Posts
From the Nanny State to the Bully State | Patrick Basham | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Providing health information has not failed. What has failed is the state's expensive attempt to instill fear in the minds of its citizens about many of their dietary and recreational choices. Serious health warnings are diluted when consumers are deluged by 'warnings' about every imaginable item, ingredient, and eventuality. There is already evidence that consumers are confused by warning labels, for example. Clearly, most of these labels should come with their own warning: 'Caution: Bureaucrats at Work'.
Prevention has failed to ward off lifestyle illnesses for the fundamental reason that such illnesses are multifactoral and, therefore, it is clinically impossible to identify the sole cause of a disease. Consider, for instance, the multiplicity of risk factors for both lung cancer and heart disease-thirty for the former and over three hundred for the latter."
"The standards of scientific evidence required to justify public health interventions are far, far higher than those employed by policymakers. Evidence-light, photo-op policymaking often makes for good media coverage and, at times, good politicking, but it rarely makes for good public health."
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Rich Can't Pay for ObamaCare | Alan Reynolds | Cato Institute: Commentary
The Rich Can't Pay for ObamaCare | Alan Reynolds | Cato Institute: Commentary: "From past experience, these are just a few of the ways that taxpayers will react to the Obama administration's tax plans:
* Professionals and companies who currently file under the individual income tax as partnerships, LLCs or Subchapter S corporations would form C-corporations to shelter income, because the corporate tax rate would then be lower with fewer arbitrary limits on deductions for costs of earning income.
* Investors who jumped into dividend-paying stocks after 2003 when the tax rate fell to 15% would dump many of those shares in favor of tax-free municipal bonds if the dividend tax went up to 23.8% as planned.
* Faced with a 23.8% capital gains tax, high-income investors would avoid realizing gains in taxable accounts unless they had offsetting losses.
* Faced with a rapid phase-out of deductions and exemptions for reported income above $250,000, any two-earner family in a high-tax state could keep their income below that pain threshold by increasing 401(k) contributions, switching investments into tax-free bond funds, and avoiding the realization of capital gains.
* Faced with numerous tax penalties on added income in general, many two-earner couples would become one-earner couples, early retirement would become far more popular, executives would substitute perks for taxable paychecks, physicians would play more golf, etc.
In short, the evidence is clear that when marginal tax rates go up, the amount of reported incomes goes down."
"If an accurate ETI estimate for the highest incomes is closer to 1.0 than 0.5, as such studies suggest, the administration's intended tax hikes on high-income families will raise virtually no revenue at all. Yet the higher tax rates will harm economic growth through reduced labor effort, thwarted entrepreneurship, and diminished investments in physical and human capital. And that, in turn, means a smaller tax base and less revenue in the future."
* Professionals and companies who currently file under the individual income tax as partnerships, LLCs or Subchapter S corporations would form C-corporations to shelter income, because the corporate tax rate would then be lower with fewer arbitrary limits on deductions for costs of earning income.
* Investors who jumped into dividend-paying stocks after 2003 when the tax rate fell to 15% would dump many of those shares in favor of tax-free municipal bonds if the dividend tax went up to 23.8% as planned.
* Faced with a 23.8% capital gains tax, high-income investors would avoid realizing gains in taxable accounts unless they had offsetting losses.
* Faced with a rapid phase-out of deductions and exemptions for reported income above $250,000, any two-earner family in a high-tax state could keep their income below that pain threshold by increasing 401(k) contributions, switching investments into tax-free bond funds, and avoiding the realization of capital gains.
* Faced with numerous tax penalties on added income in general, many two-earner couples would become one-earner couples, early retirement would become far more popular, executives would substitute perks for taxable paychecks, physicians would play more golf, etc.
In short, the evidence is clear that when marginal tax rates go up, the amount of reported incomes goes down."
"If an accurate ETI estimate for the highest incomes is closer to 1.0 than 0.5, as such studies suggest, the administration's intended tax hikes on high-income families will raise virtually no revenue at all. Yet the higher tax rates will harm economic growth through reduced labor effort, thwarted entrepreneurship, and diminished investments in physical and human capital. And that, in turn, means a smaller tax base and less revenue in the future."
South Korea Needs Better Defense | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary
South Korea Needs Better Defense | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary: "As long as 27,000 American personnel remain on station in the ROK, the South is not doing enough militarily."
"Yet the South is capable of defending itself. Over the last 60 years it has been transformed from an authoritarian wreck into a prosperous democratic leader internationally. The ROK's economy ranks 13th in the world. South Korea's GDP is roughly 40 times that of the North. Should it desire to do so, Seoul could spend more than the entire North Korean GDP on defense alone."
"Yet the South is capable of defending itself. Over the last 60 years it has been transformed from an authoritarian wreck into a prosperous democratic leader internationally. The ROK's economy ranks 13th in the world. South Korea's GDP is roughly 40 times that of the North. Should it desire to do so, Seoul could spend more than the entire North Korean GDP on defense alone."
Monday, March 29, 2010
The Entitlement Mentality in Academia - Daniel Coleman - Mises Institute
The Entitlement Mentality in Academia - Daniel Coleman - Mises Institute: "Only in academia — or in government — could the reduction of just over two hundred jobs from among thousands (and in this economic climate!) be considered 'draconian' and 'savage' in an unqualified sense."
"Brian Leiter comments on the situation:
KCL Philosophy is a remarkably consistent unit in terms of strength, so it is an insult that any member of staff should have to re-apply for his or her job. Indeed, we can go much further: it is an insult and an outrage that any professional hired with an expectation of permanent employment absent gross dereliction of duties should have to re-apply for his or her job.
Terms like 'insult' and 'outrage' imply that the morality of a matter is clear and needs little or no explanation. "
"Brian Leiter comments on the situation:
KCL Philosophy is a remarkably consistent unit in terms of strength, so it is an insult that any member of staff should have to re-apply for his or her job. Indeed, we can go much further: it is an insult and an outrage that any professional hired with an expectation of permanent employment absent gross dereliction of duties should have to re-apply for his or her job.
Terms like 'insult' and 'outrage' imply that the morality of a matter is clear and needs little or no explanation. "
Friday, March 26, 2010
If You Blinked, You May Have Missed What Congress Just Passed | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary
If You Blinked, You May Have Missed What Congress Just Passed | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: "In fact, the congressional Budget Office predicts that, despite passage of this bill, insurance premiums will double in the next few years. Worse, for the millions of Americans who get their insurance through the individual market, rather than from an employer, this bill will raise premiums by 10-13 percent more because of this bill.
Nor will we have achieved universal insurance coverage. It is predicted that the bill will eventually result in some 32 million more Americans becoming insured (still leaving some 21 million uninsured). But that wouldn't be achieved until at least 2019."
"Democrats did manage to frontload the bill with some changes that will take effect within the next few months, and are likely to prove popular. For example, the federal government will mail a $250 check to every senior in America. Now that may not have much to do with health care reform, but after all, there is an election coming up.
Beyond that, parents will be able to keep their children on their family insurance plan until those children reach age 26. Of course, that will not be free. Parents who do so can expect to pay higher premiums."
Nor will we have achieved universal insurance coverage. It is predicted that the bill will eventually result in some 32 million more Americans becoming insured (still leaving some 21 million uninsured). But that wouldn't be achieved until at least 2019."
"Democrats did manage to frontload the bill with some changes that will take effect within the next few months, and are likely to prove popular. For example, the federal government will mail a $250 check to every senior in America. Now that may not have much to do with health care reform, but after all, there is an election coming up.
Beyond that, parents will be able to keep their children on their family insurance plan until those children reach age 26. Of course, that will not be free. Parents who do so can expect to pay higher premiums."
Kitty Rhodes - March 26
March 26: "Supporters of the provision claim that Congress has the authority to mandate insurance because of the Commerce Clause in the Constitution. This is a very interesting argument due to the nature of the people who are being regulated. People who do not purchase health insurance are by definition not engaging in commerce. If someone is not engaging in commerce, the question becomes 'how can the federal government regulate it as commerce?'"
"if an adult child is added to a parents health insurance policy and is not a dependent, the health care benefits that child receives are considered taxable at the fair market value."
"if an adult child is added to a parents health insurance policy and is not a dependent, the health care benefits that child receives are considered taxable at the fair market value."
Thursday, March 25, 2010
FOXNews.com - NASA Caught Paying Sky-High Prices for Snacks
FOXNews.com - NASA Caught Paying Sky-High Prices for Snacks: "The nation's space agency paid the out-of-this-world price of $66 a person a day for bagels, cookies and juice at a conference, a new report found.
The subject of the NASA conference? It was a training session for its procurement officials, the people who do the buying with taxpayer money.
During the three-day conference, the 317 attendees snacked on 'light refreshments' of soda, coffee, fruit, bagels and cookies at a cost of $62,611"
The subject of the NASA conference? It was a training session for its procurement officials, the people who do the buying with taxpayer money.
During the three-day conference, the 317 attendees snacked on 'light refreshments' of soda, coffee, fruit, bagels and cookies at a cost of $62,611"
They Fly First Class - John Stossel
They Fly First Class - John Stossel: "The Securities and Exchange Commission, for example, frequently sent employees overseas on first- or business-class airplane tickets that cost taxpayers up to $10,000 each..."
"Certainly the scolds at the Environmental Protection Agency wouldn't allow any kind of wasteful travel.
(EPA) Employees faced with supervisors who rejected travel requests could manipulate the electronic system to, in effect, approve their own travel. Because the agency's leadership did not bother to review travel spending, the requests were processed automatically.
Sweet. And why should the EPA's leadership review their staffers' travel spending? It's not their money; the money came from the suckers, er, taxpayers, many of whom ride buses and subways to work and skip vacations to save a few bucks."
"Certainly the scolds at the Environmental Protection Agency wouldn't allow any kind of wasteful travel.
(EPA) Employees faced with supervisors who rejected travel requests could manipulate the electronic system to, in effect, approve their own travel. Because the agency's leadership did not bother to review travel spending, the requests were processed automatically.
Sweet. And why should the EPA's leadership review their staffers' travel spending? It's not their money; the money came from the suckers, er, taxpayers, many of whom ride buses and subways to work and skip vacations to save a few bucks."
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Changing the Health Care Game | William Shipman | Cato Institute: Commentary
Changing the Health Care Game | William Shipman | Cato Institute: Commentary: "If America wishes to change this trajectory, it needs new and bold thinking. Here is one candidate: Repeal the 16th Amendment to the Constitution (ratified Feb. 3, 1913) which gives Congress the power to lay and collect taxes, and replace it with an amendment that requires each state to remit to the federal government a certain percent of its tax revenue. This would change the game."
FOXNews.com - Private Guards Kill Somali Pirate for First Time
FOXNews.com - Private Guards Kill Somali Pirate for First Time: "Pirate attacks have not declined despite patrols by dozens of warships off the Somali coast. The amount of ocean to patrol is too vast to protect every ship and pirates have responded to the increased naval presence by moving attacks farther out to sea."
Why don't military ships escort the merchant ships in groups?
Why don't military ships escort the merchant ships in groups?
FOXNews.com - Eat Less Meat, Reduce Global Warming -- or Not
FOXNews.com - Eat Less Meat, Reduce Global Warming -- or Not: "In the report, the livestock emissions included gases produced by growing animal feed; animals' digestive emissions; and processing meat and milk into foods. But the transportation analysis factored in only emissions from fossil fuels burned while driving, and not all other transport-lifecycle related factors.
'This lopsided analysis is a classical apples-and-oranges analogy that truly confused the issue,' he said."
'This lopsided analysis is a classical apples-and-oranges analogy that truly confused the issue,' he said."
Monday, March 22, 2010
Our Future under Obamacare | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary
Our Future under Obamacare | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Republicans won't really try to repeal it. Republicans will run this fall on a promise to repeal this deeply unpopular bill, and will likely reap the political advantages of that promise. But in reality there is little chance of their following through. Even if Republicans were to take both houses of Congress, they would still face a presidential veto and a Democratic filibuster.
But more important, once an entitlement is in place, it becomes virtually impossible to take away. The fact that Republicans have been criticizing Obamacare for cutting Medicare shows that they are not really willing to take the heat for cutting people's benefits once they have them — no matter how unaffordable those benefits are. Paul Ryan put forth a serious plan for entitlement reform — and attracted just six co-sponsors at last count. Enough said."
But more important, once an entitlement is in place, it becomes virtually impossible to take away. The fact that Republicans have been criticizing Obamacare for cutting Medicare shows that they are not really willing to take the heat for cutting people's benefits once they have them — no matter how unaffordable those benefits are. Paul Ryan put forth a serious plan for entitlement reform — and attracted just six co-sponsors at last count. Enough said."
Innovation Best Alternative to Obamacare | Michael F. Cannon | Cato Institute: Commentary
Innovation Best Alternative to Obamacare | Michael F. Cannon | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Economist Glen Whitman and physician Raymond Raad found that, when it comes to basic medical sciences, diagnostics (e.g., MRIs and CT scanners), and therapeutics (e.g., ACE inhibitors and statins), the United States often produces more medical innovations than all other nations combined.
America's health insurance markets are not following suit, despite the ready availability of innovations that can improve the delivery of care, insure the 'young invincibles,' and provide secure coverage for the sick. Bringing those innovations to consumers requires tearing down regulatory barriers to competition"
"Yet these innovations lie beyond the reach of most consumers, Stanford health economist Alain Enthoven explains, because our employment-based health insurance system – a creature of the federal tax code – blocks entry by integrated, prepaid health plans."
"While the Obama plan would force young invincibles to purchase health insurance, markets have developed insurance policies that can achieve the same result without coercion. Such policies pay a deferred dividend to customers who end up not filing any claims. The same miscalculation that causes young invincibles to underestimate their need for insurance also causes them to overestimate the probability that they will receive a dividend. Therefore, they insure."
"these innovations are currently available in China, and were quite popular in life-insurance markets in the United States until they were demonized as a form of gambling."
America's health insurance markets are not following suit, despite the ready availability of innovations that can improve the delivery of care, insure the 'young invincibles,' and provide secure coverage for the sick. Bringing those innovations to consumers requires tearing down regulatory barriers to competition"
"Yet these innovations lie beyond the reach of most consumers, Stanford health economist Alain Enthoven explains, because our employment-based health insurance system – a creature of the federal tax code – blocks entry by integrated, prepaid health plans."
"While the Obama plan would force young invincibles to purchase health insurance, markets have developed insurance policies that can achieve the same result without coercion. Such policies pay a deferred dividend to customers who end up not filing any claims. The same miscalculation that causes young invincibles to underestimate their need for insurance also causes them to overestimate the probability that they will receive a dividend. Therefore, they insure."
"these innovations are currently available in China, and were quite popular in life-insurance markets in the United States until they were demonized as a form of gambling."
Don't Confuse Health Care Reform with Public Health | George Avery | Cato Institute: Commentary
Don't Confuse Health Care Reform with Public Health | George Avery | Cato Institute: Commentary: "In fact, federal 'reform' often hurts the public health system. Both public health and health care experts have criticized Medicare and Medicaid, enacted by Congress in 1965, for changing the focus of health care practitioners from prevention to treatment. Infectious disease mortality rates rose 22 percent in the 1980s (even after discounting for AIDS deaths), despite rising public and private spending on health insurance and medical care. In 1988, the Institute of Medicine warned of a deteriorating public health system. Inadequate vaccine supplies, such as the recent shortages of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine or influenza vaccines, are at least in part the result of federal attempts to control the production and distribution of the vaccines.
Requiring all Americans purchase health insurance, which the current bills hope to do, would not address the underlying socio-economic issues at the root of most public health problems. Income, social capital, employment status, and other factors have a stronger impact on population health than access to health care. People with more education and higher incomes are better able to avoid health risks."
"Indeed, access to health care can help individual patients, but can also aggravate some public health problems. Healthcare, like everything else in life, involves risk tradeoffs. Hospitals can help cure disease, but by their very nature can also help spread infections. Most of Toronto's 2002 SARS cases were infected, for example, were health care workers and visitors infected by exposure to the virus in a hospital. High rates of surgical intervention increase the risk and spread of drug resistant infections like MRSA."
Requiring all Americans purchase health insurance, which the current bills hope to do, would not address the underlying socio-economic issues at the root of most public health problems. Income, social capital, employment status, and other factors have a stronger impact on population health than access to health care. People with more education and higher incomes are better able to avoid health risks."
"Indeed, access to health care can help individual patients, but can also aggravate some public health problems. Healthcare, like everything else in life, involves risk tradeoffs. Hospitals can help cure disease, but by their very nature can also help spread infections. Most of Toronto's 2002 SARS cases were infected, for example, were health care workers and visitors infected by exposure to the virus in a hospital. High rates of surgical intervention increase the risk and spread of drug resistant infections like MRSA."
Property Rights and Whale Wars - Jeremiah Dyke - Mises Institute
Property Rights and Whale Wars - Jeremiah Dyke - Mises Institute: "Only within the sphere of communal property could two vessels manage to collide in the vast openness of the Antarctic Ocean — an ocean of nearly 21 million square kilometers. Only within the sphere of communal property could such a collision leave all parties faultless."
"Conservationists are actually gambling with the whales' prospects of survival by concentrating their efforts on a war against whaling, instead of embracing solutions to the problem of supply, such as whale breeding.
Simply limiting the supply of whales only increases the price per unit of whale on the market. Fisherman who would normally seek other ocean inhabitants may actually be enticed to hunt whales, instead of fish, by the new, inflated price."
"Conservationists are actually gambling with the whales' prospects of survival by concentrating their efforts on a war against whaling, instead of embracing solutions to the problem of supply, such as whale breeding.
Simply limiting the supply of whales only increases the price per unit of whale on the market. Fisherman who would normally seek other ocean inhabitants may actually be enticed to hunt whales, instead of fish, by the new, inflated price."
Remember the Father of the Constitution - Gary Galles - Mises Institute
Remember the Father of the Constitution - Gary Galles - Mises Institute: "There is no maxim, in my opinion, which is more liable to be misapplied … than … that the interest of the majority is the political standard of right and wrong … nothing can be more false … it would be the interest of the majority in every community to despoil and enslave the minority of individuals … reestablishing … force as the measure of right."
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Stem Cells Help British Boy Grow New Windpipe - Health News | Current Health News | Medical News - FOXNews.com
Stem Cells Help British Boy Grow New Windpipe - Health News | Current Health News | Medical News - FOXNews.com: "A British boy successfully underwent a groundbreaking operation involving the transplant of a windpipe which is being regenerated inside his body using his own stem cells, The Times of London reported Saturday."
Once again, adult stem cells are curing people while fetal stem cells still haven't helped anyone. The morally correct course is also the best course.
Once again, adult stem cells are curing people while fetal stem cells still haven't helped anyone. The morally correct course is also the best course.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Wisconsin Carry, Inc. awarded judgement against City of Racine and two Racine police officers
Wisconsin Carry, Inc. awarded judgement against City of Racine and two Racine police officers: "Frank was lawfully open-carrying on his own porch when Racine Police, who were summoned to his neighborhood on an unrelated call, observed and questioned Frank because he was open-carrying. After a few minutes of increasingly aggressive questioning Frank exercised his right to remain silent and was subsequently unlawfully arrested for obstruction of justice for refusing to give his name. In the state of Wisconsin no law allows officers to arrest for obstruction on a person's refusal to give his or her name. 'Mere silence is insufficient to constitute obstruction"
"The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin has entered a judgment in the amount of $10,000 in favor of Wisconsin Carry, Inc. and Frank Hannon-Rock and against the City of Racine and two Racine police officers."
"The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin has entered a judgment in the amount of $10,000 in favor of Wisconsin Carry, Inc. and Frank Hannon-Rock and against the City of Racine and two Racine police officers."
Voucher Vote a Double Negative for Democrats | Andrew J. Coulson | Cato Institute: Commentary
Voucher Vote a Double Negative for Democrats | Andrew J. Coulson | Cato Institute: Commentary: "He also asserted that public schools are not failing. 'Whose boot print is on the Moon?' he exclaimed.
That is cold comfort for D.C. public school students. Few of them will ever make it beyond the Earth's atmosphere—roughly half don't make it out of high school in four years."
"Far from reducing D.C. public school spending, the Opportunity Scholarships were originally packaged with an extra $13 million for D.C. public schools. Nor has the District's spending been slashed to the bone. The city spent $1.3 billion on fewer than 46,000 students last year—$28,000 per pupil.
By comparison, average tuition at voucher-accepting schools was $6,600. According to a Department of Education study, students attending those private schools are outperforming their public sector peers: better results at one quarter the cost. So how does killing the program enhance fiscal discipline?"
That is cold comfort for D.C. public school students. Few of them will ever make it beyond the Earth's atmosphere—roughly half don't make it out of high school in four years."
"Far from reducing D.C. public school spending, the Opportunity Scholarships were originally packaged with an extra $13 million for D.C. public schools. Nor has the District's spending been slashed to the bone. The city spent $1.3 billion on fewer than 46,000 students last year—$28,000 per pupil.
By comparison, average tuition at voucher-accepting schools was $6,600. According to a Department of Education study, students attending those private schools are outperforming their public sector peers: better results at one quarter the cost. So how does killing the program enhance fiscal discipline?"
Russ Feingold: In the News - Press Releases
Russ Feingold: In the News - Press Releases: "Today, the U.S. Senate passed an amendment introduced by Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) to cancel old, unspent transportation earmarks, which could save taxpayers about $478 million this year and considerably more over time."
If the money is not "earmarked" doesn't that mean that the federal government will still spend the money -- just on a project decided by the bureaucracy instead of elected representatives?
If the money is not "earmarked" doesn't that mean that the federal government will still spend the money -- just on a project decided by the bureaucracy instead of elected representatives?
The Truth about Health Insurance Premiums and Profits | Alan Reynolds | Cato Institute: Commentary
The Truth about Health Insurance Premiums and Profits | Alan Reynolds | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Individual plans account for only 4 percent of the insurance market. So why do they account for 100 percent of the president's fulminations about insurance premiums? Could it be because insurance premiums for the other 96percent have not been rising much?
Nonprofit BCBS plans account for a third of the private health insurance market. Michigan's nonprofit asked for 56 percent premium hike without the national media taking that Hail Mary pass too seriously. But even Obama finds it difficult to accuse nonprofits of being too profitable, so he needed to pin his enemy badge on a for-profit firm – one of Wellpoint's 'Anthem' BCBS plans.
Anthem of California's requested rate increase on individual policies was actually 20-35 percent. The only way it could get to 39percent would be if a policyholder insisted on a gold-plated Cadillac plan and also happened to move up into a higher age group. Besides, requesting a rate hike means nothing. Even Obama's radio address mentioned two requests that had been cut in half. Many are denied.
So, how many Californians have actually been faced with a 39 percent increase in their premiums? Exactly zero."
Nonprofit BCBS plans account for a third of the private health insurance market. Michigan's nonprofit asked for 56 percent premium hike without the national media taking that Hail Mary pass too seriously. But even Obama finds it difficult to accuse nonprofits of being too profitable, so he needed to pin his enemy badge on a for-profit firm – one of Wellpoint's 'Anthem' BCBS plans.
Anthem of California's requested rate increase on individual policies was actually 20-35 percent. The only way it could get to 39percent would be if a policyholder insisted on a gold-plated Cadillac plan and also happened to move up into a higher age group. Besides, requesting a rate hike means nothing. Even Obama's radio address mentioned two requests that had been cut in half. Many are denied.
So, how many Californians have actually been faced with a 39 percent increase in their premiums? Exactly zero."
The False Premise of National Education Standards | Andrew J. Coulson | Cato Institute: Commentary
The False Premise of National Education Standards | Andrew J. Coulson | Cato Institute: Commentary: "The whole idea of imposing a single set of age-based standards on all students rests on a false premise: that children are identical widgets capable of being dragged along an instructional conveyor belt at the same pace, benefiting equally from the experience."
"So why is performance-based grouping ubiquitous in for-profit tutoring centers? Because parents won't pay to have little Johnny taught algebra when he hasn't yet mastered arithmetic, or to have Jane taught nursery rhymes long after she's been curling up with J. K. Rowling. Tutoring centers must adopt the most practical and effective policies, or lose clients to competitors who do."
"So why is performance-based grouping ubiquitous in for-profit tutoring centers? Because parents won't pay to have little Johnny taught algebra when he hasn't yet mastered arithmetic, or to have Jane taught nursery rhymes long after she's been curling up with J. K. Rowling. Tutoring centers must adopt the most practical and effective policies, or lose clients to competitors who do."
Russ Feingold: In the News - Press Releases
Russ Feingold: In the News - Press Releases: "In their letter the senators write that New Zealand’s dairy industry is a global power dominated by one company that could undercut the U.S. dairy industry while providing few additional export opportunities for American farmers and processors."
What about how it affects American consumers?
What about how it affects American consumers?
Would Obamacare End Corruption -- or Expand It? | Michael F. Cannon | Cato Institute: Commentary
Would Obamacare End Corruption -- or Expand It? | Michael F. Cannon | Cato Institute: Commentary: "But the president isn't asking the House to vote on his new plan. He's asking them to pass the corruption-laden bill that passed the Senate on Christmas Eve, when few Americans were watching the Senate spend their money."
"Obama promises that after the House writes all those corrupt deals into law, he will strip them out — and the senators who demanded those deals in the first place will help.
Any congressman who believes that one shouldn't be allowed to touch their own checkbook, much less yours and mine.
Even if the president could somehow weed out the corruption this year, it would come back again and again."
"Each new power ObamaCare creates would be targeted by special interests looking for special favors, and held for ransom by politicians seeking a slice of the pie.
ObamaCare would guarantee that crucial decisions affecting your medical care would be made by the same people, through the same process that created the Cornhusker Kickback, for as far as the eye can see."
"When government grows, corruption grows."
"Obama promises that after the House writes all those corrupt deals into law, he will strip them out — and the senators who demanded those deals in the first place will help.
Any congressman who believes that one shouldn't be allowed to touch their own checkbook, much less yours and mine.
Even if the president could somehow weed out the corruption this year, it would come back again and again."
"Each new power ObamaCare creates would be targeted by special interests looking for special favors, and held for ransom by politicians seeking a slice of the pie.
ObamaCare would guarantee that crucial decisions affecting your medical care would be made by the same people, through the same process that created the Cornhusker Kickback, for as far as the eye can see."
"When government grows, corruption grows."
FOXNews.com - Indian Army Develops Blinding Chili Grenade
FOXNews.com - Indian Army Develops Blinding Chili Grenade: "When deployed the grenade showers the targets with a dust so spicy that in trials subjects were blinded for hours and left with breathing problems."
"The hotness of the bhut jolokia, which is native to Assam, in north-east India, is measured in Scoville heat units and comes in at a massive 1,001,304 -- that is nearly twice as hot as Mexico's red savina that used to hold the record at 577,000.
The average jalapeno measures at about 10,000."
"The hotness of the bhut jolokia, which is native to Assam, in north-east India, is measured in Scoville heat units and comes in at a massive 1,001,304 -- that is nearly twice as hot as Mexico's red savina that used to hold the record at 577,000.
The average jalapeno measures at about 10,000."
Thursday, March 18, 2010
False Hopes | Ted Galen Carpenter | Cato Institute: Commentary
False Hopes | Ted Galen Carpenter | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Although maintaining the nonnuclear status quo on the Korean Peninsula may be a significant Chinese objective, it is not the most important one. Beijing's top priority is to preserve the North Korean state as a buffer between China and the U.S. sphere of influence in Northeast Asia.
As Pyongyang's economy languishes, China worries that the North Korean regime might implode, much as East German system did in 1989. Such a development would lead to the sudden emergence on China's border of a unified Korea allied to the United States, probably with the continued presence of U.S. military bases. North Korea's collapse would also likely create a massive flow of refugees into China.
The overriding objective of keeping North Korea as a viable country places a distinct limit on the amount of pressure that Beijing is willing to exert on Pyongyang."
"the Chinese government is wary of the precedent that a system of robust sanctions against either Iran or North Korea might set. Indeed, Chinese policy makers are hyper-vigilant about the possible implications of international precedents on nearly any issue.
That is why Beijing was unenthusiastic, for example, about calls for a UN Security Council endorsement for the NATO wars in the Balkans during the 1990s, or the subsequent decision to grant Kosovo independence from Serbia. Chinese officials were worried that any precedent set along those lines might someday be used regarding Taiwan — or even China's restless regions of Tibet and Xinjiang. Likewise, Beijing was nervous about the justifications used for the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq, and the precedent that war could set.
In the case of economic sanctions, Beijing worries that critics of China's international behavior could someday use similar measures against Chinese firms."
As Pyongyang's economy languishes, China worries that the North Korean regime might implode, much as East German system did in 1989. Such a development would lead to the sudden emergence on China's border of a unified Korea allied to the United States, probably with the continued presence of U.S. military bases. North Korea's collapse would also likely create a massive flow of refugees into China.
The overriding objective of keeping North Korea as a viable country places a distinct limit on the amount of pressure that Beijing is willing to exert on Pyongyang."
"the Chinese government is wary of the precedent that a system of robust sanctions against either Iran or North Korea might set. Indeed, Chinese policy makers are hyper-vigilant about the possible implications of international precedents on nearly any issue.
That is why Beijing was unenthusiastic, for example, about calls for a UN Security Council endorsement for the NATO wars in the Balkans during the 1990s, or the subsequent decision to grant Kosovo independence from Serbia. Chinese officials were worried that any precedent set along those lines might someday be used regarding Taiwan — or even China's restless regions of Tibet and Xinjiang. Likewise, Beijing was nervous about the justifications used for the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq, and the precedent that war could set.
In the case of economic sanctions, Beijing worries that critics of China's international behavior could someday use similar measures against Chinese firms."
Green Crooks John Stossel
Green Crooks - John Stossel: "The green consumers were more likely to cheat than the conventional purchasers, and they stole more money when asked to withdraw their winnings from envelopes on their desks.
This concept of moral license has been demonstrated before, writes Wray Herbert in his blog for the Association for Psychological Science.
(W)hen they have reason to feel a little superior, that positive self image triggers a sense of moral license. That is, the righteous feel they have some latitude to stray a bit in order to compensate. It’s like working in a soup kitchen gives you the right to cheat on your taxes later in the week.
Maybe that’s why sanctimonious stewards of the environment like Al Gore are comfortable lecturing the rest of us while living large in mega-mansions."
This concept of moral license has been demonstrated before, writes Wray Herbert in his blog for the Association for Psychological Science.
(W)hen they have reason to feel a little superior, that positive self image triggers a sense of moral license. That is, the righteous feel they have some latitude to stray a bit in order to compensate. It’s like working in a soup kitchen gives you the right to cheat on your taxes later in the week.
Maybe that’s why sanctimonious stewards of the environment like Al Gore are comfortable lecturing the rest of us while living large in mega-mansions."
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Liz Cheney, Bill Kristol Resurrect McCarthy with 'Al Qaida Seven' Ad | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: Commentary
Liz Cheney, Bill Kristol Resurrect McCarthy with 'Al Qaida Seven' Ad | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: Commentary: "In angry reaction to the Cheney-Kristol ad, Col. Davis said, 'You don't hear anyone refer to John Adams as a turncoat for representing the Brits in the Boston Massacre trial' (alan.com, March 2).
On March 5, 1770, civilians in a crowd harassing and threatening British troops were fired on, and five were killed. Among the defendants in a subsequent trial was the commander of the troops, Capt. Thomas Preston. At first, no lawyer in Boston would represent Preston or the other defendants on trial in Paul Revere's widely circulated description of this 'horrid massacre.' An exception was a young lawyer, John Adams, determined that this emerging new nation would be known for its justice under law.
Adams interviewed and presented eyewitnesses, and convinced the jury that Preston did not give the order to fire. He was acquitted. As a result, Adams later wrote, he himself had incurred 'clamour and prejudices, anxiety and obloquy' that nonetheless prevented a 'foul stain upon this country.'"
On March 5, 1770, civilians in a crowd harassing and threatening British troops were fired on, and five were killed. Among the defendants in a subsequent trial was the commander of the troops, Capt. Thomas Preston. At first, no lawyer in Boston would represent Preston or the other defendants on trial in Paul Revere's widely circulated description of this 'horrid massacre.' An exception was a young lawyer, John Adams, determined that this emerging new nation would be known for its justice under law.
Adams interviewed and presented eyewitnesses, and convinced the jury that Preston did not give the order to fire. He was acquitted. As a result, Adams later wrote, he himself had incurred 'clamour and prejudices, anxiety and obloquy' that nonetheless prevented a 'foul stain upon this country.'"
Monday, March 15, 2010
All the President's Economists | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary
All the President's Economists | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary: "budget deficits will average nearly $1 trillion per year for the next decade. There is no school of economics (classical, Austrian, Keynesian, etc.) that says deficits of this magnitude for a decade or longer will not result in great economic hardship or worse. Greece, here we come."
Lobbyists | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary
Lobbyists | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary: "The nation accused of committing genocide no longer exists. Every government official who plotted the murders and almost certainly every soldier or civilian who committed a murder is dead. Whether or not the actions technically constituted 'genocide' does not affect the obvious brutality and inhumanity of the killings.
And the pronouncement of Congress will not matter. American legislators can neither make a genocide where none existed nor eliminate one that did occur. No historian will care one whit how a majority of American lawmakers opine."
And the pronouncement of Congress will not matter. American legislators can neither make a genocide where none existed nor eliminate one that did occur. No historian will care one whit how a majority of American lawmakers opine."
Inventive Progress, Part 2 - Henry Grady Weaver - Mises Institute
Inventive Progress, Part 2 - Henry Grady Weaver - Mises Institute: "No matter how much money John Deere may have made, it would be insignificant in comparison with the tremendous overall benefits shared by millions of people. And it's just possible that good old John Deere wouldn't have bothered his head about the plowing problem if he hadn't been living in a free country, where an ambitious blacksmith had a chance to become a prosperous manufacturer. Free minds are inventive minds. That is why America has always been a land of inventors."
Russ Feingold: In the News - Press Releases
Russ Feingold: In the News - Press Releases: "To review Feingold’s record of bipartisanship, click here."
Is he worried about being re-elected?
Is he worried about being re-elected?
Russ Feingold: In the News - Press Releases
Russ Feingold: In the News - Press Releases: "The Feingold-McCain legislation would cap the number of political appointments at 2,000"
Would that actually reduce the number of government employees or just change some from appointed to hired?
Would that actually reduce the number of government employees or just change some from appointed to hired?
Line-Item Veto Is No Quick-Fix | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary
Line-Item Veto Is No Quick-Fix | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary: "A recent Federal Reserve journal article summarizes the state research: 'There is no statistically significant effect on the budget in the long run.' Instead, the state [Line-Item Veto] 'simply alters the composition of spending.'"
"during the two years President Clinton had enhanced veto power, he cut under $2 billion from a multitrillion-dollar federal budget."
"We'd all like to have a mechanism to knock out earmarks. But bridges to nowhere aren't breaking the bank. Our problems, as always, are entitlements and defense, which make up over two-thirds of the federal budget."
"during the two years President Clinton had enhanced veto power, he cut under $2 billion from a multitrillion-dollar federal budget."
"We'd all like to have a mechanism to knock out earmarks. But bridges to nowhere aren't breaking the bank. Our problems, as always, are entitlements and defense, which make up over two-thirds of the federal budget."
Inventive Progress - Henry Grady Weaver - Mises Institute
Inventive Progress - Henry Grady Weaver - Mises Institute: "When the American Revolution had its beginning, living conditions had scarcely changed since the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. The colonial woman gathered her own firewood and cooked over an open fire, just as women had cooked since the dawn of history, and just as more than two-thirds of the women on earth are cooking today. She spun thread and wove coarse cloth, with a spindle and loom handed down from the early Egyptians. Every housewife made her own soap and candles and carried water from a spring or well. A crude millstone, dating back to ancient Babylon, ground the grain that the American farmer cut and threshed with knives and flails that were older than history.
These were the conditions existing when our forefathers threw off the shackles of Old World tyranny in order that human beings might be in control of their own lives and make full use of their individual initiative."
"From the Old World viewpoint, time was unimportant, and the conservation of human energy also seemed unimportant. It is only when men are free that they begin to place a value on their time; and when men begin to place a value on human time, they begin to realize the importance of preserving human life.
Down through the ages, the principal business had always been war. When a people won a war, they made slaves of the defeated people; if they lost, they became slaves of their conquerors. In either case, there was always a surplus of burden bearers. Long hours of drudgery helped to keep the slaves submissive, so there was no incentive to develop labor-saving techniques — no point in worrying about time."
"His first shipment of low-priced clocks to England was held up at the Liverpool Customs House on grounds of suspicion. The Customs officials knew the value of clocks, and they knew that clocks just couldn't be produced at the low prices shown on the Peck invoice — fraudulent payments must have been made on the side in order to avoid the full effect of the tariff.
British law provided that under such conditions the goods in question would be confiscated by paying the amount of the invoice plus 10 percent. The clocks never reached the consignee. They were taken over by the government. What the government did with them, I don't know.
But Peck, being a practical man, didn't put up any argument. He was a hardheaded manufacturer, not a salesman. The 10 percent extra profit was "pure velvet," and he rather relished the idea of disposing of his output without any sales expense or credit risk. He added more workers and continued shipping his clocks to Britain and collecting from the Customs Office until they finally got wise to him."
These were the conditions existing when our forefathers threw off the shackles of Old World tyranny in order that human beings might be in control of their own lives and make full use of their individual initiative."
"From the Old World viewpoint, time was unimportant, and the conservation of human energy also seemed unimportant. It is only when men are free that they begin to place a value on their time; and when men begin to place a value on human time, they begin to realize the importance of preserving human life.
Down through the ages, the principal business had always been war. When a people won a war, they made slaves of the defeated people; if they lost, they became slaves of their conquerors. In either case, there was always a surplus of burden bearers. Long hours of drudgery helped to keep the slaves submissive, so there was no incentive to develop labor-saving techniques — no point in worrying about time."
"His first shipment of low-priced clocks to England was held up at the Liverpool Customs House on grounds of suspicion. The Customs officials knew the value of clocks, and they knew that clocks just couldn't be produced at the low prices shown on the Peck invoice — fraudulent payments must have been made on the side in order to avoid the full effect of the tariff.
British law provided that under such conditions the goods in question would be confiscated by paying the amount of the invoice plus 10 percent. The clocks never reached the consignee. They were taken over by the government. What the government did with them, I don't know.
But Peck, being a practical man, didn't put up any argument. He was a hardheaded manufacturer, not a salesman. The 10 percent extra profit was "pure velvet," and he rather relished the idea of disposing of his output without any sales expense or credit risk. He added more workers and continued shipping his clocks to Britain and collecting from the Customs Office until they finally got wise to him."
The Scandinavian-Welfare Myth Revisited - Markus Bergstrom - Mises Institute
The Scandinavian-Welfare Myth Revisited - Markus Bergstrom - Mises Institute: "At one point during the mid-'70s, the top marginal tax rate was an unbelievable 102 percent."
Talk about a dis-incentive to work!
Talk about a dis-incentive to work!
FOXNews.com - Social Security to Start Cashing Uncle Sam's IOUs
FOXNews.com - Social Security to Start Cashing Uncle Sam's IOUs: "Social Security's shortfall will not affect current benefits. As long as the IOUs last, benefits will keep flowing. But experts say it is a warning sign that the program's finances are deteriorating. Social Security is projected to drain its trust funds by 2037 unless Congress acts, and there's concern that the looming crisis will lead to reduced benefits."
The IOUs are worthless because both with them and without them, the government has to raise funds to cover benefits the same way (tax, cut spending elsewhere, or borrow).
The IOUs are worthless because both with them and without them, the government has to raise funds to cover benefits the same way (tax, cut spending elsewhere, or borrow).
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Fraudulent Tax Revenue Forecasts | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary
Fraudulent Tax Revenue Forecasts | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary: "To understand how serious this type of fraud is, think about how government officials would react if a company forecast a huge increase in revenues — and sent press releases of the forecast to the investment community, but failed to reveal that this forecast was based on the intention to double the prices for the company's products while assuming it will not reduce demand. Such actions by company officials would be considered irresponsible misrepresentation, for which they could be held legally liable."
The Best and Worst Health Care Reform Ideas | Michael F. Cannon | Cato Institute: Commentary
The Best and Worst Health Care Reform Ideas | Michael F. Cannon | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Republicans want federal law to limit medical malpractice lawsuits. But the Constitution does not give Congress the power to do so.
Setting those rules is a state responsibility. Many states have enacted reforms, and other states are learning from those experiments. A one-size-fits-all federal law could harm patients, preventing them from filing legitimate claims."
Setting those rules is a state responsibility. Many states have enacted reforms, and other states are learning from those experiments. A one-size-fits-all federal law could harm patients, preventing them from filing legitimate claims."
The Reconciliation Rulebook | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary
The Reconciliation Rulebook | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Reconciliation was established in 1974 to make it easier for Congress to adjust taxes and spending in order to 'reconcile' actual revenues and expenditures with a previously approved budget resolution. Thus, at the end of the year, if Congress found that it was running a budget deficit higher than previously projected, it could quickly raise taxes or cut spending to bring the budget back into line. Debate on such measures was abbreviated to just 20 hours (an eyeblink in Senate terms), and there could be no filibuster."
Can Obama Assassinate Americans? | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: Commentary
Can Obama Assassinate Americans? | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Obama, our commander in chief, who, as I've previously reported, has authorized in his first year more such assassinations than Bush and Cheney in their last years. The result, as the Washington Post noted, 'has been dozens of targeted killings and no reports of high-value detentions.'
After all, there can be no fierce arguments about whether a charred corpse should be tried in a federal civilian court or by a military commission."
"And 'if we think that direct action will involve killing an American, we get specific permission to do that.'
Glenn Greenwald, a former constitutional lawyer turned news analyst, avoids euphemisms. 'Special permissions' without judicial authorization, says Greenwald, amounts to 'basically giving the president the power to impose death sentences on his own citizens without any charges or trial'"
"While there is little doubt that a U.S. citizen fighting for an enemy army could lawfully be killed on the battlefield in the course of fighting, this policy goes far beyond the ordinary parameters of battlefield combat."
After all, there can be no fierce arguments about whether a charred corpse should be tried in a federal civilian court or by a military commission."
"And 'if we think that direct action will involve killing an American, we get specific permission to do that.'
Glenn Greenwald, a former constitutional lawyer turned news analyst, avoids euphemisms. 'Special permissions' without judicial authorization, says Greenwald, amounts to 'basically giving the president the power to impose death sentences on his own citizens without any charges or trial'"
"While there is little doubt that a U.S. citizen fighting for an enemy army could lawfully be killed on the battlefield in the course of fighting, this policy goes far beyond the ordinary parameters of battlefield combat."
Opening the Internet — with an Axe - Fernando Herrera-Gonzalez - Mises Institute
Opening the Internet — with an Axe - Fernando Herrera-Gonzalez - Mises Institute: "governments want citizens to believe that private enterprises have some kind of power over them. But the reality is just the contrary: it is the operator who is at the mercy of the customer. The customer decides whether or not to contract the operator's services."
"The Principle of Nondiscrimination
According to this principle, operators are not allowed to discriminate among specific contents or applications. In practice, this means that operators cannot provide services of different quality for different content providers.
If enforced, this obligation would make the provision of real-time services or of high-definition TV through the Internet impossible, because such applications require specific network conditions for the transmission of information."
"The Principle of Nondiscrimination
According to this principle, operators are not allowed to discriminate among specific contents or applications. In practice, this means that operators cannot provide services of different quality for different content providers.
If enforced, this obligation would make the provision of real-time services or of high-definition TV through the Internet impossible, because such applications require specific network conditions for the transmission of information."
March 12
March 12: "As currently drafted, a farmer selling raw milk is exempt from any civil liability. In short, if someone gets sick from raw milk, the bill would prohibit the individual from filing a civil suit against the farmer selling the product.
If there is a desire to open up new milk markets, and give people more freedom in what kinds of foods they eat, there must also be assurances that if someone gets sick, the producer of the milk should be held responsible for selling an inferior product. This is standard in virtually every other aspect of the dairy industry, and sellers of raw milk should be held to this same standard."
If there is a desire to open up new milk markets, and give people more freedom in what kinds of foods they eat, there must also be assurances that if someone gets sick, the producer of the milk should be held responsible for selling an inferior product. This is standard in virtually every other aspect of the dairy industry, and sellers of raw milk should be held to this same standard."
Google Public Policy Blog: Newspaper economics: online and offline
Google Public Policy Blog: Newspaper economics: online and offline: "The news industry's financial problems started well before the web came along. Circulation has been falling since 1985 and circulation per household has been falling since 1947! Ad revenue for newspapers was roughly constant in real terms up until 2005, and ad revenue per reader actually increased up until that time."
" the real money in search engine advertising is in the highly commercial verticals like Shopping, Health, and Travel. Unfortunately, most of the search clicks that go to newspapers are in categories like Sports, News & Current Events, and Local, which don’t attract the biggest spending advertisers.
This isn't so surprising: the fact of the matter is that newspapers have never made much money from news. They’ve made money from the special interest sections on topics such as Automotive, Travel, Home & Garden, Food & Drink, and so on. These sections attract contextually targeted advertising, which is much more effective than non-targeted advertising. After all, someone reading the Automotive section is likely to be more interested in cars than the average consumer, so advertisers will pay a premium to reach those consumers.
Traditionally, the ad revenue from these special sections has been used to cross-subsidize the core news production. Nowadays internet users go directly to websites like Edmunds, Orbitz, Epicurious, and Amazon to look for products and services in specialized areas. Not surprisingly, advertisers follow those eyeballs, which makes the traditional cross-subsidization model that newspapers have used far more difficult."
" the real money in search engine advertising is in the highly commercial verticals like Shopping, Health, and Travel. Unfortunately, most of the search clicks that go to newspapers are in categories like Sports, News & Current Events, and Local, which don’t attract the biggest spending advertisers.
This isn't so surprising: the fact of the matter is that newspapers have never made much money from news. They’ve made money from the special interest sections on topics such as Automotive, Travel, Home & Garden, Food & Drink, and so on. These sections attract contextually targeted advertising, which is much more effective than non-targeted advertising. After all, someone reading the Automotive section is likely to be more interested in cars than the average consumer, so advertisers will pay a premium to reach those consumers.
Traditionally, the ad revenue from these special sections has been used to cross-subsidize the core news production. Nowadays internet users go directly to websites like Edmunds, Orbitz, Epicurious, and Amazon to look for products and services in specialized areas. Not surprisingly, advertisers follow those eyeballs, which makes the traditional cross-subsidization model that newspapers have used far more difficult."
Using Guns to Protect Liberty | Ilya Shapiro and Josh Blackman | Cato Institute: Commentary
Using Guns to Protect Liberty | Ilya Shapiro and Josh Blackman | Cato Institute: Commentary: "A different 14th Amendment clause, however, forbidding states from passing 'any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States,' is a better way of extending the right to keep and bear arms."
Commission of Sin | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary
Commission of Sin | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: "But to focus on the deficit is to confuse the symptom with the disease.
As Milton Friedman often explained, the real issue is not how you pay for government spending—debt or taxes—but the spending itself. In other words, don't just look at the deficit; look at why we have a deficit. And the reason why we have a deficit is pretty simple—government spends too much.
For years, Republicans have tried to dodge the tough questions about government spending by substituting debt for taxes. They felt that as long as they were cutting taxes, no one would notice that they were spending like drunken Democrats."
"After all, every dollar that government spends is a dollar that is siphoned off from American workers regardless of whether it is raised through debt or taxes. Both divert money from more efficient uses in the private sector to less-productive uses in the public sector. Both mean fewer jobs and less economic growth."
As Milton Friedman often explained, the real issue is not how you pay for government spending—debt or taxes—but the spending itself. In other words, don't just look at the deficit; look at why we have a deficit. And the reason why we have a deficit is pretty simple—government spends too much.
For years, Republicans have tried to dodge the tough questions about government spending by substituting debt for taxes. They felt that as long as they were cutting taxes, no one would notice that they were spending like drunken Democrats."
"After all, every dollar that government spends is a dollar that is siphoned off from American workers regardless of whether it is raised through debt or taxes. Both divert money from more efficient uses in the private sector to less-productive uses in the public sector. Both mean fewer jobs and less economic growth."
The Progressive Fallacy on Free Speech | Will Wilkinson | Cato Institute: Commentary
The Progressive Fallacy on Free Speech | Will Wilkinson | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Corporations are not essentially villainous agglomerations of money and power. They are a convenient form of social organization that enables large numbers of people to undertake cooperative endeavors. Non-profit corporations, like Citizens United or the ACLU, provide individuals the opportunity to amplify their lone voices in harmony with like-minded others. Meanwhile, for-profit corporations are little more than lenders' co-ops — a way for people to pool their resources to finance what look to be profitable lines of business. It is true that managers of corporations can — and do — take advantage of their owners and creditors. But there is a staggering number and diversity of for-profit corporations, and most of them, most of the time, do right by their stakeholders. Moreover, very few ever get involved in electoral politics in a significant way."
"A single lobbyist with a good friend in the right place can deliver more to a special interest than many millions spent on campaign advertising. In 2009, $3.47 billion was spent on federal lobbying — a large sum, certainly, but not when you consider that the stimulus bill alone dispensed nearly $800 billion in public funds."
"A government that can make or break great fortunes invites a bruising and wasteful competition for its favor."
"A single lobbyist with a good friend in the right place can deliver more to a special interest than many millions spent on campaign advertising. In 2009, $3.47 billion was spent on federal lobbying — a large sum, certainly, but not when you consider that the stimulus bill alone dispensed nearly $800 billion in public funds."
"A government that can make or break great fortunes invites a bruising and wasteful competition for its favor."
Cut the Commerce Department to Boost Real Business | Chris Edwards and Tad DeHaven | Cato Institute: Commentary
Cut the Commerce Department to Boost Real Business | Chris Edwards and Tad DeHaven | Cato Institute: Commentary: "The government shouldn't be 'picking winners' by aiming taxpayer subsidies at certain industries. We should scrap all such corporate welfare and use the savings to cut business tax rates across the board. The effect would be to boost economic growth because more investment would flow to high-value private uses, and fewer resources would be misallocated by politicians."
"These import restraints drive up the prices of foreign goods to U.S. consumers and to U.S. companies that need imports in their own production. For instance, if we place barriers on imported steel, that would hurt U.S. auto companies and their workers in our assembly plants. Trade restrictions that hurt U.S. workers and consumers can also cause countries to retaliate against us, damaging America's exporting businesses, too."
"These import restraints drive up the prices of foreign goods to U.S. consumers and to U.S. companies that need imports in their own production. For instance, if we place barriers on imported steel, that would hurt U.S. auto companies and their workers in our assembly plants. Trade restrictions that hurt U.S. workers and consumers can also cause countries to retaliate against us, damaging America's exporting businesses, too."
Take a Pass on Trains | Randal O'Toole | Cato Institute: Commentary
Take a Pass on Trains | Randal O'Toole | Cato Institute: Commentary: "For one thing, they really won't be very fast. Illinois expects to spend $3 billion increasing the average speed of the Chicago-St. Louis trains from 53 to 73 m.p.h. Calling these 'high-speed trains' is simply false advertising.
Second, even subsidized by taxes, the fares will be too high for most people. Fares on Amtrak's high-speed Acela from New York to Washington start at $133. Megabus and other unsubsidized bus companies offer the same trip for around $15. The buses have free WiFi; Amtrak has NoFi."
"Proponents argue the trains will be convenient for downtown-to-downtown trips. But less than 8% of Americans work in big-city downtowns — mainly bankers, lawyers and government bureaucrats. Should it really be a state priority to subsidize wealthy travelers?"
Second, even subsidized by taxes, the fares will be too high for most people. Fares on Amtrak's high-speed Acela from New York to Washington start at $133. Megabus and other unsubsidized bus companies offer the same trip for around $15. The buses have free WiFi; Amtrak has NoFi."
"Proponents argue the trains will be convenient for downtown-to-downtown trips. But less than 8% of Americans work in big-city downtowns — mainly bankers, lawyers and government bureaucrats. Should it really be a state priority to subsidize wealthy travelers?"
Torture under Obama | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: Commentary
Torture under Obama | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: Commentary: "In August, Holder's task force on interrogation, commissioned by the president, 'recommended no changes' to the Army Field Manual, thereby retaining the torture loopholes focused on now by the tracker of al-Zarqawi.
To begin, an appendix to the Manual allows a detainee (a.k.a. prisoner) to be kept in solitary confinement indefinitely. As Alexander point out, 'extended solitary confinement is torture, as confirmed by many scientific studies.' And the prestigious Manual allows suspects just four hours sleep in 24 hours. 'As if this wasn't enough,' Alexander continues, a loophole permits interrogators, Mr. President, 'to give a detainee four hours of sleep — and then conduct a 20-hour interrogation, after which they can 'reset' the clock and begin another 20-hour interrogation followed by four hours of sleep.'"
"Until this change in the Army Field Manual, Alexander points out, an interrogator going beyond 20 straight hours of interrogation (as if that weren't inhumane enough) was referred to as 'monstering' in that line of work."
"According to General Washington, 'Should any American soldier be so base and infamous as to injure any prisoner ... by such conduct they bring shame, disgrace and ruin to themselves and their country.'
What Washington meant by 'such conduct' was the brutal, vicious ways the British army was interrogating their American prisoners. George Washington was The Army Field Manual during our Revolutionary War."
To begin, an appendix to the Manual allows a detainee (a.k.a. prisoner) to be kept in solitary confinement indefinitely. As Alexander point out, 'extended solitary confinement is torture, as confirmed by many scientific studies.' And the prestigious Manual allows suspects just four hours sleep in 24 hours. 'As if this wasn't enough,' Alexander continues, a loophole permits interrogators, Mr. President, 'to give a detainee four hours of sleep — and then conduct a 20-hour interrogation, after which they can 'reset' the clock and begin another 20-hour interrogation followed by four hours of sleep.'"
"Until this change in the Army Field Manual, Alexander points out, an interrogator going beyond 20 straight hours of interrogation (as if that weren't inhumane enough) was referred to as 'monstering' in that line of work."
"According to General Washington, 'Should any American soldier be so base and infamous as to injure any prisoner ... by such conduct they bring shame, disgrace and ruin to themselves and their country.'
What Washington meant by 'such conduct' was the brutal, vicious ways the British army was interrogating their American prisoners. George Washington was The Army Field Manual during our Revolutionary War."
Africa Needs Free Market Economies | Marian L. Tupy | Cato Institute: Commentary
Africa Needs Free Market Economies | Marian L. Tupy | Cato Institute: Commentary: "The sad truth is that humanitarian aid, be it dispensed by Western governments or by Western philanthropists, can only alleviate some of the symptoms of poverty. Healthier and better fed Africans will still face the challenge posed by political instability and stagnating economies."
"In countries with state control of the economy, opposition tends to weaken. Those who disagree with the ruling party soon find themselves without a job and without an income. In contrast, a free economy provides for diffusion of wealth and power. It also provides for higher rates of growth. Thus, between 1966 and 2006, Botswana's average annual growth rate was 7.22 percent — among the world's highest. Its income per capita adjusted for inflation and purchasing power parity rose from $671 in 1966 to $10,813 in 2005.
The work of magnanimous philanthropists like Bill Gates will hopefully alleviate some suffering in Africa. But if the world's richest people want to help Africa escape poverty, they should find ways of supporting genuine economic liberalization on the African continent."
"In countries with state control of the economy, opposition tends to weaken. Those who disagree with the ruling party soon find themselves without a job and without an income. In contrast, a free economy provides for diffusion of wealth and power. It also provides for higher rates of growth. Thus, between 1966 and 2006, Botswana's average annual growth rate was 7.22 percent — among the world's highest. Its income per capita adjusted for inflation and purchasing power parity rose from $671 in 1966 to $10,813 in 2005.
The work of magnanimous philanthropists like Bill Gates will hopefully alleviate some suffering in Africa. But if the world's richest people want to help Africa escape poverty, they should find ways of supporting genuine economic liberalization on the African continent."
Blackwater Uses the F(raud) Word | David Isenberg | Cato Institute: Commentary
Blackwater Uses the F(raud) Word | David Isenberg | Cato Institute: Commentary: "False Claims Act, a U.S. federal law which allows people who are not affiliated with the government to file actions against federal contractors claiming fraud against the government. Persons filing under the Act stand to receive a portion (usually about 15-25 percent) of any recovered damages. Claims under the law have been filed by persons with insider knowledge of false claims which have typically involved health care, military, or other government spending programs. The government has recovered nearly $22 billion dollars under the False Claims Act between 1987 and 2008."
Tea Partiers Should Get Serious | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary
Tea Partiers Should Get Serious | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Rail against earmarks, foreign aid and 'welfare queens' to your heart's content. But all that comes to a rounding error in a $3.7 trillion federal budget, over 75 percent of which consists of defense and entitlements.
To his credit, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., ranking member on the House Budget Committee, has proposed a 'Roadmap for America's Future' that makes serious cuts: $650 billion over the next decade — for starters. After raising the retirement age, voucherizing Medicare and reforming the tax system, Ryan's plan would eliminate the long-term deficit, according to the Congressional Budget Office."
To his credit, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., ranking member on the House Budget Committee, has proposed a 'Roadmap for America's Future' that makes serious cuts: $650 billion over the next decade — for starters. After raising the retirement age, voucherizing Medicare and reforming the tax system, Ryan's plan would eliminate the long-term deficit, according to the Congressional Budget Office."
Just Say Snow | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary
Just Say Snow | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary: "If you believe the official estimates, the three day federal shut-down cost Americans nearly a billion dollars. But don't worry. Although Snowmaggedon has been awful for those of us who live in the region, it likely has saved the American people billions of dollars by slowing down the waste of tax dollars and limiting the harm of regulations."
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
GM Stake Compromises Obama in Toyota's Recalls | Daniel J. Ikenson | Cato Institute: Commentary
GM Stake Compromises Obama in Toyota's Recalls | Daniel J. Ikenson | Cato Institute: Commentary: "there is no avoiding a conflict of interest when the government regulates an industry in which it has major stakes in one of the firms. One cannot objectively referee a race in which it has its own horse."
Monday, March 08, 2010
Chinese Exports Are Everyone's | Daniel J. Ikenson and Alec van Gelder | Cato Institute: Commentary
Chinese Exports Are Everyone's | Daniel J. Ikenson and Alec van Gelder | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Global economics is no longer a competition between 'us and them,' between 'our' producers and 'their' producers. Instead, because of cross-border investment and transnational production and supply chains, the factory has broken down its walls and now spans borders and oceans. Competition is often between international brands or production and supply chains that defy national identity.
So what does all of this have to do with China's status as the world's biggest exporter?
The vast majority of Chinese exports are hugely dependent on imports from the rest of the world: iron ore from Australia; microchips from Taiwan, South Korea or Singapore; software from teams in Redmond (in the state of Washington) and Bangalore (India); new designs from Cambridge (whether Massachusetts or England) and Toulouse (France); investments raised from consortiums based in New York City, S�o Paulo or Johannesburg.
China has become the world's largest exporter primarily because of the global division of labor that has helped reduce poverty and create wealth: China provides lower-value-added production. The components of Apple's iPods and iPhones are put together in China, but their designers in California are worth more to the company's bottom line. Denmark's Ecco has shoe factories across Asia, but its most valuable footwear is still designed and manufactured in Europe, where the quality is guaranteed and the workforce highly trained – and higher paid."
"simple trade accounting rules attribute the entire value of those exports to China, even when the Chinese value embedded in those goods accounts for a small fraction of the total.
That accounting method helps explain why China's exports have surged over the decades, as the division of labor evolved and manufacturing chains proliferated."
"the Chinese-added value embedded in a 30G Apple iPod accounts for only $4 of the total $150 cost, yet the entire amount is chalked up as a Chinese export. Other studies estimate overall Chinese value added in all products exported from China to average somewhere between 35 percent and 50 percent, a large proportion but a lot less than gross export figures imply."
So what does all of this have to do with China's status as the world's biggest exporter?
The vast majority of Chinese exports are hugely dependent on imports from the rest of the world: iron ore from Australia; microchips from Taiwan, South Korea or Singapore; software from teams in Redmond (in the state of Washington) and Bangalore (India); new designs from Cambridge (whether Massachusetts or England) and Toulouse (France); investments raised from consortiums based in New York City, S�o Paulo or Johannesburg.
China has become the world's largest exporter primarily because of the global division of labor that has helped reduce poverty and create wealth: China provides lower-value-added production. The components of Apple's iPods and iPhones are put together in China, but their designers in California are worth more to the company's bottom line. Denmark's Ecco has shoe factories across Asia, but its most valuable footwear is still designed and manufactured in Europe, where the quality is guaranteed and the workforce highly trained – and higher paid."
"simple trade accounting rules attribute the entire value of those exports to China, even when the Chinese value embedded in those goods accounts for a small fraction of the total.
That accounting method helps explain why China's exports have surged over the decades, as the division of labor evolved and manufacturing chains proliferated."
"the Chinese-added value embedded in a 30G Apple iPod accounts for only $4 of the total $150 cost, yet the entire amount is chalked up as a Chinese export. Other studies estimate overall Chinese value added in all products exported from China to average somewhere between 35 percent and 50 percent, a large proportion but a lot less than gross export figures imply."
Friday, March 05, 2010
Afghans Have to Want to Help Themselves | Malou Innocent | Cato Institute: Commentary
Afghans Have to Want to Help Themselves | Malou Innocent | Cato Institute: Commentary: "the U.S. Army and Marine Corps' Counterinsurgency Field Manual deems the legitimacy of the host nation's government a critical component for combating an insurgency."
"there is no legitimate host government in Afghanistan. Graft and corruption are extremely pervasive, from President Hamid Karzai himself down to the lowliest traffic policeman."
"the COIN manual suggests 20 to 25 troops per 1,000 indigenous inhabitants, a ratio that would force foreign troop levels to 200,000 in southern Afghanistan alone and to well above 650,000 overall (particularly given insurgent inroads in the north)."
"as demonstrated by the failed Christmas Day bomber, the fact that terrorists can still make it into America throws into question the entire notion that we must amass hundreds of thousands of troops in Muslim-majority countries. If America must start a war wherever terrorist groups hide, then wars of armed nation building must commence in Somalia and Yemen, too. Most importantly, if America's national security strategy is not about protecting America but rather bringing countries out of poverty at the barrel of a gun, what about Bangladesh? Or Congo? Or Haiti? As I wrote last night while liveblogging, 'Haitians might want to pray that al Qaeda swims over to Hispaniola, maybe then America and its allies can pave Haiti's roads, build Haiti's schools, and create a self-sufficient, noncorrupt, stable electoral democracy there, too (I won't hold my breath).'"
"there is no legitimate host government in Afghanistan. Graft and corruption are extremely pervasive, from President Hamid Karzai himself down to the lowliest traffic policeman."
"the COIN manual suggests 20 to 25 troops per 1,000 indigenous inhabitants, a ratio that would force foreign troop levels to 200,000 in southern Afghanistan alone and to well above 650,000 overall (particularly given insurgent inroads in the north)."
"as demonstrated by the failed Christmas Day bomber, the fact that terrorists can still make it into America throws into question the entire notion that we must amass hundreds of thousands of troops in Muslim-majority countries. If America must start a war wherever terrorist groups hide, then wars of armed nation building must commence in Somalia and Yemen, too. Most importantly, if America's national security strategy is not about protecting America but rather bringing countries out of poverty at the barrel of a gun, what about Bangladesh? Or Congo? Or Haiti? As I wrote last night while liveblogging, 'Haitians might want to pray that al Qaeda swims over to Hispaniola, maybe then America and its allies can pave Haiti's roads, build Haiti's schools, and create a self-sufficient, noncorrupt, stable electoral democracy there, too (I won't hold my breath).'"
Thursday, March 04, 2010
FOXNews.com - With Money on the Line, Local Governments Urge Illegal Immigrants to Fill Out Census
FOXNews.com - With Money on the Line, Local Governments Urge Illegal Immigrants to Fill Out Census: "Jurisdictions across the country are reaching out to illegal immigrant communities, some of which are reluctant to participate, in an effort to convince them that filling out the census form is safe and that the information they provide won't be used against them. Counting every last resident is vital for these districts, because the census numbers will be used to determine funding as well as legislative districts. The more people an area has, the more money it is eligible for, and the more representation it can get in Congress -- which usually means even more money."
"In Phoenix, officials estimate every resident counted is worth about $400 in government funding."
"Sharon Bulova, chairwoman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors ... said every counted resident is worth about $1,000 to the county."
"In Phoenix, officials estimate every resident counted is worth about $400 in government funding."
"Sharon Bulova, chairwoman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors ... said every counted resident is worth about $1,000 to the county."
The Race Against Government - Robert P. Murphy - Mises Institute
The Race Against Government - Robert P. Murphy - Mises Institute: "isn't there a way we could tap into people's philanthropic side without doing something intrinsically useless, like having a bunch of fourth graders walk around the school parking lot eight times, or asking people to spend money on candy or magazines they don't really want?"
"Suppose there were an organization that eventually gained a reputable name in the community, such that all the schools and many types of charities relied on it to coordinate their fundraising. Rather than kids selling boxes of almond candy bars or asking for pledges based on laps around the school, instead what the students would do is ask people to buy volunteer hours from them.
For example, a fourth grader would show up at your door explaining that he's raising money for his school's winter trip to the ski lodge, and that he's selling volunteer hours at $20 each. You say, 'A ski trip, heh? Sounds fun. OK I'm game, put me down for $5.'
Then, after the kid had raised a bunch of money, he'd turn it into his school, which would relay the information to the organization. Let's say the kid had collected $80 from the people in his neighborhood. Then on some Saturday he'd go down to the organization, where they would assign him to teams with other kids. Depending on their ages and abilities (and the number of adult chaperones available), they might ladle out soup in a homeless shelter, pick up litter in the local playground, help an elderly widow clean her yard up, or go to an orphanage and play with younger kids."
"I bet it's perfectly fine to pay $20 to have a fourth grader walk aimlessly around his school, whereas it's a violation of child labor laws to pay the same kid $20 to vacuum old lady Jenkins's living room."
"Suppose there were an organization that eventually gained a reputable name in the community, such that all the schools and many types of charities relied on it to coordinate their fundraising. Rather than kids selling boxes of almond candy bars or asking for pledges based on laps around the school, instead what the students would do is ask people to buy volunteer hours from them.
For example, a fourth grader would show up at your door explaining that he's raising money for his school's winter trip to the ski lodge, and that he's selling volunteer hours at $20 each. You say, 'A ski trip, heh? Sounds fun. OK I'm game, put me down for $5.'
Then, after the kid had raised a bunch of money, he'd turn it into his school, which would relay the information to the organization. Let's say the kid had collected $80 from the people in his neighborhood. Then on some Saturday he'd go down to the organization, where they would assign him to teams with other kids. Depending on their ages and abilities (and the number of adult chaperones available), they might ladle out soup in a homeless shelter, pick up litter in the local playground, help an elderly widow clean her yard up, or go to an orphanage and play with younger kids."
"I bet it's perfectly fine to pay $20 to have a fourth grader walk aimlessly around his school, whereas it's a violation of child labor laws to pay the same kid $20 to vacuum old lady Jenkins's living room."
Wage Earners and Employers - Ludwig von Mises - Mises Institute
Wage Earners and Employers - Ludwig von Mises - Mises Institute: "In the market economy, the only way left to the more gifted individuals to take advantage of their superior abilities is to serve the masses of their fellowmen.
Profits go to those who succeed in filling the most urgent of the not-yet-satisfied wants of the consumers in the best-possible and cheapest way. The profits saved, accumulated, and plowed back into the plant benefit the common man twice: first, in his capacity as a wage earner, by raising the marginal productivity of labor and thereby real wage rates for all those eager to find jobs; then later again, in his capacity as a consumer when the products manufactured with the aid of the additional capital flow into the market and become available at the lowest possible prices."
Profits go to those who succeed in filling the most urgent of the not-yet-satisfied wants of the consumers in the best-possible and cheapest way. The profits saved, accumulated, and plowed back into the plant benefit the common man twice: first, in his capacity as a wage earner, by raising the marginal productivity of labor and thereby real wage rates for all those eager to find jobs; then later again, in his capacity as a consumer when the products manufactured with the aid of the additional capital flow into the market and become available at the lowest possible prices."
Challenging the Rule of Law | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary
Challenging the Rule of Law | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Do you think the General Electric Co., which owns NBC, should have freedom of speech, but not FedEx, which does not own a media company?"
"Other corporations will now have the same rights that media corporations enjoy. One overlooked aspect of the ruling is that in the Internet age, almost any company can create a low-cost electronic newspaper, making it easy to get around the restriction if the Supreme Court had left the old rule intact."
"An IRS official said, 'We expect the Swiss government to continue to honor the terms of the agreement' — despite the agreement having been deemed unlawful."
"IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman, in a Jan. 26 speech, said some 'taxpayers would be required to annually disclose uncertain tax positions in the form of a concise description of those positions and the maximum amount of U.S. income tax exposure if the taxpayer's position is not sustained.' The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution clearly states: 'No person ... shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law.' Perhaps Mr. Shulman and his colleagues have never read the Constitution.
The 16th Amendment to the Constitution states: 'The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes,' yet the IRS routinely assesses taxpayers for taxes on 'imaginary' income, such as the portion of capital gains that are solely a result of inflation. For instance, if you paid $1,000 for 100 shares of stock in a company in 1983, and sold the stock for $2,000 in 2006, the IRS would claim you had 'income' of $1,000 and tax you on that. In fact, the consumer price index more than doubled in that period and you would not have been able to buy as much with the $2,000 in 2006 as you could have bought with the $1,000 in 1983. By any economic or dictionary definition of 'income,' you had none — yet the IRS lays what is, in effect, an unlegislated wealth tax on the inflation, which was caused by the government (i.e., the Federal Reserve)."
"Other corporations will now have the same rights that media corporations enjoy. One overlooked aspect of the ruling is that in the Internet age, almost any company can create a low-cost electronic newspaper, making it easy to get around the restriction if the Supreme Court had left the old rule intact."
"An IRS official said, 'We expect the Swiss government to continue to honor the terms of the agreement' — despite the agreement having been deemed unlawful."
"IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman, in a Jan. 26 speech, said some 'taxpayers would be required to annually disclose uncertain tax positions in the form of a concise description of those positions and the maximum amount of U.S. income tax exposure if the taxpayer's position is not sustained.' The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution clearly states: 'No person ... shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law.' Perhaps Mr. Shulman and his colleagues have never read the Constitution.
The 16th Amendment to the Constitution states: 'The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes,' yet the IRS routinely assesses taxpayers for taxes on 'imaginary' income, such as the portion of capital gains that are solely a result of inflation. For instance, if you paid $1,000 for 100 shares of stock in a company in 1983, and sold the stock for $2,000 in 2006, the IRS would claim you had 'income' of $1,000 and tax you on that. In fact, the consumer price index more than doubled in that period and you would not have been able to buy as much with the $2,000 in 2006 as you could have bought with the $1,000 in 1983. By any economic or dictionary definition of 'income,' you had none — yet the IRS lays what is, in effect, an unlegislated wealth tax on the inflation, which was caused by the government (i.e., the Federal Reserve)."
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Foreign Aggression - Morris and Linda Tannehill - Mises Institute
Foreign Aggression - Morris and Linda Tannehill - Mises Institute: "In a laissez-faire society, defense against foreign aggression would be offered for sale on the free market, just as would any other type of defense. Because of the close natural connection between insurance companies and defense agencies, it would probably be most feasible to sell defense against foreign aggression in the form of insurance policies. That is, insurance companies would sell policies agreeing to protect their insureds against foreign aggression and to indemnify them for losses resulting from such aggression (the contract to be void, of course, if the insured provoked the conflict by his own aggressive actions). The insurance companies would see to it that whatever defenses were necessary to prevent the losses were provided, and they would make sure that a very efficient job of defense was done, since any losses would cost them large sums of money."
"A major portion of the cost of defense against foreign aggression in a laissez-faire society would be borne originally by business and industry, as owners of industrial plants obviously have a much greater investment to defend than do owners of little houses in suburbia. If there were any real threat of aggression by a foreign power, businessmen would all be strongly motivated to buy insurance against that aggression, for the same reason that they buy fire insurance, even though they could save money in the short run by not doing so.
An interesting result of this fact is that the cost of defense would ultimately tend to be spread among the whole population, since defense costs, along with overhead and other such costs, would have to be included in the prices paid for goods by consumers. So, the concern that "free riders" might get along without paying for their own defense by parasitically depending on the defenses paid for by their neighbors is groundless."
"A major portion of the cost of defense against foreign aggression in a laissez-faire society would be borne originally by business and industry, as owners of industrial plants obviously have a much greater investment to defend than do owners of little houses in suburbia. If there were any real threat of aggression by a foreign power, businessmen would all be strongly motivated to buy insurance against that aggression, for the same reason that they buy fire insurance, even though they could save money in the short run by not doing so.
An interesting result of this fact is that the cost of defense would ultimately tend to be spread among the whole population, since defense costs, along with overhead and other such costs, would have to be included in the prices paid for goods by consumers. So, the concern that "free riders" might get along without paying for their own defense by parasitically depending on the defenses paid for by their neighbors is groundless."
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Obama's Targeted Killings in Yemen | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: Commentary
Obama's Targeted Killings in Yemen | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: Commentary: "'So the president claims the power to order U.S. citizens killed anywhere in the world, while engaged even in the most benign activities carried out far away from any actual battlefield, based solely on his say-so and with no judicial oversight or other checks.'
In addition to the corollary death of innocent civilians, these strikes do kill terrorists, don't they? But Greenwald reminds us, it is 'the U.S. Government (that) has accused them of being a terrorist.'
On what evidence? Remember Donald Rumsfeld assuring us 'the worst of the worst' were being held at Guantanamo Bay? But, as Greenwald notes, federal judges reviewing habeas petitions of prisoners there have found, in some cases, 'an almost complete lack of evidence to justify the accusations against them.'"
In addition to the corollary death of innocent civilians, these strikes do kill terrorists, don't they? But Greenwald reminds us, it is 'the U.S. Government (that) has accused them of being a terrorist.'
On what evidence? Remember Donald Rumsfeld assuring us 'the worst of the worst' were being held at Guantanamo Bay? But, as Greenwald notes, federal judges reviewing habeas petitions of prisoners there have found, in some cases, 'an almost complete lack of evidence to justify the accusations against them.'"
It's the Language of Action, Not a Trick - Predrag Rajsic - Mises Institute
It's the Language of Action, Not a Trick - Predrag Rajsic - Mises Institute: "In our everyday life, money is generally seen as the good that is being given up in return for consumption goods and services. Actually, what is being given up is the alternative use of that money.
When deciding on a purchase, a person assesses the value of an item and compares it with the values of other things that could be obtained using the money needed to make that purchase."
"Offering two pairs of shoes for $150 would create an artificial unit for mental analysis. For most people, the appropriate unit of shoes is one pair. People rarely have a single immediate end that would be satisfied by purchasing two pairs of shoes. Thus, when offered two pairs up front, people first need to disaggregate the offered two-pair unit into one-pair units and align them with different ends on their value scales, together with different combinations of money prices that add up to $150."
When deciding on a purchase, a person assesses the value of an item and compares it with the values of other things that could be obtained using the money needed to make that purchase."
"Offering two pairs of shoes for $150 would create an artificial unit for mental analysis. For most people, the appropriate unit of shoes is one pair. People rarely have a single immediate end that would be satisfied by purchasing two pairs of shoes. Thus, when offered two pairs up front, people first need to disaggregate the offered two-pair unit into one-pair units and align them with different ends on their value scales, together with different combinations of money prices that add up to $150."
South of the Border, the Cult of the Presidency | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary
South of the Border, the Cult of the Presidency | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary: "If you think we've got it bad, pity the Venezuelans, whose strongman president, Hugo Chavez, rules the airwaves with his own talk show. 'Hello, President!' airs Sundays, sometimes for up to eight hours, and it features Chavez singing, insulting his enemies, giving shout-outs to Fidel Castro, and even, on one occasion, describing a gut-wrenching bout of diarrhea he'd had while filming the show."
Spending Our Way to Stagnation | Daniel J. Mitchell | Cato Institute: Commentary
Spending Our Way to Stagnation | Daniel J. Mitchell | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Any money that the government puts in the economy's right pocket must be borrowed, which means the money comes out of the economy's left pocket. Keynesianism doesn't boost national income, it merely redistributes it."
"Most studies using current economic data show that economic performance is maximized when the public sector is less than 20% of GDP. And if historical data is used, the evidence suggests that government should be even smaller."
Ironically, John Maynard Keynes might not be a Keynesian if he was alive today. He certainly would not be a proponent of big government. In correspondence with another British economist, he agreed with the premise of '25% [of GDP] as the maximum tolerable proportion of taxation.'"
"Most studies using current economic data show that economic performance is maximized when the public sector is less than 20% of GDP. And if historical data is used, the evidence suggests that government should be even smaller."
Ironically, John Maynard Keynes might not be a Keynesian if he was alive today. He certainly would not be a proponent of big government. In correspondence with another British economist, he agreed with the premise of '25% [of GDP] as the maximum tolerable proportion of taxation.'"
Surveillance Can't Make Us Secure | Julian Sanchez | Cato Institute: Commentary
Surveillance Can't Make Us Secure | Julian Sanchez | Cato Institute: Commentary: "a portal set up to help the American government catch criminals may have proved just as handy at helping the Chinese government find dissidents.
In a way, the hackers' strategy makes perfect sense. Communications networks are generally designed to restrict outside access to their users' private information. But the goal of government surveillance is to create a breach-by-design, a deliberate backdoor into otherwise carefully secured systems."
"In the summer of 2004, unknown intruders managed to activate wiretapping software embedded in the systems of Greece's largest cellular carrier. For ten months, the hackers eavesdropped on the cellphone calls of more than 100 prominent citizens — including the prime minister, opposition members of parliament, and high cabinet officials."
"DCSNet is designed to allow authorized law enforcement agents to initiate a wiretap or gather information with point-and-click simplicity. Yet a 2003 internal audit, released several years later under a freedom-of-information request, found a slew of problems in the system's setup that appalled security experts."
"surrendering privacy does not automatically make us more secure — that systems of surveillance can themselves be a major source of insecurity."
In a way, the hackers' strategy makes perfect sense. Communications networks are generally designed to restrict outside access to their users' private information. But the goal of government surveillance is to create a breach-by-design, a deliberate backdoor into otherwise carefully secured systems."
"In the summer of 2004, unknown intruders managed to activate wiretapping software embedded in the systems of Greece's largest cellular carrier. For ten months, the hackers eavesdropped on the cellphone calls of more than 100 prominent citizens — including the prime minister, opposition members of parliament, and high cabinet officials."
"DCSNet is designed to allow authorized law enforcement agents to initiate a wiretap or gather information with point-and-click simplicity. Yet a 2003 internal audit, released several years later under a freedom-of-information request, found a slew of problems in the system's setup that appalled security experts."
"surrendering privacy does not automatically make us more secure — that systems of surveillance can themselves be a major source of insecurity."
FOXNews.com - Postal Service Seeks Permission to End Saturday Delivery
FOXNews.com - Postal Service Seeks Permission to End Saturday Delivery: "Though the idea of cutting service from six to five days has gotten a cool reception on Capitol Hill, Potter said that the plan would include enough flexibility so that customers who need Saturday service can get it and that this and other changes need to be implemented for the Postal Service to survive."
I think this is a good idea. Saturday service is needed and we can't afford to continue the subsidies.
"Though he said privatization had been on the table during a lengthy internal review, that option appeared to be ruled out. One consultant, Thomas Dohrmann from McKinsey & Company, said privatization was 'unlikely' in part because it would be hard to find a buyer."
A single buyer isn't necessary. Sell stock in the company and let many people own a portion of it. The change in control could also be gradual with staggered board member terms.
"Potter said mail volume went from 213 billion pieces in 2006 to a projected 166 billion pieces in fiscal 2010."
How useful is it to look at pieces of mail? Even though the number of pieces have gone down, the number of package pieces has probably gone up.
I think this is a good idea. Saturday service is needed and we can't afford to continue the subsidies.
"Though he said privatization had been on the table during a lengthy internal review, that option appeared to be ruled out. One consultant, Thomas Dohrmann from McKinsey & Company, said privatization was 'unlikely' in part because it would be hard to find a buyer."
A single buyer isn't necessary. Sell stock in the company and let many people own a portion of it. The change in control could also be gradual with staggered board member terms.
"Potter said mail volume went from 213 billion pieces in 2006 to a projected 166 billion pieces in fiscal 2010."
How useful is it to look at pieces of mail? Even though the number of pieces have gone down, the number of package pieces has probably gone up.
Book Review: War, Revenue, and State Building | Justin Logan | Cato Institute: Commentary
Book Review: War, Revenue, and State Building | Justin Logan | Cato Institute: Commentary: "The early Republic had a high tolerance for danger. The British had set fire to the White House during the War of 1812 and remained in North America openly refusing to comply with the terms of the Treaty of Ghent. (One might compare the gravity of this threat to that posed by Afghanistan's own 'handful of ragamuffins' today.) Even so, the U.S. Army was slashed in size from roughly 47,000 men during the war to less than 10,000 after it. This tiny force accounted for more than three-fourths of federal spending at the time."
Monday, March 01, 2010
Obama's Budget and the $1 Trillion Mistake | Chris Edwards | Cato Institute: Commentary
Obama's Budget and the $1 Trillion Mistake | Chris Edwards | Cato Institute: Commentary: "The lesson from all this is that an administration's promised spending beyond the first year is meaningless. Obama is proposing a freeze on a very small part of the budget, for example, but his budget plan next year will likely find reasons to break that promise."
Fujifilm's Finepix Real 3D camera comes to U.S. | Crave - CNET
Fujifilm's Finepix Real 3D camera comes to U.S. | Crave - CNET: "the FinePix Real 3D system appears to be the world's first 3D digital imaging system that captures 3D still photographs and movies, providing images that users can enjoy without special 3D glasses."
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