Words & Numbers: The Population Boom Could Save the World
In 1798, 95 percent of the world lived in poverty. Today, less than 10 percent do, in spite of the world’s population growing by 700 percent in that same time.
The common thought among young people is that this 700 percent population growth is going to overpopulate the earth. But given the number of people in poverty, it looks like population growth is actually good for poverty – more people means more brains, which means more ideas, inventions, and innovations.
This week on Words and Numbers, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan talk about how and why the world is improving despite widespread negativity towards the idea of a growing world population, and why that negativity persists regardless of the prosperity we see every day.
Looking for an internship this coming summer? Former FEE interns tell you why you should apply for one at FEE.
Apply now: http://www.fee.org/about/page/internships
In honor of Tax Day, Antony Davies & James R. Harrigan talk about the absurdity of the US tax code. If your tax situation is more complicated or more uncomfortable than you like dealing with, you can pay another human being to do your taxes so you don’t have to. There are dependents, mortgages, deductions from energy-efficient household additions, charity, student loan interest ... even with a Ph.D. in economics, it’s hard to understand!
Learn more:
https://fee.org/articles/even-economists-cant-do-their-own-taxes/
https://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/articles/2017-02-01/the-cbo-federal-budget-predictions-are-dangerously-optimistic
In this online class, Edward Stringham and Frederic Sautet will introduce students to fundamental concepts about entrepreneurship. They will discuss the role of entrepreneurial profit, government regulations, market ethics and economic development.
Just because we've had a system of central banking for 100 years doesn't mean we ought to. In fact, it's starting to look like central banks do more harm than good. From obscuring the true cost of credit to causing confusion about good investments, central bankers end up papering over economic problems. And when they send the wrong messages to savers and consumers trying to coordinate their plans, boom and bust cycles lengthen and worsen.
Learn more about the problems central banking causes at http://www.FEE.org/centralbanking.
Scripted, animated, and produced by Steve Patterson. Extremely special thanks to Julia Patterson.
You can now watch this video with Portuguese subtitles thanks to Portal Libertarianismo. Click here to watch with Portuguese subtitles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M943aTh4kas
Dr. Paul F. Cwik vs. Dr. Snehal Shingavi
Resolved: "A free market is the most effective poverty-fighting program."
Saturday, June 7th at 12:45pm ET | St. Edward's University | Austin, TX