The mass psychosis about social distancing threatens to transform from a temporary measure into a completely acceptable and permanent approach to life. The idea of limiting and state control over contacts is not new. It is completely opposite to the conclusions reached by the most prominent representatives of economic science. Therefore, it is worth …

Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834) was an English economist whose name is associated with an influential theory. He argued that if there are no limitations on resources, population increases in geometric progression. The doubling period is 25 years. Over the same period, food supplies increase in arithmetic progression. This results in a severe …

In recent days, Bulgarian politicians have, with surprising consensus, declared open war on the invisible enemy Covid-19. Measures have been and are being taken that are akin to martial law. Forgotten practices such as curfews, total control over behavior, control over freedom of speech, restrictions disproportionate to the danger, and attacks on private …

Direct state intervention in pricing is a traditional tool for solving economic or social problems caused by a sharp increase or decrease in prices. The economic past of Bulgaria during the period between the First and Second World Wars (1919-1939) reveals some typical practices of state pricing and their consequences. It was already …

One of the most frequently applied economic regulations is state intervention in pricing. This is easily explained. The increase in prices of essential goods creates social tension. The authorities try to bring calm by subjecting prices to administrative control. It is believed that this helps the poor and the disadvantaged. Elementary economic …

The number of Bulgarian victims and victims of World War II (1939-1945) was relatively small. After its beginning, the authorities sincerely tried to maintain neutrality, but on March 1, 1941, they joined as allies of Hitler's Germany, and at the end of the same year they declared a "symbolic war" on the USA and ...

The words in the title are a quote from a parliamentary speech by the Bulgarian Prime Minister from 1926 to 1931, Andrey Lyapchev (1866-1933). They are an expression of the life credo that one should remain true to one's beliefs and not change them according to the requirements of a specific historical situation. It is well known that …

Voting on legislative acts takes place in a well-known, transparent manner. Behind the precise wording of all the elements of a particular law, there are forces that rarely become publicly known. They are driven by a direct interest related to the operation and scope of the legislative act. Material interest is often masked by patriotic arguments. In …

The love for state ownership and state economic initiatives is periodically revived. The economic effect of the activities of state-owned enterprises usually sharply contrasts with the expectations for the promotion of social justice, the reduction of inequalities, the reduction of poverty, etc. And because the devil is in the details, the assessment of the results of their functioning ...

Prohibitions have been part of the history of mankind since biblical times. Their emergence and public acceptance or rejection are the result of a long evolutionary process. In fact, the past abounds with examples in which attempts by state or other authorities to impose certain restrictions ended in failure. The most popular is probably the attempt to introduce …