Non-Westerners are often introduced to Western philosophy, America, and economics primarily through their critics and opponents rather than their foundational ideas. To counter this, we must actively cultivate better translators and educators.
Trade depends on trust, cooperation, and the expectation that exchanges are mutually beneficial. But like the Trojan Horse, policies that appear to offer something for nothing can conceal costs that undermine the very systems that make prosperity possible.
AI could become one of the most powerful tools for making knowledge and productivity more affordable—but only if we allow the infrastructure behind it to expand. Restricting data centers risks making computing scarce and expensive, pricing out the startups, schools, researchers, and workers who stand to benefit most.
“I, Pencil” isn’t really about pencils or cheap consumer goods—it’s about the remarkable cooperation that allows millions of strangers to create things no individual could produce alone. The deeper lesson of free markets is that voluntary exchange turns differences into collaboration and makes prosperity possible.
Joseph Schumpeter warned that capitalism’s greatest danger may come not from economic failure, but from society’s growing inability to understand how markets create prosperity. His “alarm” is a call to make the invisible workings of markets visible again—and to ensure that the next generation understands, builds, and defends the system that makes innovation possible.
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The Cost of Price Controls
We Need Better Translators
Non-Westerners are often introduced to Western philosophy, America, and economics primarily through their critics and opponents rather than their foundational ideas. To counter this, we must actively cultivate better translators and educators.
Trade, Trust, and Trojan Horses
Trade depends on trust, cooperation, and the expectation that exchanges are mutually beneficial. But like the Trojan Horse, policies that appear to offer something for nothing can conceal costs that undermine the very systems that make prosperity possible.
The Affordability Crisis Is Coming for AI
AI could become one of the most powerful tools for making knowledge and productivity more affordable—but only if we allow the infrastructure behind it to expand. Restricting data centers risks making computing scarce and expensive, pricing out the startups, schools, researchers, and workers who stand to benefit most.
“I, Pencil” Is Not About the Pencil
“I, Pencil” isn’t really about pencils or cheap consumer goods—it’s about the remarkable cooperation that allows millions of strangers to create things no individual could produce alone. The deeper lesson of free markets is that voluntary exchange turns differences into collaboration and makes prosperity possible.
Schumpeter’s Alarm
Joseph Schumpeter warned that capitalism’s greatest danger may come not from economic failure, but from society’s growing inability to understand how markets create prosperity. His “alarm” is a call to make the invisible workings of markets visible again—and to ensure that the next generation understands, builds, and defends the system that makes innovation possible.
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