Category Archives: Global Economy

On the Average Man

Posted on October 1, 2013 by admin

During the 1830s there was a shift from the enlightened or rational man to the average man. The rise of statistics in the 19th century attests to the loss in faith in the power of individual reason with respect to … Continue reading →

Posted in economic inequality, Global Economy | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

On the Emperor’s New Clothes

Posted on September 15, 2013 by admin

The class orientation of past regimes was public and open. The monarchy, the church, and the nobility ran matters for their own interest. In the last half of the 19th century during the first era of globalization the new rich … Continue reading →

Posted in economic inequality, Global Economy | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

On Self-actualization

Posted on August 1, 2013 by admin

Georg Hegel (1770-1831), philosopher and historian, had to decide what to retain and what to jettison of the French Enlightenment tradition that had permeated German culture. From the Enlightenment he chose freedom of action, not just freedom of thought. The … Continue reading →

Posted in economic inequality, Global Economy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

On the Equality of Taxation

Posted on July 6, 2013 by admin

The Age of Enlightenment of the 18th century saw the intellectual maturation of the humanist belief in reason as the supreme guiding principle in the affairs of mankind. The Enlightenment introduced critical thinking to replace the dead weight of tradition … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Economy | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The High Cost of Sugar

Posted on May 23, 2013 by admin

During the 17th and 18th centuries sugar accounted for one third of Europe’s entire economy. After the Seven Years’ War France chose to retain the sugar producing island areas of Haiti and Guadeloupe, and cede Canada to Britain. By the … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Economy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

On Transforming Rationalization

Posted on May 2, 2013 by admin

John Locke (1632-1704) believed that one should use reason to search after truth rather than simply accept the opinion of authorities or be subject to superstition. Used properly, reason could determine the legitimate functions of institutions and optimize the functioning … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Economy, Rationalization | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Plato and the Healthy Community

Posted on April 16, 2013 by admin

Athens and Sparta, two of the most powerful Greek city-states, had fought as allies in the Greco-Persian Wars between 499 and 449 BCE. The half-century following the Persian Wars Athens grew as a maritime power and prospered. As Athens grew … Continue reading →

Posted in economic inequality, Global Economy, Objectivism Lost and an Age of Disillusionment | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The Rationalization of Inequality

Posted on March 17, 2013 by admin

The Medieval church became the most dominant institution in western Europe. It was one of the largest landowners of the time and collected rents and many fees for offices and services. The church did not pay taxes. The top down … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Economy, Objectivism Lost and an Era of Disillusionment, United States Economy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

About Madness and the Deluded

Posted on March 2, 2013 by admin

Bubbles occur when prices of a particular item rise far above the item’s real value. A stock market bubble is a self-propagating rise or increase in share price of a stock – investors buy more stock at an inflated price … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Economy, Objectivism Lost and an Age of Disillusionment, United States Economy | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The New Normal

Posted on February 15, 2013 by admin

In the 17th century the word normal evolved from the Latin norma (noun), the carpenter square, and  normalis (adjective), meaning forming a right angle. Until the middle of the 19th century normal was used in geometry and simply meant ‘standing … Continue reading →

Posted in economic inequality, Global Economy | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment