John A. Parnell, Ph.D.
I’ve been discussing the free/fair trade debate in the last two blog posts. In this one I turn to the issue of intellectual property (IP) in China. Microsoft in the classic example. Most computers run on Windows and use Office. In the US and most western nations you’ll pay to use this intellectual property. In […]
Read MoreRecently I’ve been asked if and how I can support Donald Trump when he appears to be opposed to free trade. My last post introduced some of the most important facets of free/fair trade. I will expand on one of them—currency manipulation—in this post. Ten years ago, the exchange rate between the US dollar and […]
Read MoreI’m a free-trader and have generally supported most of the trade deals over the years. Lately I’m being asked if and how I can support Donald Trump when he appears to be opposed to free trade. My views are little different from Trump’s, but the differences are not that great when you go through the […]
Read MoreI blog periodically on the plight of Venezuela, a once prosperous nation spiraling downward in the grip of socialism. Venezuela’s National Assembly is now controlled by the democratic opposition, but President Maduro still controls the executive and judicial branches of government, so change is difficult. The government acknowledges an inflation rate of 275% but the […]
Read MoreDuring election years we hear a lot about the type of experience appropriate for the presidency. The topic is usually pushed by the camp of one candidate who has [fill in the blank] experience that other candidates lack. In elections past, military experience has often been touted as a necessity for service as “Commander in […]
Read MoreEarlier this week Hillary Clinton was touting her ability to create jobs and revitalize the economy through “partnerships” between government and business. Everyone “working together” to solve problems might sound like a good idea. Sometimes entities from the private and public sectors must work as partners, but the less this happens the better. There are […]
Read MoreMy last post addressed Target’s social agenda and the boycott over its bathroom policy, as well as Charlotte’s related ordinance and NC’s HB2 response. The DOJ has since attempted to coerce NC by threatening to withhold education, transportation, and other funds. NC responded by filing suit, so it looks like this will end up in […]
Read MoreIn my last post I noted that corporate America has become more activist in recent years, but on the left, not the right. Although still decried by leftists as evil capitalists, many large firms have taken social positions consistent with their detractors. There are a number of possible explanations for this. One is that supporting […]
Read MoreMany progressives argue that large corporations use their market power to promote their own financial agendas at the expense of “social advancement.” The facts tell a different story. It is true that firms traditionally stayed on the sidelines with regard to social issues, leaving them to the people and their elected officials. But most Americans […]
Read MoreAt least California Governor Jerry Brown tried to tell the truth when he signed a bill this week to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022: “Economically, minimum wages may not make sense. But morally, socially, and politically they make every sense because it binds the community together to make sure […]
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