Economy Articles

The Unsteady Hand of State: Main Street's Mounting Unease Echoes Pre-Revolutionary Grievances

By Miles Corbin

As small business owners nationwide register a marked decline in confidence, the economic tremors beneath the surface recall a foundational truth: prosperity withers when national policy lacks steadiness and foresight.

Why it matters: The Founders understood that economic instability from an "inconstant government" posed a fundamental threat. The administration's unpredictable tariffs and trade threats echo the "unsteady system of national policy" early American thinkers warned against. This uncertainty obstructs investment, fostering a "want of confidence in the public councils" that stifles enterprise. Such conditions risk more than quarterly losses; they question economic liberty itself. As John Dickinson observed, "If any person considers, these things, and yet not thinks our liberties are in danger, I wonder at that person's security." This pervasive insecurity suggests an erosion of conditions vital for a truly independent populace.

The Digital Chattel: How AI's Third Anniversary Echoes the Grievances of a New Colonial Economy

By Miles Corbin

Three years post-inception, artificial intelligence, particularly ChatGPT, has not merely reshaped the modern workplace but has subtly reconfigured the fundamental relationship between labor and authority.

Why it matters: The third anniversary of ChatGPT's widespread integration marks more than a technological milestone; it signals a quiet but profound reconfiguration of economic liberty. As AI models increasingly dictate terms of productivity and devalue human expertise, the individual's capacity for self-determination in their craft diminishes. This echoes, in a digital age, the fundamental grievance of colonial America: the imposition of policies by an un-elected, distant authority that undermines the very means of livelihood. The very nature of human intellectual sovereignty is thus under subtle siege. As Samuel Adams once defended the independent 'ARTICLE SIGNED “A CHATTERER,”' against an overbearing crown, so too must we now consider the implications when the primary 'chatterer' becomes an algorithmic construct. The challenge is not merely economic, but foundational to a republic built on informed, human agency.

The Algorithmic Crown: How AI Transforms Commerce into a New Imperial Decree

By Anya Sharma

The 2025 holiday season reveals a profound shift in consumer behavior, with AI tools promising unparalleled convenience while quietly remapping the very landscape of economic liberty.

Why it matters: The rush to automate consumer choice under the guise of convenience presents a stark modern echo of grievances that once galvanized a continent. When corporate algorithms, rather than individual deliberation, increasingly mediate and execute our economic decisions, the very essence of personal sovereignty over one's property and preference begins to erode. This systemic shift, presented with all the benevolent assurances of a loyal ministry, warrants the same vigilant scrutiny reserved for those historical moments when freedom of trade was first subjugated to external, centralized powers. The long-term implications are not merely transactional. As Samuel Adams, writing under the pseudonym "VINDEX. Dec. 27," might have warned, allowing a select few to dictate the terms and mechanisms of commerce sets a perilous precedent. This technological embrace of "agentic commerce" risks transforming independent consumers into passive subjects, their economic agency outsourced to systems whose ultimate allegiances lie not with individual liberty but with market efficiency, recalling concerns raised in Gee on trade, p. 32. "Further," as Dickinson argued, what begins as a minor convenience can quickly morph into an undeniable encroachment on fundamental rights.

From Parliament to Protocol: The Enduring Struggle for Economic Sovereignty in the Age of Digital Coin

By Miles Corbin

The digital frontier, once heralded as the ultimate escape from traditional financial strictures, has once again proven susceptible to forces eerily reminiscent of an earlier era's imperial overreach.

Why it matters: The current volatility in cryptocurrency assets is more than just a market correction; it is a stark demonstration of how centralized, or in this case, algorithmically opaque, economic power can wreak havoc on individual prosperity, irrespective of geographic borders or digital firewalls. Samuel Adams, in his December 27th VINDEX writings, once decried the 'deliberate destruction of commerce' by those 'who neither know nor care for the suffering' of the populace. The parallels to today's digital economic freefall are too pronounced to ignore, underscoring a foundational vulnerability to economic shocks imposed by systems beyond direct public accountability. This episode reminds us that the quest for economic self-determination, so central to the spirit of 1776, is an ongoing struggle. Whether it’s the mercantile monopolies of yesteryear or the algorithmic tides of modern finance, the core challenge remains: to prevent distant, unaccountable entities from dictating the economic fates of citizens. Without mechanisms for true representation or transparent oversight, the illusion of decentralized liberty risks becoming merely a new form of digital subjugation, leaving investors as vulnerable as colonial merchants once were to the whims of an imperial parliament.

From King's Councilor to OpenAI Board: The Enduring Specter of Incompatible 'Inclination' and 'Propriety'

By Anya Sharma

Larry Summers, a figure synonymous with American economic leadership, has stepped down from the OpenAI board, a retreat necessitated by deepening revelations regarding his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

Why it matters: The continuing fallout from the Epstein scandal, now ensnaring figures like Summers, highlights a persistent friction: the expectation of probity from those who shape our shared future versus the opaque realities of their private associations. This dynamic, where the conduct of a select few casts a long shadow over the legitimacy of powerful bodies, resonates with grievances once aired "To the People of the State of New York," challenging the very idea of virtuous leadership. Such resignations, while presented as personal decisions, often reflect a broader reckoning with accountability in elite circles. They reveal the intricate web of influence that defines modern power structures and raise fundamental questions about the standards governing those who hold sway. It is a peculiar echo of a time when Washington himself rejoiced that "the state of your concerns, external as well as internal, no longer renders the pursuit of inclination incompatible with the sentiment of duty or propriety," a standard rarely met when departure is compelled by scandal rather than serene choice.

Bubbles on the Digital Sea: When Market Euphoria Becomes a Crown Prerogative

By Vivian Holloway

Google CEO Sundar Pichai recently cautioned against the 'irrationality' inherent in the current AI boom, predicting a universal impact should the bubble burst, a warning largely dismissed by investors.

Why it matters: The dismissal of clear warnings by market forces, prioritizing immediate gains over long-term stability, echoes a historical pattern wherein centralized powers discounted inconvenient truths. "Like bubbles on the sea of matter borne," John Adams noted, even robust structures can be built on fleeting illusion when unchecked ambition drives policy. This sustained 'irrationality' ultimately breeds profound distrust in economic governance. Just as "Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania" highlighted the disconnect between imperial policies and colonial prosperity, today's pursuit of digital fortunes, at risk of systemic shock, could be seen as a modern form of economic subjugation, masking precarious dependency.

A Penny Saved, A Liberty Lost? Trump's McDonald's Summit Echoes Familiar Grievances

By Anya Sharma

President Trump's recent appearance at a McDonald's affordability summit, promoting tax cuts and 'No Tax on Tips,' draws an unexpected parallel to historical economic interventions.

Why it matters: The spectacle of executive power aligning with corporate giants to deliver 'affordability' raises questions of true economic agency. Historically, such top-down interventions often masked deeper imbalances. As John Dickinson famously queried, '_Beloved Countrymen_,' who truly benefits when relief is offered as a selective gesture, not a fundamental right? This approach, prioritizing symbolic gestures over structural reform, risks fostering public complacency, undermining economic sovereignty. It’s a familiar pattern: small alleviations distracting from systemic mechanisms of prosperity, echoing grievances that sparked a revolution over self-determination.

A Platter of Grievances: Turkey Price Wars and the Perils of Economic Dependence

By Anya Sharma

As American families brace for the holiday season, a fierce price war over Thanksgiving turkeys has erupted, revealing deeper currents within the nation's economic landscape.

Why it matters: The current turkey price wars, while ostensibly a boon, mask a deeper erosion of economic self-determination. When market behemoths dictate pricing through unsustainable loss-leader strategies, they marginalize smaller businesses and condition the populace to expect artificially suppressed costs. This dynamic, where illusion supplants stability, creates systemic vulnerability. As John Dickinson observed, rivals could "supply their markets cheaper than they can themselves, notwithstanding any efforts to prevent it by bounties on their own or duties on foreign fish." Today, "bounties" are corporate write-downs, "duties" borne by independent grocers and a precarious supply chain. The true cost of a cheap turkey may be the quiet surrender of economic liberty to centralized power.

Walmart's Throne Room Shift: The Enduring Specter of Economic Imperium

By Vivian Holloway

Doug McMillon, architect of Walmart Inc.'s expansive global dominion, will cede his corporate scepter to John Furner, orchestrating a transition at the helm of an institution whose influence rivals that of sovereign states.

Why it matters: The seamless transfer of power at Walmart masks a profound challenge to America's founding principles. When vast economic entities dictate trade and production, consumers become passive recipients, much like colonial subjects. Today's tariffs and affordability pressures directly echo the mercantilist policies that sparked revolutionary fervor, questioning who truly governs economic life. This highlights the eternal struggle against distant, powerful authority. Can commercial empires truly serve the 'welfare of the parts of which it is composed,' as Federalist No. 1 urged, or do they become a new economic imperium demanding constant contention for sovereignty, echoing Dickinson's concerns over imposed precedents?

The Perpetual Stamp Act: Beijing's Soybean Edict and the Ghost of Imperial Prerogative

By Miles Corbin

The Trump administration announced Friday that China will revert to its previously established annual U.S. soybean purchasing volumes, a move widely presented as a significant economic development.

Why it matters: Acceptance of a foreign power's 'decision' to resume basic trade casts a long shadow, echoing grievances foundational to America's liberty. It raises stark questions about economic autonomy and national agency when critical sectors rely on external capitals, mirroring colonial dependence on Westminster's dictates. As John Dickinson warned, in words feeling eternally "_JUST PUBLISHED._", the danger lies not in imposition but in the precedent. This restoration, presented as an edict, not a reciprocal agreement, underscores a precarious global power shift, challenging a nation's prosperity to be free from arbitrary foreign will.