It would nevertheless be too easy to say that mainland China’s consumer materialism has nothing to do with Marxism simply because Marx himself criticized commodity fetishism. Marxist historical materialism and consumer materialism are conceptually different, but ideas also matter through the political institutions and policy priorities constructed from them.
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Political Correctness: Voluntary Respect or Politically Enforced Conformity?
Political correctness has become one of the most controversial concepts in contemporary Western societies. Ironically, much of the debate begins before any substantive discussion even starts, because people rarely agree on what the term actually means.
Continue readingAn Economist’s Reflections on the Recent Eviction Case Involving an 82-Year-Old Woman in Madrid
In recent days, the temporary suspension of the eviction of an 82-year-old woman in Madrid has attracted considerable media attention. As an economist, I believe cases like this deserve careful analysis based on the facts, rather than solely on the emotions they inevitably provoke.
Continue readingEconomic Freedom, LGBTI Rights, and the Price of Pride
One week from today, I will be in Amsterdam to take part in The Price of Pride: Economic Freedom & Digital Rights, an event organized by the European Liberal Forum in cooperation with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Europe and Rainbow Platform, on the fringes of EuroPride and WorldPride Amsterdam. The event will bring together researchers, activists, policymakers, and content creators to discuss a question that is often fragmented across different academic and political debates: how do economic freedom, digital rights, personal liberty, and human dignity interact in the lives of LGBTI people?
Continue readingReflections from the 10th Austrian Economics Meeting Europe in Angers
From May 28 to May 30, I had the privilege of participating in the 10th Austrian Economics Meeting Europe, held in the historic city of Angers, France. Events like this remind me why academic exchange remains one of the most important elements of intellectual development.
Continue readingOn the 101st Anniversary of Sun Yat-sen’s Death: The Revolution Remains Unfinished
March 12 this year marked the 101st anniversary of the death of Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Republic of China. In 1924, after being invited north amid efforts to address China’s political fragmentation, he journeyed toward Beijing despite already being in poor health. Historical accounts agree that after the October 1924 Beijing coup, Feng Yuxiang, working with Duan Qirui and Zhang Zuolin, sought to bring Sun north for discussions on national affairs; Sun issued his Northward Declaration in November 1924 and arrived in Beijing in December. His condition deteriorated rapidly, and he died in Beijing on March 12, 1925.
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