Armen Alchian never won a Nobel Prize in economics. But no less than Friedrich Hayek said he ‘deserved’ one. In 1975, I attended a week-long conference in Connecticut at which the star attraction was Friedrich Hayek. Hayek, who had shared the 1974 Nobel Prize in economics with Swedish economist Gunnar Myrdal, was doing a kind […]
Read MoreIntroduction by Dr. John A. Baden, Chairman, FREE Alcohol Poisoning According to Gallup, Congress began 2013 with an approval rating of 14%. Another firm, Public Policy Polling, found that Congress has only a 9% favorability rating, (one) below traffic jams. ” Congress is now less popular than root canals, NFL replacement referees, head lice, the rock […]
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Pete Geddes is the General Director of the American Prairie Reserve. This is an entrepreneurial foundation dedicated to restoring 3,000,000 acres of grassland and its wildlife and ranches. It’s their “American Serengeti”. Pete came to Bozeman from Missoula nearly 17 years ago after earning his graduate degree in forestry from the U of M. One […]
Read MoreI’m writing this column on the night before the presidential election of 2012. Surely the attention of readers will be on the election tomorrow—and probably for some time thereafter. I’m praying for an early and decisive ending of this grotesque demonstration of avarice, deception, and manipulation of fears. In the weeks prior to the election, […]
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FREE’s seminar series for federal judges and law professors is in its 12th year. I’ve heard many excellent presentations from some of the nation’s leading scholars and last week I heard two of the best. Bob Thompson is the former Dean of Agriculture at Purdue University and recently retired as Director of Agriculture and Rural […]
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The emptying of the Great Plains brings hardship to those holding on to a disappearing way of life. But it also brings opportunities for those who see the signs and adapt. But, however well-intentioned, 13 U.S. senators are providing false hope. Through a serpents’ nest of tax breaks, credits, debt forgiveness, loan guarantees, and federal […]
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I admire George McGovern’s good cheer — but not his understanding of political economy. Clearly, government has an important role in preventing harm, e.g., protecting human rights and the environment. It’s far more difficult to identify government investments that improve well-being. It’s not a null set but it is a relatively small set. Investments in […]
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Since 9/11 there has been an understandable resurgence in support for government. While there are good security reasons for this, there is also a huge potential for damage. Both the steel tariff and the farm bill are excellent examples of the dangers and injustice inherent to activist government. Nearly all environmentalists, conservatives, and libertarians are […]
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On June 24, Bozeman, my hometown, was declared an All-American “Top Ten” city. Mayor Youngman proudly announced that the award was due to our “unusually effective ways of working together to solve problems”. I feel proud to be part of a community that works together to solve problems. However, I now wonder if we truly […]
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BOZEMAN, Mont. — The American bison, down to a few hundred remnant animals in Teddy Roosevelt’s day, is making a great comeback. Today there are more than 250,000 buffalo, and the number is steadily increasing. Bison ranchers are doing very well indeed — alas, partly at taxpayer expense. In contrast, cattle ranchers are having a […]
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