Principle 08
Fast Food Slow Down in L.A.
by Matthew Pilling, guest author
TAYLORSVILLE, UT | 30 July 2008 | Amidst the ongoing news of a heated and controversial election, failing companies and markets, and myriad world conflicts, talk of fast food seems a low priority. The city of Los Angeles thinks otherwise, however. In a unanimous vote, the city council voted on Tuesday […]
What Is the Right Value of a House?
HIGHLAND, UT | 29 July 2008 | The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced recently that housing prices in the U.S. are “overvalued” by as much as 20%. A common misconception in the world today is that things have inherent value and that when prices fluctuate they become overvalued or undervalued. What the IMF and other economists […]
29Jul2008 | Jason K. Vaughn | 0 comments | Continued
You Get What You Pay For
by Matthew Pilling, guest author
TAYLORSVILLE, UT | 25 July 2008 | When we buy gas at the pump, we see an obvious connection between the amount we get and the amount we pay. At times, the price goes up and we all recognize that filling up our tank will cost us more. At times, the […]
The Follies of Fannie and Freddie
MAPLETON, UT | July 22, 2008 | Recently, two names have been plastered across headlines so often you’d be forgiven for thinking they were the latest hollywood pair. Their celebrity status has been cemented by constant mentions in the top news programs, length pieces on their life history, and endless gossip and rumors about their […]
22Jul2008 | Israel Curtis | 1 comment | Continued
FDIC (Fear Drives Ignorant Consumers)
by Matthew Pilling, Guest Author
SALT LAKE CITY, UT | 16 July 2008 | In a move that stirs up images of the Great Depression, people are lining up outside of IndyMac Bank branches to see that they “get theirs” before there is nothing left to get. Because of the number of people waiting to close their […]
How Do You Celebrate Independence?
HIGHLAND, UT | 4 July 2008 | Ah! The Fourth of July! That great mid-summer holiday. Full of parades and beauty pageants, fireworks, barbecues, 10k races, pancake breakfasts in the park, and flag raising ceremonies. This is what this holiday is all about, right? Oh, and thinking about the signing of the Declaration of Independence (whatever […]
4Jul2008 | Jason K. Vaughn | 1 comment | Continued
Who Is to Blame for $4 per Gallon Gasoline?
HIGHLAND, UT |18 June 2008 | While surfing the Internet for interesting news stories I came across an advertisement: “Who is to blame for $4 per gallon gasoline?” It then offered three photographs the reader could choose from for the blame. One was a picture of an Arab, representing the OPEC producers of oil. Another […]
18Jun2008 | Jason K. Vaughn | 8 comments | Continued
Desperate to Exchange
HIGHLAND, UT | 2 June 2008| In a market where no one is confident enough to exchange, people can get pretty creative. This can give rise to some very interesting opportunities for those whose eyes are open and who position themselves for such opportunities.
Two stories recently—one this weekend and another about a month ago—tell about merchants who are […]
The Moral Confusion of Wal-Mart Haters
MAPLETON, UT | 16 May 2008 | It’s not that uncommon for people to resent big business – and the degree of their resentment is usually in proportion to the size and success of the object of their hate. In response to an article on the Huffington Post, I would like to examine the claims […]
16May2008 | Israel Curtis | 10 comments | Continued
Principled Globalization! Is It Possible?
HIGHLAND, UT | 5 May 2008| The common perception in recent weeks is that America is falling and the rest of the world is rising. The weakening dollar compared to other currencies around the world is only one sign of this seeming change in economic supremacy. Fareed Zakaria, of Newsweek Magazine, however, sees it more […]
5May2008 | Jason K. Vaughn | 3 comments | ContinuedCan the Kibbutz survive without Capitalism?
MAPLETON, UT | 17 April 2008 | In the kibbutzim of Israel, as in communal societies around the world, an entire generation attempted to live by the ideology of collectivism. Years later, all such social experiments have ended with one choice: adopt capitalist principles or cease to exist. The consequences of collectivism have resulted in two […]
17Apr2008 | Israel Curtis | 5 comments | ContinuedDoes it pay to be unproductive?
MAPLETON, UT | 10 April 2008 | In the current climate of rising commodity prices, there is a change sweeping over the American heartland. After years of leaving large tracts of land unused in exchange for government handouts, thousands of farmers are clearing the overgrowth and planting crops again. What opponents of the policies of […]
10Apr2008 | Israel Curtis | 0 comments | ContinuedScientists Able to Shrink World
HIGHLAND, UT | 7 April 2008 | Scientists have found a way to make this great big world of ours much smaller: “The Grid” as they are calling it is a device which makes the quick speeds of broadband Internet communication pale in comparison. Jonathan Leake, science editor of British Times Online, reported Sunday that […]
7Apr2008 | Jason K. Vaughn | 0 comments | Continued
Secretary Paulson Proposes Changes in Treasury, Fed
HIGHLAND, UT | 1 April 2008 | Economic policy is often shaped by the emergencies of the day. As far back as the Civil War (1863), our current policy situation began to take shape. This is followed by several others through America’s history until we stand today, faced with the Federal Reserve possibly increasing its […]
1Apr2008 | Jason K. Vaughn | 0 comments | ContinuedIs It Immoral to Use Food Crops for Fuel?
ALPINE, UT |31 March 2008| The recent surge in production of bio-fuels (fuel derived from food crops such as corn, soy, and sugarcane) both in the U.S. and around the world has sparked a debate about whether such production should be promoted or even permitted. Aside from arguments about the energy efficiency of bio-fuels, the […]
31Mar2008 | Israel Curtis | 0 comments | Continued