Labor-Displacing Technology Is Good for Labor

Labor-displacing technology can cause temporary pain, but that reflects progress. Suppressing it won’t protect workers; it’ll sacrifice productivity and…

Aug 14 • Robert D. Atkinson

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July 2026

Time for an 18-Month Moratorium on Data Center Moratoriums

Montgomery County’s new data center moratorium will do little for the environment, but plenty to weaken growth, deter investment, and undermine the…

Jul 31 • Robert D. Atkinson

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The Unabomber Is Dead. Unabomberism Is Not.

The evolving anti-technology movement in the United States is not harmless nostalgia. It threatens growth, security, competitiveness, and human…

Jul 23 • Robert D. Atkinson

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Taking a Timeout This Early? Wake Me When Washington Gets Serious About China

Whether Washington sustains a policy response equal to the challenge China poses or takes a timeout while Xi runs up the score remains an open question.

Jul 10 • Robert D. Atkinson

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What’s the Matter With the Techno-Economy’s Professorial Class?

Too many academics now trade objectivity for narrative, ignoring inconvenient facts that get in the way of the story they want to tell.

Jul 2 • Robert D. Atkinson

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June 2026

The Pope’s AI Encyclical Marks the Triumph of Social Capitalism Over Neoliberalism: Part II

Echoing social capitalism, the encyclical gets technology and employment wrong, succumbing to the lump-of-labor fallacy and short-term protection over…

Jun 18 • Robert D. Atkinson

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The Pope’s AI Encyclical Marks the Triumph of Social Capitalism Over Neoliberalism: Part I

The Pope’s AI encyclical reflects social capitalism’s animus toward growth, technology-driven creative destruction, international economic competition…

Jun 11 • Robert D. Atkinson

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Replace the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals With One: Productivity

If the UN were serious about ending poverty and improving living standards worldwide, it would make productivity growth the organizing principle of its…

Jun 4 • Robert D. Atkinson

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May 2026

Five Weak Arguments for a US Manufacturing Policy, and Two Real Ones

The strongest case for U.S. manufacturing policy is not jobs or economic multipliers. It’s the trade deficit and China’s techno-economic challenge.

May 21 • Robert D. Atkinson

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Trump Should Judge Every Deal With China by One Question

After meetings in Beijing, Trump should judge every proposed techno-economic and trade deal on one question: Does it strengthen or weaken China’s…

May 15 • Robert D. Atkinson

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Why Did the US Pass China PNTR?

The lessons of America’s worst trade decision remain unlearned.

May 7 • Robert D. Atkinson

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April 2026

Creative Destruction With Compassionate Support, or a Null Set?

Creative destruction drives growth but displaces workers. Governments shouldn’t stop it; they should support workers through the transition. The Nordic…

Apr 30 • Robert D. Atkinson

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