Donald J. Boudreaux

Spare a Thought for Bubble Wrap

“Only a very wealthy society can afford to devote so much human ingenuity and effort to the careful production of packaging materials that are promptly discarded, in most cases, without a thought after a single use.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux

On the Need to Theorize Carefully

“Theorizing usefully about trade and other economic phenomena isn’t especially difficult, but doing so does indeed require care, wisdom, and humility.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux

Communicating Economics to Young People

“Among the most satisfying of my professional duties as an economics educator is communicating, mostly by email, with students from around the country, and sometimes from abroad, about economics and liberalism.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux

Are Free Traders Guilty of Naïve Globalism?

“Free trade does indeed enrich the world. But it also, and chiefly, enriches the people of each country that practices it, regardless of the policies pursued elsewhere.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux

The Libido for the Superficial

“Once the reality of a libido for the superficial is admitted, many phenomena are better understood. For example, it’s easy to understand, and excuse, intellectually unengaged people falling for protectionist fables.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux

Taxes, Special Privileges, and “Private Enterprise”

“Income, corporation, and capital-gains taxes are taxes on the general welfare. Also harmful to the public welfare are protective tariffs and similar restrictions on how people may peacefully spend their own money.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux

No COVID Tribunals

“Attempts to hold lockdowners personally accountable by imposing on them formal punishments would create yet another terrible precedent, one that would only compound the troubles that we’re destined to suffer from the precedent that was set in March 2020.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux