Author Archives: Paul Frijters

Congrats to Card, Angrist, and Imbens!

The Nobel Prize for Economics got announced and I was pleased to hear it went to David Card, Josh Angrist, and Guido Imbens. Among the best picks in years, I think. A lot will be written elsewhere about the many … Continue reading

Posted in Science | 4 Comments

A letter to Scandinavia

Dear Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Iceland (Scandinavia), First off, thank you for the last 18 months. Almost alone in ‘the West’, you have either avoided covid madness completely (Sweden) or at least regained your sanity more quickly (the rest). … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 42 Comments

Where are the Chinese reforms going?

Let us look at the extraordinary non-covid changes now happening in China. The country has been reforming rapidly the last 20 months and I want to muse about the trajectory these reforms are setting China upon. Many commentators see in … Continue reading

Posted in Cultural Critique, Politics - international, Social Policy, Society | 12 Comments

Fatalism and counterfactuals in times of lockdowns

One of the more curious phenomena of the last 18 months has been the fatalism on display on both sides of the lockdown divide. In the anti-lockdown brigade fatalism props up in the guise of “this was the inevitable outcome … Continue reading

Posted in Coronavirus crisis, Cultural Critique, Dance, Death and taxes, Life, Philosophy | 16 Comments

On Faust, Lord of the Rings, and lockdowns

A major theme in our book “the Great Covid Panic” (now also on Kindle!) is how a whole layer of politicians, medical advisers, and opportunistic business people grabbed the opportunity for more power and money during the lockdowns of 2020-2021. … Continue reading

Posted in Coronavirus crisis, Dance, Death and taxes, Health, History, Life, Philosophy, Social | 4 Comments

The Great Covid Panic: now out!

It’s here, the booklet I am sure you have all been waiting for. The one which Gigi Foster and Michael Baker slaved over for 10 months. It is also on Kindle. It is dedicated to all the victims of the … Continue reading

Posted in Bargains, Coronavirus crisis, Dance, Death and taxes, Democracy, Economics and public policy, Education, Employment, Ethics, Health, History, Humour, Inequality, Isegoria, IT and Internet, Journalism, Law, Libertarian Musings, Life, Literature, Media, Medical, Parenting, Philosophy, Political theory, Politics - international, Politics - national, Print media, Public and Private Goods, Religion, Review, Science, Social, Social Policy, Society, Sortition and citizens’ juries, Terror, Theatre, Travel, WOW! - Amazing | 7 Comments

Two summary pieces of HART and SWPR on masks

Since I learned in April 2020 that transmission of covid was mainly via extremely small aerosols, I have regarded face masks as a placebo: they are to aerosols what garden gates are to mosquitoes. Yet, placebos have a role so … Continue reading

Posted in Coronavirus crisis, Death and taxes, Health, IT and Internet, Science | 41 Comments