By Jason Arp In the 26th chapter of Ludwig von Mises’s magnum opus, “Human Action,”one finds a discussion of a builder vexed by the absence of prices and therefore unable to objectively determine the optimal mix of methods and materials to construct a house. Mises writes: “The paradox of ‘planning’ is that it cannot plan because of the absence of economic calculation. What is called a planned economy is no economy at all. It is just…

DESPITE WHAT CONSULTANTS SAY, some of us suspect that politics happens all of a sudden — bang, it’s on your doorstep, it was this way right up until it wasn’t. For instance, one day in the early 1960s it was not OK for an able-bodied man to receive welfare. The next day it was OK, changing everything. And it wasn’t that long ago when we were arguing about whether to relax the cadence of our alma mater’s marching band to…

by Leo Morris Can the legislative process still work more or less as intended, with lawmakers balancing competing interests and arriving at a solution that the majority of the population can at least live with if not enthusiastically endorse? Or have we become so divided as a nation that neither side wants to concede anything to the other? We might get a clue to the answer in the next few years as state legislatures grapple…

OUR LEADERSHIP, if that is the right word, has committed tens of millions in cash transfers, tax breaks and bonded loans to making Fort Wayne more attractive to young urban professionals. Yuppies we used to call them. It seems to me we have spent little on anything else these last few decades. We have luxury apartments with indoor parking attached to a sports stadium, a river walk, a splash pad, outdoor theaters, boutique hotels, a state-of-the-art convention center and city…

by Mark Franke I was in the checkout line at my local branch library the other day, standing behind several youngsters slowly doing their own checkouts with minimal mother assistance. One librarian caught my eye with an “I’m sorry about this” glance to which I responded, “This makes my day.” Think about it. Here were about a half dozen elementary-age students checking out books. Not reserving time to use the library’s computers. Not whining impatiently to…

by Leo Morris Is America, both as a nation and a concept, coming to the end of the road? As a firm believer in the country’s foundations of individual liberty and natural rights, I certainly think not. But I recently ran into three ideas – all in one morning’s perusal of the news, each more radical than the last – that make me wonder if that is still the majority opinion. 1. Andrew Yang, convinced…

DID THE INDY STAR meet its diversity goal this year? Don’t be silly, it and other Gannet newspapers always meet their diversity goals — even if it means passing up the most qualified person. Gasp if you will, but before you call WOKE 911 consider that the above statement is mathematical and not prejudicial. There simply are not yet enough experienced journalists of color to fill every vacancy, and the best of them would prefer to work on the coasts…

The following is an excerpt from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s memoir “Between Two Millstones.” It has been such a delight to me, and I have returned to it so many time over the years, I thought it should be shared with the membership. Enjoy Solzhenitsyn’s keen observations of fundamental democracy in one of Switzerland’s smallest cantons. — tcl FOR TWO MONTHS ALREADY there had been an invitation waiting for me from the Canton of Appenzell to attend the ceremony of…

by Mark Franke Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) demands recognition as a universal truth with claims both on natural law and natural rights. Its logic is unassailable. It must be, based on the number of people who claim Bill of Rights level protection under it. No one has offered a refutation acceptable to the NIMBY choir. Unless one appeals to common sense. But then, we are speaking of the political arena where common sense is…

By Richard Moss, M.D. With the overturning of Roe vs. Wade in the recent Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization opinion, the Supreme Court ended the recognition of a constitutional right to abortion and returned the matter to the states, where it has always belonged. With this, it is reasonable to reconsider the Obergefell decision of 2015, which legalized homosexual marriage throughout the land. Obergefell vs. Hodges, decided June 26, 2015, in a split 5-4 decision (Anthony Kennedy joined with the four liberal…