Beautiful Anarchy

The Economics of Life Itself : Beautiful Anarchy is the writing platform of Jeffrey Tucker, in which he covers economics, art, popular culture, and politics from a pro-liberty, anti-state point of view.
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  • Jeffrey Tucker

The Frozen Sisters Grapple with Tradition Anxiety Nov 30, 2017

It’s beyond me why the Disney short showing before the new movie Coco (which itself is fantastic) is getting such terrible reviews. It might have something to do with an aspect of Internet culture. Tradition anxiety is prompted by the depth of the history associated with the winter holiday. You can make a bigger splash on social media by brutally criticizing something than by praising it. Then the tipping point arrives and everyone somehow has to agree something is terrible even when it is not (the paradigmatic case of Rebecca Black’s “Friday” comes to mind). In any case, I found...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote2 1

Why Doesn’t James Scott Want to Talk about Property? Nov 29, 2017

One of the most exciting books of 2017 is James Scott’s Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States (Yale 2017). It deals with all the salient questions (that I care about in any case). In prehistoric times, how did human beings discover how to feed themselves? How did we decide to become settled in one spot rather than move around as hunters and gatherers? And the biggest question: where did the state come and why? Scott is properly seen as a critic of the modern state, if not a full-blown anti-statist radical. The core of Scott’s fascinating...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote2 0

Why Does Trump Fear Merging Media Dinosaurs? Nov 29, 2017

In a strange blast from the past, the Trump administration has rejected an uncontroversial vertical merger proposed by AT&T and Time Warner. Oh sure, it’s petty. It’s arbitrary and capricious. It’s economically unjustified. The principal players are right to object. Still, it’s nothing new. Antitrust has always been this way, from Standard Oil to Microsoft. It’s always been about power, not economics. Vertical mergers haven’t been controversial in a long time. But this one is different, so far as the Trump administration is concerned. It’s a reminder of the old days when Washington was in freak-out mode about Hollywood’s “studio...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote1 0

Are You a Genius or a Fraud? Nov 28, 2017

One time, when I was a small child, I saw Hank Aaron go to bat. He had already hit his 500th home run. I was looking forward to seeing this genius do his thing. I was devastated when he struck out. Some genius, I recall thinking. As an eight-year-old, my first thought was that I could have done exactly what he did. Of course, Hank knew something that I, at the time, did not. Genius is about averages, not every time at bat. If every time you strike out, you imagine that you might be a fraud, you will make...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote3 1

Dropping Traffic Rules and Signs Would Make Us Safer Nov 26, 2017

This morning, I was sitting at a stop light and heard a terrifying screeching. A black sedan headed my direction from the oncoming lane was careening across six lanes of traffic, with squealing brakes and tires, through the intersection, flying forward some 75 or so yards and finally landing against a pole with a mighty impact. Terror shot through everyone in the vicinity. Green means go. The problem was that there were cars in the way. What happened? The woman behind the wheel had been driving 45 mph and saw a green light ahead of her. Green means go. The problem was...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote2 3

Goodbye Net Neutrality; Hello Competition Nov 22, 2017

At long last, with the end of “net neutrality,” competition could soon come to the industry that delivers Internet services to you. You might be able to pick among a range of packages, some minimalist and some maximalist, depending on how you use the service. Or you could choose a package that charges based only on what you consume, rather than sharing fees with everyone else. Internet socialism is dead; long live market forces. With market-based pricing finally permitted, we could see new entrants to the industry because it might make economic sense for the first time to innovate. The...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote4 2

Beethoven’s Soundtrack to the Birth of Modernity Nov 20, 2017

As a kid, people were always trying to get me to listen to the symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven. The adults decided they were good. I wasn’t buying it. To my kid ears, there was just too much happening in them. I had no context to understand them. They seemed long and pompous and had no real way to get where they were coming from or why they existed. Not for me. Not yet. I just listened again to the entire cycle, one through nine. It takes about six and a half hours. I felt transported, each symphony different from...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote2 0

Why We Love Farmers Markets Nov 19, 2017

Almost every small and medium-sized town has what are called farmers markets. We love them. Some are seasonal. Some open only on weekends. People shops under tents and pay vendors cash. It’s all very charming, a nice alternative to superstores. I just returned from one. I came home with a 4-pound Red Snapper, oversized Brussels Sprouts, beautiful red potatoes, fresh cheese made in the Mexican style, and tubs of spices – all for less than half what I would pay at a regular grocery store. Plus I enjoyed looking at foods and ingredients from all over the world. So delightful,...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote3 1

Your New Mailman Works for Amazon Nov 17, 2017

There he was dropping off packages in the mail room. I picked up mine and walked away. Then I did a double take. The patch on his shoulder was not USPS, FedEx, or UPS. It was the familiar lower case “a” of Amazon. “Wait, do you actually work for Amazon?” “Yes, sir.” “The company that sells things online now has its own warehouse-to-doorstep delivery service?” “Yes, it’s been around for a year, but expanding by the day. I love my job. It’s a great company.” I am pretty sure I knew this, but it was only a news story until...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote5 1

This Trade Treaty Got Better when the US Bailed Nov 16, 2017

People were stunned when the Trump administration unilaterally bailed on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade treaty in January 2017. It seemed like a deadly blow to this treaty that would have lowered tariffs among 12 nations. What is downright humiliating for Americans is that the treaty became better only after the US withdrew from it.  What did this move portend for the cause of free trade? Some despaired that it would signal a new trend toward protectionism, not only for the US but the world. There is a certain nationalist myopia in this judgment. Americans are inclined to believe that...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote2 2

Money, It Turns Out, Is a Practical Art Nov 15, 2017

If you read on the topic of money’s history from any mainstream textbook, you will already know the drill. In the past, money took many forms. It was shells, pelts, salt, and various metals. Finally we got paper money, credit institutions, then central banks. At this point, we are told, history was complete. The final and best form had arrived. The state would be in charge of money forever. All that was left was to have it managed in a way that better served our needs. People argued about systems of government management. Maybe a rule of some sort, based...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote1 2

A Beginner’s Guide to Bitcoin Chaos Nov 13, 2017

I can’t remember a nuttier weekend in the history of Bitcoin than this one. That’s because the action gets more exciting by the day, with deeper plots, more options, growing complexities, and financial and personal drama all around. You know why? Because this technology matters enormously for the future of the world. It’s Day One in the birth of a new way of doing business. It’s extremely hard to write about this for the uninitiated without seeming to speak Klingon, but here is my attempt. My own Twitter and instant messaging blew up with questions, assertions, declarations, and anathemas. I...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote3 0

Steve Bannon’s “Populism” Would Impoverish Working People Nov 12, 2017

I listened intently to the New York Times’s interview with Steve Bannon, the nationalist man of mystery who might be the most influential force in politics today. He is widely credited with bringing Trump to power with his populist message against the establishments of both parties. His answer keeps coming back to one central principle: economic nationalism. Listening to the interview, the appeal of his message is obvious. There is passion, even fire, in his voice. He is dedicated and focused. By his account, he represents the struggle of the common man against the elites. It’s a battle, a revolution,...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote3 11

A Defense of Highly Curated (and Strange!) Diets Nov 11, 2017

In the old days, people would go on diets to lose weight. People said it was about health, but it was usually about vanity. That’s fine. Then it really did become about health. Everyone I knew claimed to have some allergy to nuts, gluten, or lactose. These days, it seems like everyone has a highly curated diet, not just on grounds of preference and taste but rather tied to essential health needs, even some big spiritual philosophy, always with a big theory to back it. Who can even throw a dinner party anymore? Really you can’t. Who can even throw...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote0 0

Trump’s General Is Right: Soldiering Is Not a Normal Job Nov 11, 2017

John F. Kelly, White House chief of staff, gave a press conference to address the controversy over Trump’s remarks to a grieving mother of a soldier killed in action. Trump was reported to have been insensitive in saying that the kid “knew what he was getting into.” That remark sounds clumsy, but in content, Kelly said, it underscores the absolute heroism of anyone who signs up with a willingness to give your life for the country. The “serve or die” rule remains in place today, not only in Russia, China, and North Korea but also in the U.S. The powerful...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote1 0

Why Are Tel Aviv Bars Reviving the Speakeasy? Nov 11, 2017

There are many unexpected features of Tel Aviv–first among them is that it is a normal, happy, peaceful, prosperous city–but I couldn’t wait to write about one in particular. It’s loud. It’s happy. It’s straight out of 1920s. You just have to imagine an older hotel in the center of Tel Aviv. You walk through the lobby and around the corner, opening some tall doors with etched glass. Inside is a relatively small space populated by plush red sofas and tiny tables, so that when the space is full, you feel like you are nuzzled elbow to elbow. The place is...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote2 0

So This Is What Happens With Government Disaster Relief? Nov 11, 2017

The idea of having government assist after a natural disaster sounds great. It makes us feel good. Houston floods? Send millions. New Orleans floods? Send hundreds of millions. Puerto Rico? The place is a mess and needs billions and billions. It all seems right. The great truth about government is that every penny it spends must come from somewhere and must land somewhere else.  Until you look at the details. Someone gets the money. Whether they are the same institutions who actually do the reconstruction is another matter. And what kind of relief they provide is still another question. Other...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote0 0

Dancing Is Finally Legalized in New York City Nov 11, 2017

As of this week, New York is finally free to dance! As incredible as it seems, the law that mostly banned dancing in New York clubs and bars has finally fallen, fully 91 years after it first passed. The law that a majority of New York City Council voted to repeal was called The Cabaret Law.  Yes, it was heavily enforced since its inception, and increasingly so, especially in the 1980s, as a supposed way of cleaning up the city. The end of the oppression was widely celebrated.  The Letter of the Law The law banned any “musical entertainment, singing, dancing...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote0 0

The Best Defense against Sexual Harassment Is a Free Labor Market Nov 11, 2017

Lin Farley, the person who coined the phrase “sexual harassment” in 1975, is today deeply unhappy about the movement she started. She thinks it has flopped. “At first,” she writes, “it felt as if the term had the potential to change everything. Working women immediately took up the phrase, which finally captured the sexual coercion they were experiencing daily.” It’s true that by giving the practice a name, she writes, the rules in corporate life and government began to change. Training programs against sexual harassment are common. Women with some degree of professional success, resources, and other options have new...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote0 0

It’s Total Madness in Bitcoin Land Nov 11, 2017

"To the moon," goes one popular slogan in Bitcoin circles.  "No, I will not set up your Bitcoin wallet," says another.  Couple those and you get a sense of the attitude in the Bitcoin community right now. For eight years now, establishment financial and monetary experts have been putting it down. With prices now at dizzying heights, defying the expectations of even its biggest fans, Bitcoin has entered a new era.  Will it suddenly crash again like it did last month? Probably. But no one knows when. And what happens then is the big issue. The whole history of this...

By Jeffrey Tucker Vote0 0

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