Checkpoint Britain - FEE
It has finally happened. The British Government has announced plans to introduce mandatory Digital ID.| Foundation for Economic Education
Some ninety years ago, Rose Wilder Lane penned “Give Me Liberty,” extolling the remarkable freedoms Americans had, especially in contrast to their European counterparts. Written in the 1930s, Lane’s piece is both a stirring defense of American freedoms and a damning portrait of European societies still writhing under the weight of bureaucratic statism. Written just …| Articles from FEE
A ballot measure passed in Massachusetts last November gives rideshare drivers the right to unionize. At first glance, this sounds good. After all, “supporting workers” is a message that resonates with many of us, but the reality is worrisome for rideshare drivers who value flexibility and independence. I worked for a Trader Joe’s store when …| Articles from FEE
The focus of the current government shutdown circus has increasingly narrowed to Democrat demands to undo proposed reductions in very large, supposedly temporary, Covid-era Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) subsidy boosts. A major part of their public push is the claim that they are trying to save citizens money, though what they are actually demanding is …| Articles from FEE
The IMF’s October 2025 update to its World Economic Outlook delivers a modest upward revision, but lurking behind this seemingly optimistic shift are deeper currents shifting global growth and capital flows. The Fund, originally forecasting in July that global growth would sit at 3% in 2025, now projects 3.2% for 2025, and 3.1% in 2026. …| Articles from FEE
Yang Zhu (440–360 BC) was a Chinese philosopher whose ideas were considered daring and transgressive for his time, but can strike us as modern in their focus on individual freedom. His lessons were shared through early texts and referred to by scholars in the following centuries. He lived during the “Warring States” period, the phase …| Articles from FEE
Many people argue that democracy is incompatible with capitalism but they differ on whether democracy will kill capitalism or whether capitalism will kill democracy. Peter Thiel, for example, famously said, “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.” Thiel’s argument has a long pedigree. The classical economists from Adam Smith to John Stuart …| Articles from FEE
For Trumpians, tariffs have become an all-purpose tool, which supposedly achieves multiple policy objectives all at once. Tariffs are presented as an easy way to raise revenue (“a tax on a foreign country”). They are also presented as a tool to discourage imports, and thereby stimulate domestic production. Thirdly, tariffs are also presented as a …| Articles from FEE
Can you imagine having to drive for 12 hours just to make a phone call? Or being on a 20-year waitlist to be able to buy a landline? That was the reality of telecommunications in Guatemala at the beginning of the 1990s. There were only 23 public phones per 100,000 inhabitants. These numbers were more …| Articles from FEE
When President Trump announced a new 100% tariff on Chinese imports, in retaliation for Beijing’s latest export controls on rare earth elements, markets saw only the headline risk. But the real story lies beyond the ticker: a structural reordering of global trade. The world’s supply chains, long anchored to the Chinese mainland, are splintering. Capital …| Articles from FEE
Since the launch of the War on Poverty in the 1960s, the rate of those living in poverty, as defined by the US government, has stubbornly persisted. Yet before that, the American poverty rate was dropping fast. It was around 32% in 1950, but postwar prosperity and a booming job market lifted thousands out of …| Articles from FEE
Between May 17 and September 30, there were 3,832 deaths in Spain linked to extreme heat, an increase of almost 87% from 2024. Many of these victims had underlying health conditions, 96% were over 65, and almost two thirds were 85 or older. But boiling Spanish summers are not a new phenomenon, nor is the …| Articles from FEE
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics honors three economists whose work embodies an idea first coined by Joseph Schumpeter: creative destruction. Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt have each advanced our understanding of how technological progress drives human prosperity. As Schumpeter described, every technological advance has two faces. It destroys by rendering old methods …| Articles from FEE
Global investors are turning their interest toward Asia, amid a wider realignment of foreign direct investment (FDI), trade flows, and investor confidence. A quiet but profound reorientation of global capital is underway, as Goldman Sachs’s global wealth division estimates investors have poured more than $100 billion into Asian assets this year. The region’s markets are …| Articles from FEE
It has finally happened. The British Government has announced plans to introduce mandatory Digital ID.| Foundation for Economic Education
Henry Hazlitt, by his own estimate, wrote ten million words throughout his career—published in major newspapers, magazines, and books. His writings spread| Foundation for Economic Education
The Mexican federal government has announced a new 8% excise tax on violent video games. The justification? That violent games are responsible for violent behavior. Violence is indeed a heavy problem in Mexico, and organized crime has left significant parts of the country in a state of terror. But attacking video games seems a poor …| Articles from FEE
The European Central Bank has presented the digital euro as a symbol of financial autonomy and modernization. But, much like the Chinese model that seems to inspire ECB President Christine Lagarde, what is at stake is not just technology: it is the risk of turning a payment instrument into a mechanism of control over every …| Articles from FEE
The future of money is being coded—not printed—and the preservation of our liberties hinges on whether the underlying protocols uphold the principles of sound money. As a commodity, money is unlike any other; it is not consumed, nor does it directly contribute to the production process. Individuals naturally seek to acquire as much as possible, …| Articles from FEE
A case has been slowly making its way to the Supreme Court hinging on one question: Can the government take this guy’s plane? The story began in 2012, when Ken Jouppi, a pilot in Alaska, was taking a passenger from the city of Fairbanks to the town of Beaver (population: 48). Pilots like Ken often …| Articles from FEE
The environmental debate is often hijacked by discourses that view the market and capitalism as irreconcilable enemies of nature. However, recent history shows just the opposite: economic development, combined with innovation, has provided the most effective solutions to major ecological challenges. An emblematic example is the ozone layer. In the 1980s and 1990s, scientists discovered …| Articles from FEE
“Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?” The chant spread across TikTok and WhatsApp, and by the end of September, the Kingdom of Morocco saw its largest youth-led demonstrations in years. Protesters in Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech clashed with police as resentment over billions in public funds for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations …| Articles from FEE
The strike that closed almost all of London’s underground network for four days in mid-September is estimated to have cost the UK economy £230 million ($307 million). It was arranged by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, which campaigns for one of the most exploited groups of workers in British society: the capital’s tube …| Articles from FEE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ATLANTA, GA — The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) is honored to announce that the John Templeton Foundation has awarded a $1.5 million grant to support FEE’s Liberty Pipeline initiative. Beginning September 1, 2025, this prestigious three-year grant will accelerate FEE’s most transformative programs, our seminars and fellowships, creating a structured path …| Articles from FEE
The ongoing realignment of international trade flows in the midst of the escalating tariff wars between the United States and other nations and trading blocs (principally China and the European Union) continues to ripple across the world. Yet the changes we are witnessing are by no means caused by these tariff wars; instead, they are …| Articles from FEE
Zohran Mamdani, the person who defeated Cuomo in the primaries and is now seen as a mayoral contender for New York—the beating heart of capitalism—recently declared in an interview: “I don’t think we should have billionaires.” Mamdani is not alone in this view. The visible edge of economic populism—the slogans, the soundbites—often conceals an intellectual …| Articles from FEE
On October 4, 2025, Japan will choose its fourth prime minister in five years, since Shigeru Ishiba resigned after only a year in office due to internal pressures within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Although leadership changes in a parliamentary system are common, the process comes at a time of economic uncertainty and social transformations …| Articles from FEE
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is back on air, but the show’s short-lived suspension highlights the complexities of government censorship by proxy. Earlier this month, ABC announced that it was indefinitely suspending the long-running talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! following the host’s remarks about the murder of Charlie Kirk. During his opening monologue on September 15th, Kimmel …| Articles from FEE
Leonard E. Read, FEE’s founder, was born 127 years ago today. In honor of this anniversary, we’re highlighting this tribute to his life, written by our President Emeritus Lawrence Reed and published December 1, 2018. This is the first in a series of essays throughout the month of December 2018 celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of …| Articles from FEE
France and Britain have both built welfare systems that may have begun life as humane responses to social need, but have since ossified into fiscal traps.| Foundation for Economic Education
On September 15, 1922, Harry Oldbaum was walking near 116th St and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. He was suddenly surrounded by a crowd of teens who grabbed at him and stole his hat. Oldbaum was in good enough shape to give chase and apprehend one of his attackers, and haul the perpetrator to a nearby …| Articles from FEE
Before Donald Trump’s state visit to the United Kingdom, there was no shortage of speculation that something might go wrong. Perhaps demonstrators would cause disruption. Or there would be some diplomatic row. The dismissal of the British Ambassador to Washington, Lord Mandelson, just a few days earlier was hardly an encouraging portent. As it turned …| Articles from FEE
Spain’s Socialist-led government has recently forgiven €83.3 billion in debt owed by fifteen of the country’s seventeen autonomous communities. Though part of a deal struck between Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the Catalan separatists on whom his minority coalition depends, it doesn’t just benefit the wealthy region of Catalonia. Andalusia, historically one of Spain’s poorest …| Articles from FEE
After nearly two decades, the European Union (EU) and India are edging closer to finalizing a free trade agreement. Talks, first launched in 2007 and repeatedly stalled—due partly to the EU bloc’s ratification and bureaucratic lethargy, and partly to India’s reluctance towards EU-wide policies—are suddenly moving with purpose. Both sides want to conclude a deal …| Articles from FEE
For many years, high drug prices have raised the ire of politicians of all stripes, from Donald Trump to Bernie Sanders, with many others in between. The proposed solutions almost always focus on the final step in the drug development and marketing process: the sale of the drugs to various government payers. Would-be reformers argue …| Articles from FEE
According to experts, the best way to maintain a new habit is to track it. I’ve recently taken up running. And as runners typically do, I’m now hooked on tracking my distance, measuring my pace, and setting goals to get better. Naturally, this sent me down the rabbit hole of finding the best tracking device. …| Articles from FEE
In an era when regional multilateral deals are stalling, China and Saudi Arabia are seemingly forging an alternative path, choosing a more streamlined route defined by the convergence of ambition, infrastructure, and mutual need. At the heart of this agreement is the alignment between Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), …| Articles from FEE
I was eight years old when I first asked my mom about why some kids had to ride the bus to school every day and I didn’t. “Not everyone goes to school from home like you,” she smiled. “A lot of kids go to traditional school, learning with teachers for hours out of the day, …| Articles from FEE
Every time we ask an AI tool a question, it silently consumes electricity and water. But until now, we never knew how much. Google has set the record straight by publishing calculations from its Gemini model. Gemini is an artificial intelligence system that can process text, images, video, and audio. According to the company, one …| Articles from FEE
All is fare in love and war. That’s not a typo—anything can be sold, even and especially during a trade war. In the unfolding drama of the US–China economic rivalry, a fragile ceasefire has emerged, not through diplomacy, but through mutual dependency. In the midst of heavy US transshipping tariffs—aimed at China, and hitting the …| Articles from FEE
The lumber market in recent years has been a rollercoaster. For those operating logging businesses, or lumber yards and mills, or contractors and homeowners looking to replace a few planks on the deck, not knowing which way the market will shift has been stressful. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal: Wood markets …| Articles from FEE
Charlie Kirk is dead. That is not a sentence I ever imagined writing, certainly not in 2025. He leaves behind a devoted wife as well as two young children, who will grow up in a world without their father. Charlie Kirk was the founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative student activist group, and host …| Articles from FEE
Sinologists speak of the “Four Great Inventions” of China. The infamous “one-child policy” is not one of them; that is a political contrivance of more recent times and is producing a demographic catastrophe (see The Ultimate Central Planning Nightmare). The Four Great Inventions are the compass, paper, printing, and gunpowder. They date to ancient times, …| Articles from FEE
France’s government imploded on Monday, September 8, 2025, when Prime Minister François Bayrou lost a climactic confidence vote in the National Assembly (364 votes against to 194 in support) bringing down his minority government and plunging the country deeper into a constitutional and fiscal crisis. As rapid as this collapse appears, the origin traces back …| Articles from FEE
Once upon a time, the labor market was mostly local. Businesses placed small ads in newspapers, received a handful of applications, and made their selections from there. Each stage of the process, from the cost of advertising to writing and mailing applications, to having personnel review them, involved significant marginal costs. There was friction—job seekers …| Articles from FEE
Covid-19 might have passed, but the latest outbreak of titulitis is tearing through Spain. A term used to refer to politicians’ obsession with higher| Foundation for Economic Education
Like many countries with an aging population, Mexico is facing a pension crisis. In just the last five years, the universal pension for older adults quadrupled its budget. Coupled with low growth, the ever-rising cash transfers and subsidies have become a major drag on the country’s economy. Welfare payments to individuals—such as the universal pension …| Articles from FEE
On September 1st, as he landed at Heathrow Airport, Graham Linehan was arrested by not one, not two, but five armed police officers, under suspicion of “inciting violence.” What was the crime that the famed comedy writer, creator of Father Ted and The IT Crowd, had committed? It must have been especially egregious for five …| Articles from FEE
In the last few years, everything has changed for college students. Applications capable of writing assignments suddenly became a part of everyday life. What is the real impact of artificial intelligence (AI)? Is it a convenient tool for personalized learning or a path to academic dishonesty? Out of nowhere, AI became students’ best friend. A …| Articles from FEE
Soon, the European Union is set to vote on the so-called “Chat Control” legislation. Under the pretext of protecting children from online predators, the privacy of millions of users could be undermined. If passed, this means that Brussels will impose its vision on the world, one increasingly detached from liberty. Concerns about Chat Control have …| Articles from FEE
Britain was once a giant of car manufacturing. In the 1950s, we were the second-largest producer in the world and the biggest exporter. Coventry, Birmingham, and Oxford built not just cars, but the reputation of an industrial nation; to this day, it is a source of great pride that Jaguar–Land Rover, a global automotive icon, …| Articles from FEE
The Federal Reserve System has unique powers among Congressionally-chartered government bodies, and yet its powers do not include the authority to borrow money at taxpayer expense to pay for huge accumulating losses without Congressional approval. The Fed has invented its own unique financial accounting standard to disguise the fact that, under normal accounting rules, the …| Articles from FEE
Some laws extinguish fires; others ignite them. In Spain, a country that has mastered the art of legislating against reality, we have more of the second kind.| Foundation for Economic Education
Bolivia’s economy is on the brink of collapse. The country is experiencing its highest inflation in 38 years: in June alone, prices rose by 5.2%, which is not| Foundation for Economic Education
What is needed to stop the trend towards socialism and despotism is common sense and moral courage.| Foundation for Economic Education
In the 2020 election, an interesting candidate made his way onto the scene for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination: Andrew Yang. Yang made a splash| Foundation for Economic Education
The federal government has been funding select media organizations for decades. It’s time to give this responsibility back to the free market.| Foundation for Economic Education
In the past days, the world has been shaken—literally—by several natural disasters: the devastating floods in Texas in June 2025, which displaced thousands;| Foundation for Economic Education
In a world where global power is measured by military strength, technological innovation, or cultural influence, it is striking that the European Union,| Foundation for Economic Education
As of Sunday, July 27, the United States and the European Union have signed a new trade agreement, imposing a 15% tariff on most EU goods entering the US,| Foundation for Economic Education
The impacts of a two-year-old law are finally being felt in Britain—and, as the United States looks to pass its own Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), it should| Foundation for Economic Education
I am a lead pencil—the ordinary wooden pencil familiar to all boys and girls and adults who can read and write. Writing is both my vocation and my avocation; that’s all I do. You may wonder why I should write a genealogy. Well, to begin with, my story is interesting. And, next, I am a mystery —more so than a tree or a sunset or even a flash of lightning. But, sadly, I am taken for granted by those who use me, as if I were a mere incident and without background. This supercilious attitud...| Foundation for Economic Education
