Josh’s Bio

Hard at work on a blog post

I am a third year undergraduate student at UC Berkeley. After initially taking classes in other disciplines, I decided to major in economics without really knowing what I was in for.

My life profoundly changed this past summer when I picked up my roommate’s copy of Milton Friedman’s Free to Choose. I had never heard the unfiltered argument for the free-market before then. I found the book very persuasive and decided to reexamine a lot of my political beliefs. I’ve come away from this questioning period with a newfound respect for economic freedom and an admiration of the mutually beneficial gains from voluntary cooperation.

I’m convinced that free markets work better than most people think they do. Not just a little better, but so much better that the benefits to all would be immense. There are countless restrictions that make all our lives worse, not better.

I’m also convinced that government activity is not nearly as effective as we’re being led to believe. Most of the indoctrination comes straight from the state, whether it be public schools or the Congressional Budget Office. Those in favor of large scale government intervention believe certain activity is too important to be left to the market. I believe the opposite: the more critical something is, the more necessary markets are in providing it.

Finally, I believe in the normative philosophy of liberty. You own yourself and no one else. It follows that you get to make these decisions in your life: who to associate with, what occupation to enter, what to put in your body, and how to use your property. As long as no third party can reasonably claim harm, you should be free to live your life as you see fit.

My job is to show you that economic principles reflect reality and explain why it matters. Your job is to keep me honest when I make a flawed argument or misunderstand something.

We can disagree civilly, so let’s do it. Comments are welcome on all posts.