This paper models the tariff-adjustment process between two countries, A and B, to determine if a stable equilibrium of tariffs is possible or if escalation triggers divergence or cycles in tariff changes.

Most of those who are upset about the shutdown of USAID do not understand the facts or have their hand in the cookie jar. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was established by President John F. Kennedy through an executive order. USAID's...

Despite hurricanes, Florida is still a very good bet. It is arguably the best-managed state in the country. It has a succession of very good governors, including the current one, Ron DeSantis, who by almost any measure has done an outstanding job. The State has no...

Last week, ChatGPT revealed that it was better at being me than I was at being me. Fortunately, so far, it is only part of me where artificial intelligence is better. I had intended to write this weekly column to update you about the need to abolish the capital gains...

GOVERNMENT ACTORS AND THE MEDIA ARE A GREATER DANGER THAN CANDIDATES WHO CAN BE FACT-CHECKED Ever wonder why politicians and their media friends seem to lie so much more than other people? The simple answer is that the payoff can be large if others believe the lie...

REAL GAINS FOR AMERICANS AS COSTS COME DOWN Be thankful for entrepreneurs, scientists and engineers. They offset many of the sins of the political class and make our futures better. For decades, self-proclaimed environmentalists and their power-seeking political and...

IT'S HARD TO RANK GLOBAL ECONOMIES Does China have a larger economy than the U.S.? Is India, Germany or Japan the world’s third-largest economic power? How many minutes of labor does it take for the average worker to buy a Big Mac? These may seem like simple and...

PROSECUTING DONALD TRUMP AND HUNTER BIDEN In the last two weeks, Americans have seen prosecutorial abuse in the legal cases against former President Donald Trump and President Biden’s son Hunter. The state is given the power to protect both person and property, but...

MOST COUNTRIES WILL SUFFER MISERY FROM GOVERNMENT FISCAL MELTDOWN Elon Musk sees a future where no one works other than doing work as a hobby, and artificial intelligence and robots do all of the work, which would require universally high incomes. People could choose...

COVID-19 MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN Last week, a House committee revealed emails from David Morens, who worked under Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The emails further indicate a cover-up as to the origins...

LONDON — What happened? The British Conservative Party has been in power for the last 14 years but seems on the verge of losing in a big way. At one point, particularly after Margaret Thatcher won in 1979, the Conservatives seemed to have principles they believed in....

One hundred years ago, the Germans suffered horrible hyperinflation. From a value of 4.2 to the dollar in 1914, the German mark depreciated to 4.2 trillion to the dollar by November 1923. In essence, financial assets became worthless. That experience was so searing...

REPUBLICANS MUST BUILD OR BUY AN ADVANTAGE Do you just whine about problems, or do you try to solve them? For decades, many people complained and demanded that the government do something about automobile air pollution. Those in government had no clue on how to create...

WHAT WOULD EISENHOWER HAVE DONE ABOUT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY? They have learned nothing! As I write this, Columbia University and others continue in chaos, depriving serious students of what they have paid for. Many have forgotten, if they ever knew, that President...

PUBLIC RADIO GETS FUNDING FROM THE GOVERNMENT, TAXPAYERS, FOUNDATIONS AND FOREIGN CORPORATIONS Money laundering most often refers to attempts to hide the criminal source of money. But it can also be used to describe making legal money transfers between parties...

Why do the smartest people in the world (at least in their own minds) keep getting surprised? This past week, the most common measure of inflation rose, even though official Washington (the Fed, Biden Treasury, White House) told us it would fall. Inflation is often...

Why is Honduras so much poorer than the U.S. and even most of its Latin American neighbors? I posed that question to a friend who is originally from Honduras and is now a U.S. citizen. She immediately replied, “The judiciary.” (Note: Honduras is a beautiful Central...

“Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.” — H.L. Mencken What ever happened to fiscal discipline? It seems that each week, President Biden announces another group, such as government employees, will have their college debts forgiven — even...