Monday, October 03, 2011

America's Illegal Pioneers | Timothy B. Lee | Cato Institute: Commentary

America's Illegal Pioneers | Timothy B. Lee | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'Today, poor people still flock to the United States seeking a better life. And they face a dilemma not so different from the one their predecessors faced two centuries ago. Just as a cumbersome property system put formal land titles out of reach for many would-be pioneers, so today's antiquated immigration system puts green cards out of reach for many migrants.'

Minimize the work to come here illegally.

What Will Keep Our Food Safe? - Stefano R. Mugnaini - Mises Daily

What Will Keep Our Food Safe? - Stefano R. Mugnaini - Mises Daily: 'In the absence of a reliable government organic-food regulatory agency, the market has provided several voluntary options. The Certified Naturally Grown program offers "a non-profit organization offering certification tailored for small-scale, direct-market farmers and beekeepers using natural methods." They rely on voluntary participation and a peer-review system that is less expensive, less paperwork intensive, and more efficient than the USDA program.

Whole Foods Market has developed their own alternative for certifying certain production techniques for livestock and poultry, through a partnership with an animal-welfare nonprofit.

These are two options, but there are several others. All share a focus on voluntary cooperation between food producers and certifiers, and greater accountability to the consumer, as they can't hide their flaws behind the veil of government immunity. These programs, and others like them, are infinitely scalable, completely voluntary, and represent a real challenge to the notion that "only the government can …"'