Richard W. Rahn

How dangerous are political lies?

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 (winning an election and gaining political and monetary power), and even if the lie is found out, most soon forget with little consequence. But in most other lines of work, lying about job performance (an airline pilot or mechanic, or a food safety inspector or worker) can be fatal. Published July 1, 2024

The end of the energy crisis

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 media allies have been demanding the end of the use of fossil fuels -- all in the name of saving the planet. We were also told we would run out of oil and natural gas, so renewables -- mainly wind and solar power -- were the only hope.d we would run out of oil and natural gas, so renewables -- mainly wind and solar -- were the only hope. Published June 24, 2024

Who is the biggest and richest?

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 straightforward questions, but the answers are surprisingly complex. Organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the United Nations and others also have large research staffs searching for better ways to measure the world economy. Published June 17, 2024