The liberal international order was a screen and a sham. But this does not mean that liberalism is lost. The following longform piece was an essay submitted in May 2022 to the Mont Pelerin Society for the Hayek Essay Contest on the topic of international order. Although rejected, the subject is important and of interest for our readers. An international authority which effectively limits the powers of the state over the individual will be one of the best safeguards...
Read More »A High Price is a Good Price – Under the Right Conditions
Overpaying for something that could be found in a different store (or online), under the right circumstances, makes both parties happier. After looking around a bit, I asked the cashier at a nearby convenience store if he had any nine-volt batteries because I didn’t see any on the shelf. To my good fortune, he did. I asked for two of them and pulled a $5 bill out of my wallet as he rang them up. “$12,” he said. I gasped a little, put the $5 away, and reached for my...
Read More »Crypto and the Environment
An intrusive intervention into the crypto market similar to what the EU has recently provided is not a sure promise of a Pareto efficient result. The cryptocurrency market has evolved at a rapid pace over the course of its short lifespan. With its community and users growing steadily. They offer the potential for new choices to be made in a field long dominated by government monopolies. They are a real financial alternative and might provide intense competition...
Read More »Deirdre McCloskey Becomes a Fellow of the Erasmus Forum
The Austrian Economics Center and the Hayek Institut congratulate Deirdre McCloskey on becoming a Fellow of the Erasmus Historical and Cultural Research Forum. Next week, on June 1, the London School of Economics is celebrating its Deirdre McCloskey inaugural lecture as a Fellow of the Erasmus Forum. This inaugural edition of the lecture will be held by McCloskey herself on The Near Impossibility of Policy. We at the Austrian Economics Center want to...
Read More »Public Healthcare Threatens Liberty in the U.S.
Despite higher healthcare costs, Americans receive better healthcare, provided by the individually tailored healthcare plans, courtesy of the private sector. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Whether you pay with your time or someone else’s money, Milton Freedman hit the nail on the head. Nothing in life is ever free; healthcare included. Many Americans argue that a universal healthcare system such as the ones implemented in Europe is the most...
Read More »War in Ukraine – Week 11
Business trips are very different these days. It was a wonderful and intense week, but nothing beats coming back home with bags full of supplies! Day 79 May 13 The very real price Ukrainians are paying for other people’s imperial delusions: survivors of the Kramatorsk train station bombing. More than 30 people were killed, and more than 100 injured among about 1000 people waiting to be evacuated from the city. ...
Read More »War in Ukraine – Week 10
Day 73 May 7 This is Liza. She is 15 years old. After her town got shelled and two people got injured she volunteered to drive them to get some medical help, because no one else would. First she got through mines on the road, then Russian soldiers shot at the car, injuring both of her legs. But she kept driving until the car stopped. Fortunately, they got picked up by our guys, and this brave little girl and her passengers are recovering right now....
Read More »The EU energy price crisis – is the market design to blame?
The electricity prices reflect the supply and demand conditions in Europe and interfering with the price formation mechanism would have dangerous consequences. Since the end of 2021, we have witnessed unprecedented price levels in the European electricity markets, with an increase in electricity prices by 200% within less than a year. This tense market situation was further perpetuated by geopolitical events, namely the Russian invasion of Ukraine, impacting gas...
Read More »War in Ukraine – Week 8
Day 56 April 20 4-year old Alisa is begging to be evacuated from under siege Mariupol. So are thousands of others after about 50 days underground. But russia won’t allow it. They are holding these people hostage, watching them die slowly and painfully one by one. Source: Nataliya Melnyk on Facebook ********************************************************* Day 55 A big thank you from my little shelter van Goghs to everyone who helps us keep them distracted...
Read More »#RestartVienna at an unforgettable 10th Austrian Economics Conference – 1st Day
On November 4-5, the 10th Austrian Economics Conference took place at the Austrian Central Bank (Österreichische Nationalbank). The event was organized in collaboration with the Fundación Bases and the Hayek Institut and received more than 150 academics, researchers, think-tankers, entrepreneurs, and student advocates of the ideas of freedom from all over the world. #RestartVienna became a great motivation for the promoters of the ideas of the Austrian School to...
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