The Mystery of Property, 2026 “Everything has already been said, but since no one listens, it is necessary to say it again.” — Andre Gide NEW YEAR’S IS the appropriate time to review lost lessons — resolutions unkept, certainly, but also those truths related by an earlier generation, a father or grandfather maybe, that were never fully incorporated into your operating manual. I have one: It is respect for private property. In my childhood, it meant keeping off other people’s…

by Eric Schansberg, Ph.D. Following in the footsteps of President Donald Trump, I have a modest policy proposal that is extravagant in style and would hurt the economy — a petition to eliminate competition from Santa Claus through tariffs and other trade barriers. From a Trumpian perspective, Santa’s enterprise is clearly an unfair and harmful intrusion by a low-cost, high-quality foreign producer.  Other policy analysts have reasonably focused on the Scrooge-like implications of tariffs for…

by Mark Franke One of the reasons I look forward to our monthly Socratic discussion group is the opportunity to learn something new. Regardless of what knowledge I have of the designated topic going in, two hours of rigorous discussion later and I leave knowing much more. Last month the topic was agricultural subsidies and how taxpayer money could be better spent for the common good and, this is important too, for the benefit of…

by Mark Franke The Indiana General Assembly’s special session appears to be over, having voted down a mid-decade congressional reapportionment proposal. The legislature is required to reapportion after each decennial census but not more often, although nothing prevents more frequent efforts other than their fiscal and political costs. Despite the heavy-handed involvement of Donald Trump in Indiana’s recent reapportionment process, he didn’t create this mess. It has been going on for most of our republic’s…

by James O’Donnell, M.B.A.This year has seen major American cities, like New York City and Seattle, elect socialist mayors. Elsewhere, positions a bit lower on the totem pole have also found successful socialist candidates, including winning city or area council seats in Atlanta, Georgia; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Detroit, Michigan; Greenbelt, Maryland; Ithaca, New York; Jersey City, New Jersey; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Poughkeepsie, New York; and Carrboro, North Carolina.  And there are many more socialists running in…

Rolling Boondoggles AS THE USUAL BOOSTERS line up to cut more ribbons for the almost $400-million Indy Blue Line (bus transit) in Indianapolis, our adjunct scholar Randall O’Toole is finishing work on his latest report. O’Toole, a reliable and well-informed downer on public transportation issues, concludes “the more we spend, the fewer people use transit.”  Here is his quote in the blog “Unleash Prosperity”: “Transit has not relieved congestion. It hasn’t reduced greenhouse gas emissions. It hasn’t helped many…

by Mark Franke Supreme Court nominations are great political theater, great, that is, if you enjoy the spectator sport our uncivil civic discourse has become. But there is an educational aspect to this verbal sturm und drang. For example we have become educated on the interpretative methodology of originalism, the methodology used by those who look to the Constitution’s original meaning for understanding. Related to the originalists are the textualists, or maybe they are two sides…

THE LEADERSHIP of my community is excited about a new economic boost that the mayor says is “too good to pass up.” Is it a tax break for local businesses? How about zoning reform, or more starter homes for young families? No? Reducing outdated permit requirements and regulations? None of that. They are excited about a state-sanctioned casino. I am trying to picture the meeting with a prospective investor when he learns that our city’s most…

Keeping the Peace The King’s Peace (pax regis) — Prior to the English Civil War, the common-law concept of maintaining public order.  CRIMINOLOGISTS TELL US that only a sliver of humanity is inherently “criminal,” that is, persons with a pathological disregard for others or their property. In New York City, for instance, just 327 offenders among 8 million citizens were responsible for nearly one-third of the city’s shoplifting arrests.  We can agree that it is important that recidivists, especially the violent…

by Eric Schansberg, Ph.D. Noah is repeatedly commended for his righteousness, and then for building the Ark in obedience. Not only does he save his family and pairs of each animal, more broadly he saves “mankind” and the animal kingdom — in what turns out to be a fresh start, a new beginning, another opportunity for man to get it right in terms of dominion, multiplying and fruitfulness. But there are problems with Noah as well. The most obvious…