Points of Public Interest

1. Why Limiting Itemized Deductions (Still) Makes Sense - My former professor, Diane Lim Rogers, offers her support for a proposal to limit itemized deductions to a 15 percent rate. This policy will simultaneously increase the progressive nature of income taxes, substantially reduce total tax expenditures and raise revenue.
2. The Fed Is Misleading Congress About Europe - Warren Mosler, a founding member of Modern Monetary Theory, argues that the Fed’s dollar swap lines are unsecured lending and should therefore be the responsibility of Congress.
3. Philip Pilkington: Is QE/ZIRP Killing Demand? - Pilkington describes the counterproductive efforts of Fed policy. Milton Friedman also believed ZIRP (zero interest rate policy) would restrict demand as I outlined in Deflationary Monetary Policy.
4. The Liberalism of Classical Liberalism - Peter Boettke tries to correct some typical misrepresentations of classical liberalism with a good dose of historical background.
5. Show Me the Daylight 'twixt Sanction and Tariff - Samuel Wilson considers recent trade sanctions against Iran and China, and why the two are viewed in different lights by Americans.
6. The Future of Economics - Steve Keen, a leading post-Keynesian, makes a case for incorporating disequilibrium, dynamic modeling and emergent properties into the core of future economics.
7. The European Crisis Deepen - Peter Boone and Simon Johnson, former IMF Chief, explain why current optimism is likely unwarranted and how the realistic end may include a break-up of the Eurozone.

Points of Public Interest

1. What’s MMT About Anyway and is the Job Guarantee Crucial to the Project? - Pavlina Tcherneva discusses the subjective policy recommendations that necessarily give Modern Monetary Theory value and offers her view on the recent debate among MMTers about the importance of a Job Guarantee.
2. How Egalitarianism Increases Inequality - Bryan Caplan makes an argument for praising the 1%.
3. The Right Kind of Hope - John Hussman highlights the poor prospects for long-run returns across asset classes and provides an update on the continually worsening European crisis.
4. Does the free market corrode moral character? - Michael Walzer compares the effects of competition on moral character within politics and markets.
5. Bastiat's Insight on Government Inaction - David Henderson explains why disapproving of government subsidies for an action is not the same as disapproving of the action itself.
6. A Challenge for Libertarians Against Federal Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage - Steve Horwitz offers his view on why supporting same-sex marriage “is fundamental to classic liberalism.”

Update (1): Responses to Two Objections to My Challenge - Steve Horwitz responds to a couple comments on the above post.

Update (2): The Job Guarantee, Kleptocracy and Blogging - Edward Harrison posts a follow-up to Pavlina Tcherneva’s comments on the Job Guarantee.