges, … Continue reading
The Supreme Court’s Principled Decision in West Virginia v. EPA
In West Virginia v. EPA, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled by a 6-3 majority that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had exceeded its statutory authority by issuing regulations that would essentially dictate to power-generating utilities what fuel … Continue reading
Washington’s Corn-Based Ethanol Mandates Are Poorly Timed
Recently, President Joe Biden flew into Iowa—our country’s leading corn-producing state—to announce to appreciative farmers that the Environmental Protection Agency will require American motor-fuel refiners to increase the amount of corn-based ethanol (CBE) that must be blended into motor fuels … Continue reading
Congress Is Going After the Alleged Price Gougers – Again
As Yogi Berra, baseball’s preeminent wit and philosopher, would say, “It’s déjà vu all over again.” Fifteen years ago, I wrote in this space about an attempt by Congress to impose additional taxes on oil companies at a time of … Continue reading
The Biden Administration’s Cynical and Unconstitutional Proposed Tax on Wealth
President Joe Biden’s proposed 2023 federal budget, which calls for a gargantuan outlay of $5.8 trillion, includes plans for a new kind of tax on the wealth of the rich. The official party line of Team Biden is that such … Continue reading
What Is the Proper Policy Response to Today’s Inflation?
If you get depressed easily, you may wish to skip this article. Our country has suffered inflationary bouts to various degrees throughout our history, with perhaps the most severe having occurred during the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the … Continue reading
Economic Ramifications of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
As the world recoils in dismay and disgust at Russian aggression and grieves for the horrific suffering of the Ukrainian people, many Americans are just beginning to grasp the economic ramifications of this violence. After the devastation of two world … Continue reading
Inflation: Who or What is the Culprit?
Inflation – defined herein as a widespread increase in the prices of widely purchased consumer goods – has gotten worse since I commented on it last spring. According to the official Consumer Price Index (CPI), inflation is currently running at … Continue reading
When Humans Don’t Procreate: An Update
Two years ago, I wrote about the pending global population implosion. Demographers predict that 90 countries will lose population between now and the year 2100. Shrinking populations have portentous implications, including major shifts in geopolitical power and the possible financial collapse … Continue reading
The Biden administration’s ongoing ill-timed battle against fossil fuels
A few months ago, I wrote about President Biden’s anti-fossil fuel policies. Among other steps designed to restrict domestic production of oil and natural gas, the president canceled completion of the Keystone XL pipeline, banned drilling for oil in the … Continue reading