Is plywood boarding conducive to cooperative exchange?

The 7-11 next to where I work covered its windows with black plywood following nights of protests and destruction prompted by George Floyd's death, BLM, and calls to defund the police. The plywood made the entrance much less appealing and made me reflect on how much social order helps people cooperate voluntary. When we and our property are secure, we reduce our private expenditures on protection of life, limb, and property and have a greater incentive to invest in ourselves and our assets, and are more trusting and eager to engage in cooperate exchange.

One perspective on why much of Africa is poor

Magatte Wade, an African entrepreneur, says that the biggest reason much of her country is poor is crushing government regulation (StosselTV, Sept. 2019). The video also describes an unintended consequence of Tom's Shoes buy 1, give 1 away policy.

The Ideological Origins of the Rule of Law

Here is evidence that the Jewish and Christian concept of all human beings as God’s image bearers is an important contributor to the rule of law in Western civilization (SSRN, March 2018).

One gain from trade is less hunger

Free trade can prevent hunger caused by climate change (Science Daily, July 2020).

Is racism systemic in the USA?

The Great Society failed to reduce disparities between white and black income and wealth

"The historical data also reveal that no progress has been made in reducing income and wealth inequalities between black and white households over the past 70 years" (Income and Wealth Inequality in America, 1949-2016). The Gini coefficient = 0 if everyone has the same share and = 1 if the richest person has everything.

What will the price of oil be?

Analysts disagree over whether the price of oil is going to increase substantially or remain at its current low value (WSJ, July 2020). Some of the analysts argue that low prices are depressing investment so much that prices will increase in the future. Others argue that the demand will remain low. Let's use economics to investigate. Remember that a decrease in investment is equivalent to exit and an increase in investment is equivalent to entry.

1. How does a decrease in demand affect the price of oil in the short run?
2.  How does a decrease in investment affect the price of oil in the long run?
3. If the industry is competitive and the minimum average total cost is $60, is $150 a sustainable price?
4. If the industry is competitive and the minimum average total cost is $60, is $40 a sustainable price?
5. If the industry is competitive and price in the short run falls below the minimum average total cost, what happens to price in the long run?
6. If the industry is competitive and price in the short run rises above the minimum average total cost, what happens to price in the long run?

What happens when coronavirus makes a plant an unsafe place to work?

The coronavirus pandemic hit meat-packing plants hard. The owners of the plant have responded many ways (WSJ, July 2020).

1. The demand for PPE increased. What do you think happened to prices for PPE?
2. The supply of labor decreased; people don't want to work where the probability of getting sick is high. What happened to the price of labor?
3. Owners are substituting machines for people to pack meat. Would they substitute more and faster when the price of labor is low or when it is high?

Are the responses by owners what a benevolent social planner would order?