February 2024 Archives (original) (raw)

Features

An illustration of Milton Friedman, Ludwig von Mises, and Friedrich Hayek | Illustration: Milton Friedman, Ludwig von Mises, and Friedrich Hayek; Joanna Andreasson. Source images: Graphic Goods/Creative Market, Mosi/Fiverr

Economics

The Post-Neoliberalism Moment

Anyone advocating neoliberal policies is now persona non grata in Washington, D.C.

Daniel W. Drezner

An illustration of a Mayonnaise jar with wings | Illustration: Joanna Andreasson Source image: Gary Curtis/Alamy

Environmentalism

Is ESG Already Over?

CEOs are beginning to wonder what to do when environmental, social, and governance factors are at odds with performance.

Russ Greene

An illustration of Veronique De Rugy as Uncle Sam | Illustration: Joanna Andreasson; Source images: Veronique De Rugy, redhumv, NSA Digital Archive/iStock

National Debt

The Fiscal Hawks Were Right About Debt and Interest Rates

Rosy fiscal expectations based on eternally low interest rates have proven dangerously wrong.

Veronique de Rugy

Robert Nozick 1 | Illustrations: Peter Bagge

Comics

Comic: The Ever-Evolving Robert Nozick

A young philosopher goes from socialist to reluctant libertarian.

Peter Bagge

Interview

Coleman Hughes photo portrait | Photo: Evan Mann

Civil Liberties

Coleman Hughes on the Separation of Race and State

Is podcaster Coleman Hughes a state capacity libertarian?

Nick Gillespie

Editor's Note

topicsfuture | Photo: @eshear/X

Artificial Intelligence

We Absolutely Do Not Need an FDA for AI

If our best and brightest technologists and theorists are struggling to see the way forward for AI, what makes anyone think politicians are going to get there first?

Katherine Mangu-Ward

Topics

A silhouette photo of a person looking at the SpaceX Starship | Photo: UPI/Alamy

Space

Photo: Is SpaceX Ready for Liftoff?

With another “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” the second Starship test in November was a mixed success.

Jason Russell

A 1914 cartoon shows railroad companies asking the ICC (depicted as Uncle Sam) for permission to raise rates | Illustration: A 1914 cartoon shows railroad companies asking the ICC (depicted as Uncle Sam) for permission to raise rates; Puck/Library of Congress

Technology

Elizabeth Warren's Terrible Model for Tech Regulation

Bad ideas never seem to truly die in Washington.

Eric Boehm

Print depicting the punishment of convicts in 1869 | Photo: Print depicting the punishment of convicts, 1869; The New York Public Library

Law & Government

Federal Judge Questions 'Evolving Standards' Test for Cruel and Unusual Punishment

The Supreme Court judges Eighth Amendment cases with "evolving standards of decency." Some conservative jurists don't like it.

C.J. Ciaramella

Tents at a homeless encampment | Photo: An Urban Alchemy tent camp in Culver City, California; Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/Getty

Housing Policy

Homeless Encampments Cost These Cities Tens of Thousands of Dollars Per Tent

L.A., Portland, and other cities are spending millions to house homeless people in outdoor "safe sleeping" sites.

Christian Britschgi

An illustration of a bat and some bees | Photo: Andreas Häuslbetz/iStock Photo; Todd Cravens/Unsplash

Conservation

When Well-Intended Environmentalism Backfires

Housing bats, buying an E.V., and planting trees sometimes end up being counterproductive.

Mike Riggs

A stylized photograph of Gavin Newsom | Photo: California Gov. Gavin Newsom; Sheila Fitzgerald/Alamy

Drugs

Newsom Nixes Psychedelic Decriminalization and Cannabis Cafés

Gavin Newsom supported a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in California but rejected a social consumption measure.

Jacob Sullum

A photo of two mice | Photo: faslooff/iStock

Science

What if Men Could Produce Their Own Eggs?

In vitro gametogenesi could allow same-sex couples, post-menopausal women, and couples experiencing infertility to have children.

Ronald Bailey

A pro-Palestine demonstration | Photo: Sabih Jafri/Alamy

Campus Free Speech

Pro-Palestinian Speech Is Still Free Speech

Republicans should remember that they have spent years railing against censorship on college campuses.

Robby Soave

A former parking garage being used as a food market | Photo: Liz Wolfe

Travel

Giving Parking Garages New Life

Blame local government parking minimums for the overabundance of parking in the U.S.

Liz Wolfe

An illustration of several vegan grocery store products | Illustrations: Galich Ws/Fiverr

Food

How To Assemble a Vegan Plate

Lab-grown chicken, vegan mac and cheese, animal-free ice cream, and more.

Emma Camp

Culture

Hasan Minhaj performing stand-up comedy | Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty

Cancel Culture

Comedy's Truthiness Problem

Hasan Minhaj’s stand-up tests the boundaries of fact and fiction.

Peter Suderman

Books

A portion of the book cover of 'Your Face Belongs to Us' by Kashmir Hill | Random House

Surveillance

Is Facial Recognition a Useful Public Safety Tool or Something Sinister?

Your Face Belongs to Us documents how facial recognition might threaten our freedom.

Ronald Bailey

A portion of the book cover of "Vote Gun" by Patrick J. Charles | Columbia University Press

Gun Rights

The 'No Compromise' NRA Is Neither New nor Uncompromising

The book Vote Gun criticizes the NRA’s rhetoric but pays little attention to gun control advocates' views.

Jacob Sullum

book4 | Photo: Caroline Calloway; Arturo Holmes/WENN.com/Alamy

Social Media

An Instagram Star Walks the Fine Line Between Self-Creation and Snake Oil

Social media influencer Caroline Calloway might not be a reliable narrator, but Scammer is an honest memoir nevertheless.

Tara Isabella Burton

Reviews

minis_attack-ontitan | <em>Attack on Titan</em>/WitStudio/MAPPA

Television

Review: A Fitting End to Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan is ultimately an anime about what it means to be free.

Katarina Hall

An illustration of a person in a space suit in a promotional image for the video game 'Starfield.' | Starfield

Video Games

Review: Starfield Is Really a Video Game About Government

Bureaucracy vs. freedom in outer space

Peter Suderman

A portion of the book cover of 'A City on Mars' by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith | Penguin Press

Space

Review: Should Humans Settle Mars? This Book Is Skeptical.

A City on Mars is a counterbalance to the growing optimism over space exploration.

Christian Britschgi

'Flying Copper' by Banksy on display in London | The Art of Banksy

Art

Review: Banksy's Iconic Art on Display in London

The unauthorized "Art of Banksy" exhibit includes ads from the street artist's real-life Palestine hotel.

Stephanie Slade

minis_thekidsofrutherfordcounty | The Kids of Rutherford County

Criminal Justice

Review: Exposing a Broken Juvenile Court System

Kids were jailed for minor offenses, as detailed in The Kids of Rutherford County podcast.

Emma Camp

The character Loki smiling in a screenshot from the TV show 'Loki' on Disney+. | <em>Loki</em>/Disney+

Television

Review: Loki Reckons With the Peril of Power

In the second season of his eponymous Marvel series, Loki becomes both more human and more godlike.

Katherine Mangu-Ward

A promotional image for the Hulu show 'Reservation Dogs.' The four main characters are wearing black bandanas. | <em>Reservation Dogs</em>/FX

Television

Review: A Teen Dramedy on a Native American Reservation

The government abuse that precipitated Native American social woes is not directly discussed in Reservation Dogs.

Brian Doherty

ETC.

Russ Roberts | Photo: Russ Roberts

Foreign Aid

Russ Roberts on October 7 and the Future of U.S.-Israel Relations

"I've never been in favor of that aid. I've always opposed it. I don't think it's good for Israel," the American-Israeli economist tells Reason.

Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe

bb1 | Illustration: Peter Bagge

Politics

Brickbats: February 2024

News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world.

Charles Oliver and Peter Bagge

archives | Illustration: Peter Bennett, February 1999 issue of Reason

Politics

Archives: February 2024

Excerpts from Reason's vaults

Reason Staff

Lists

A map showing corporations that got government incentives | Source images: Wikimedia

Crony Capitalism

The Government Is Better at Picking Losers Than Winners

It's taxpayers who lose when politicians give gifts, grants, and loans to private companies.

Joe Lancaster