Politics & Economics
Rod on the Events and Trends Shaping Our FutureHow a Minimum Wage Hike Wiped Out 40% of Venezuela’s Stores
Will a similar crisis come to America amid the "Fight for $15"? by Hans Bader October 12, 2018 A large minimum wage increase in Venezuela has dealt a “fatal blow to 40% of Venezuelan stores,” reports the Miami Herald. The increase has closed many stores and...
Fun Fact: Who Would Control the Senate If There Were No 17th Amendment
by Rod D. Martin October 12, 2018 Fun fact: if the 17th Amendment were repealed, it would radically change the composition of the Senate. Here's why, and how. The 17th gave us direct election of Senators. Previously (as in, from 1788 to 1912, which is to say, the way...
Breakthrough: For the First Time in History, Most of Humanity Has Escaped Poverty
Bourgeoisie of the World, Unite! As of last week, more than half of the world is middle class. by Oliver Wiseman October 12, 2018 The most important piece of news in recent weeks has nothing to do with Brexit or Brett Kavanaugh. It didn’t make the front page...
The Price of “Medicare for All”
by Rod D. Martin October 12, 2018 Democrats are very upset that Republicans are pointing out the actual cost of their "Medicare For All" plan, which nationalizes healthcare and which has been endorsed by almost all major Democrat Presidential contenders. Yes, they're...
Conservative Leaders Urge President Trump to Oppose the Senate Version of the First Step Act
October 12, 2018 President Donald J. Trump 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President: We write to urge you to oppose the Senate version of the First Step Act that lessens the penalty for trafficking fentanyl and heroin. We were...
The 10 States with the Best Tax Systems (and the 10 Worst)
The bottom line is that tax rates matter, whether we’re looking at state data, national data, or international data. by Daniel J. Mitchell October 9, 2018 Yesterday, I wrote about the newest edition of Economic Freedom of the World, which is my favorite annual...
Russia is Literally Dying Off
EDITOR'S NOTE: As you know, our long-term projection for Russia is increasing decline, accelerating in the mid-2020s to the point of possible collapse by early mid-century. And this is no small part of the problem: the population of the Russian Federation is falling...
The Post-Kavanaugh “Legitimacy” of the Supreme Court
by Rod D. Martin October 8, 2018 I read a paragraph of a Wall Street Journal piece this morning, and found it puzzling. Here it is: The confirmation also presents Chief Justice John Roberts with a considerable challenge, report Brent and Jess Bravin. The three-month...
What the Kavanaugh Allegations Tell Us About the Russia Probe
by Rod D. Martin October 4, 2018 Okay folks. Now that the FBI has completely cleared Brett Kavanaugh -- for the SEVENTH time -- and now that you've seen how far the Democrats will go to destroy someone -- their life, their career, their family, everything -- if he...
Senate Update, Oct. 4, 2018 – The Kavanaugh Surge
by Rod D. Martin October 4, 2018 ANOTHER SENATE UPDATE: Yesterday I told you that North Dakota is now likely out of reach for Democrats, with Republican Kevin Cramer now beating incumbent Democrat Sen. Heidi Heitkamp by an incredible 12 points: 53% to 41%. Generally...
The Coral Sea: The Mirror Image of the South China Sea
Australia, like China, is militarizing the waters off its eastern coast. by Jacob L. Shapiro October 3, 2018 Australia and China possess profoundly different geographies, but in one key way, they are similar: The bulk of the wealth and populations of both...
The U.S. Threatens Russia Over Missiles
by George Friedman October 2, 2018 The United States has threatened to pre-emptively strike Russian missiles aimed at Europe. Its stated justification is that the missiles in question are medium range and thus in violation of a 1987 anti-missile treaty. They were...
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Rod D. Martin is a technology entrepreneur, venture capitalist, hedge fund manager, author and conservative activist from Destin, Florida.
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