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Should Bitcoin Be Regulated Like Dollars?
The opening talk at the Bitcoin 2013 conference in San Jose was given by the Wilklevoss twins, purported owners of 1% of the world’s …
Money Debauchery Continues
Kings used to “clip” and “sweat” coins constantly to pad the government treasury. Coins would be called in and filed around the edges, with the resulting loose metal coined into new currency for the government to spend. This practice has gone the way of the buggy whip, with the Federal Reserve conjuring up billions from the ether with the ease of a keystroke.
What Is a Libertarian?
In recent years, calling yourself a libertarian has become, at least in some circles, cool. Desperate media characters like comedian Bill Maher and radio …
H.L. Mencken and Thinking Independently
The writings of H.L. Mencken — the Sage of Baltimore, the home of Agora Inc. — have been a constant companion for me since …
Be Your Own Manufacturer
I’ve noticed a trend with the writings of Chris Anderson, former editor of Wired magazine and the author of a new book on 3-D …
It’s Time for Private Defense
The Cleveland Police Department took plenty of criticism when three girls that had been missing for a decade escaped captivity mere miles from their …
Inclined To Liberty
You are inspired by an idea. You want to share it with your friends. Why? Because it enhances your life, and you hope it …
GAO: Serious Cuts, Tax Increases Possible Due to Health Care, Pension Costs
People will be paying more and getting less from their governments as health costs and pension obligations will force state and local governments to …
For Those Who Just Don’t Get It
You are inspired by an idea. You want to share it with your friends. Why? Because it enhances your life, and you hope it …
Does Innovation Require the Patent Office?
Two years ago, I spoke to a gentlemen who had started and sold four companies. He was currently working on a new project that …
Automated License Plate Readers Threaten Our Privacy
Law enforcement agencies are increasingly using sophisticated cameras, called “automated license plate readers,” or ALPRs, to scan and record the license plates of millions …
A Blueprint for Internationalizing Yourself
The countries of the developed world are experiencing a new class of refugee — members of the middle and upper classes. These rungs of …
Printed Protection and the Future of Defense
We crossed another milestone in industrial history last week. Over the weekend of May 4-5, 2013, the world’s first handgun was printed on a …
Making Sense of Senseless Market Behavior
People seem to do the craziest things when it comes to money. They chase stock market bubbles. They throw good money after bad investments, …
This Car Won’t Move
The latest unemployment data reveal the hope and tragedy of the American economic plight. Cheers went up for a modest increase in hiring, one …
The Cottage Industrial Revolution
The 20th century was an age of big business. And investors did well backing the giant blue chips on their march to glory. But …
Banker Hypocrisy and Zombie Homes
Walking away is not just for homeowners anymore. Now banks have joined in and are walking away, leaving thousands of homes vacant because they …
If It Moves, Tax It
A contributing factor in the rise of Internet commerce, a feature that gave it a kick-start, was that you didn’t have to pay sales …
Denial Is Not Just a Polluted River in Egypt
Here we go again with the Earth Day/global warming nonsense. Monday was Earth Day, and this week is Earth Week, so a politically correct …
Bumps on the Bitcoin Road
Now that Bitcoin seems to be on the way toward monetization, or at least the long process is noticeably under way, there are a …
Government Wants it Both Ways
Back in 2010 the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), a government agency, sued 14 executives of failed credit union Wescorp seeking at least $1 …
Beware of Government “Extras”
Beware the government that provides “more.” Fear the government that provides “extra.” “More government” always means more of something, but not always more of …
Sailor Tales From the Bitcoin Seas
As someone who only recently dived into the rocky Bitcoin waters — and discovered a world I had never imagined — I enjoy talking …
Right vs. Left, but What About Truth?
It was once incontrovertible: The mainstream press leans left-liberal. It’s been a proven fact that Republican presidents receive 20-30% less positive economic coverage from …