Free Minds, Free Markets

     Man moved from mud not because he had to, but because he wanted to. As the cold ravaged man’s body, he envisioned a state where this discomfort was absent. As hunger weakened man’s body, he envisioned a state where this hunger was sedated. Man’s entire life is about striving to move from a state of greater discomfort to a state of perceived lesser discomfort. In order to sustain man’s life, or rather act, man must implement means, or scarce resources, to reach his desired end goal. Without these resources, it would be impossible for man to act, and therefore man would die. In the economic sense, abundance is not about having more “stuff.” Someone could have a pile of rocks, but this abundance could not satisfy his thirst for water directly. Abundance, rather, is the condition in which a human actor has the proper resources to move from a greater state of uneasiness to a lesser state of uneasiness. An important part to remember is that humans act because they perceive...

The Transportation Security Administration is not a terrorist's nightmare, but rather a regular traveler's. People don’t fear the TSA because it’s effective at stopping threats; they fear it for confiscating their favorite food, treating them like a criminal for carrying 3.5 oz of toothpaste, or subjecting them to an invasive pat-down. Travelers are greeted with hostility, not professionalism. In 2024, taxpayers were forced to hand over $11.2 billion to fund these unpleasant experiences. Now, in 2025, the TSA is asking for even more: $11.8 billion. In 2015, the TSA operated on $4.8 billion, meaning their funding has increased by 133% in just a decade. Despite this massive increase, they’ve only become slower, more inefficient, and angrier at the people they’re supposed to serve. Competition Is Needed Competition works. People have different needs, and competition allows them to choose what works best for them. Businesses, in turn, have to improve to meet those needs or risk los...

Amtrak, a government passenger railroad corporation, has never made a profit since its inception in 1971. The government train company loses close to a billion dollars each year while sucking an extra $2-4 billion dollars a year from taxpayers to fund its failures. In addition to taxpayer funded bailouts, the continued losses Amtrak accumulates creates a far more deeper problem for everyone. WHAT EFFICIENCY IS Let's say you are in charge of constructing a train from City A to City B, but a mountain stands in the way of these two cities. As the manager of this project, you must choose to either build around the mountain or drill through it, in order to reach the other city. Building around this mountain will require a lot of steel but not as many engineers to design the extended railroad. On the contrary, drilling through the mountain will require less steel, but more engineers to design a tunnel. Between these two, you must account for one factor: both steel and engineers are also ...

​​ The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a promising idea, but it’s just the beginning. Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk’s current plan has two critical flaws: it is neither efficient nor sustainable. In a free market, people use their dollars to signal which products or services they value most. This is called a price signal. It’s a common misconception that prices are only set by producers—they are also determined by consumers. Market prices reflect what individuals are willing to pay, signaling demand. If a coffee shop offers both a $7 specialty latte and a $2 drip coffee, but customers overwhelmingly buy the drip coffee, it sends a clear signal: people value the drip coffee more. The higher price of the latte factors in the additional resources required to make it, such as milk and specialized machinery. By choosing the drip coffee, customers indicate that these extra resources aren’t worth the higher cost and aren’t needed. This tells the coffee shop to focus its beans, l...

Healthcare in the United States lacks choice. And Americans are paying the price of that with their wallets and their own lives. Why is it that with technology, as time progresses, they get better and/or cheaper. Competition amongst individuals and organizations leads them to create products that are cheaper and more innovative. Why is it that with healthcare, as time progresses, that prices only go up and quality of service is the same or worse. This industry lacks choice. Let's look at another industry, car insurance. According to Geico, “Mechanical breakdown insurance offers coverage for breakdown-related auto repairs when your manufacturer's warranty expires or fails to cover mechanical failures.” This insurance can be bought to cover the expense of an unforeseen mechanical failure. This plan does not cover oil changes, tire replacements, and other regular maintenance. Why doesn't it? Car insurance companies don’t cover oil changes or other routine maintenance because...

Hello! My name is Kevin. A teacher who left a lasting impression on me was Mr. Youtube. While other teachers pulled out PowerPoints they created 10 years ago, my teacher would present an exabyte of data, containing information produced seconds or years ago. When I had tough questions, unlike a teacher who might say, "I don't know the answer, but I'll get back to you" — and then never does — my teacher would provide thousands of responses in mere seconds. These ranged from simple one-minute explanations to complex, hour-long lessons. With this teacher, it felt like learning from millions of people, not just one.