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To Protect and Conserve - Ninos P. Malek - Mises Daily: 'I have never heard of a chicken, cow, or pig facing extinction. The reason is simple: people breed them.'
'With CAMPFIRE, which allows private management of the animals (including the right to hunt them), elephant populations have increased by 50 percent. In countries that ban hunting, such as Kenya, the elephant population has decreased between 60 and 70 percent.'
'Ironically, allowing these animals to be hunted on private property has helped them to thrive. In fact, three varieties of antelope have been saved from the brink of extinction. The endangered-animal population in Texas is increasing, while it is falling in the animals' native Africa.'
'Like the pig farmer, the ranchers have an incentive to ensure animals are hunted at a certain rate. It would not be in their own self-interest to allow too much hunting in a very short period of time. In fact, no more than 10 percent of a herd is hunted each year.'
'Ownership gives you an incentive to take care of that possession, not only now, but also for the future.'
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
The Truth about Paul Ryan's Tax Plan | Chris Edwards | Cato Institute: Commentary
The Truth about Paul Ryan's Tax Plan | Chris Edwards | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'Liberals rail against the idea of cutting the top income tax rate from the current 35 percent, but Ryan’s lower 25 percent rate was not picked out of thin air. IRS data show that taxpayers with the highest incomes currently pay an average of about 25 percent of their income in income taxes. At the same time, middle-income taxpayers pay an average of roughly 10 percent. That is why Ryan’s two-rate tax structure of 10 and 25 percent would collect about the same amount of money from the same income groups as the current code if we got rid of the deductions and credits.'
Sugar Taxes Are Unfair And Unhealthy | Patrick Basham | Cato Institute: Commentary
Sugar Taxes Are Unfair And Unhealthy | Patrick Basham | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'Economic research finds sugar taxes are a futile instrument in influencing the behavior and habits of the overweight and the obese. Why do sugar taxes fail? Those consumers who strongly prefer unhealthy foods continue to eat and drink according to their individual preferences until such time as it becomes prohibitively expensive to do so.'
'Poorer consumers react to higher food prices not by changing their diets but by consuming even fewer healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and eating more processed foods. For instance, taxes levied specifically on sugar content increase saturated fat consumption.'
'Poorer consumers react to higher food prices not by changing their diets but by consuming even fewer healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and eating more processed foods. For instance, taxes levied specifically on sugar content increase saturated fat consumption.'
Learning from North Korea | Malou Innocent and Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary
Learning from North Korea | Malou Innocent and Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'History suggests, however, that sanctions will fail. They have a poor record of persuading authoritarian regimes to sacrifice interests they see as vital. If the regime believes it needs a nuclear program or weapons to survive, it will continue to allow its people to suffer.'
Outrageous Forced Contracts Could Become Legal If Obamacare Mandate Is Upheld | Jim Powell | Cato Institute: Commentary
Outrageous Forced Contracts Could Become Legal If Obamacare Mandate Is Upheld | Jim Powell | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'FDR issued Executive Order 9066 mandating that some 110,000 peaceful Japanese Americans be hustled away from the Pacific Coast and into places like the urine-soaked Santa Anita racetrack stables until these people could be moved to Spartan “War Relocation Camps.” Nothing like this happened to the 6 million Italian Americans, even after Mussolini declared war against the United States.'
'After the U.S. Civil War, many blacks didn’t want to work for former masters who had tormented them. But The Union army, occupying the South, pressured former slaves to sign annual contracts with plantation owners, and blacks were forbidden to leave plantations without the owners’ permission — the same policy as under slavery. Blacks found to be loitering, changing jobs or riding the rails were arrested as vagrants, then forced to perform unpaid labor. How could the Union, that had abolished slavery, do this to blacks?'
'a Florida law that provided, in part: “Every able-bodied male person over the age of twenty-one years, and under the age of forty-five years, residing in said county for thirty days or more…shall be required to work on the roads and bridges of the several counties for six days of not less than ten hours each in each year when summoned so to do.” No-shows, the law went on to say, “shall be fined or imprisoned in the county jail for not longer than thirty days.”'
'If a war really benefits the general population, then the general population should pay the full cost of it, including the cost of offering compensation that’s high enough to attract as many volunteers as might be needed.'
'After the U.S. Civil War, many blacks didn’t want to work for former masters who had tormented them. But The Union army, occupying the South, pressured former slaves to sign annual contracts with plantation owners, and blacks were forbidden to leave plantations without the owners’ permission — the same policy as under slavery. Blacks found to be loitering, changing jobs or riding the rails were arrested as vagrants, then forced to perform unpaid labor. How could the Union, that had abolished slavery, do this to blacks?'
'a Florida law that provided, in part: “Every able-bodied male person over the age of twenty-one years, and under the age of forty-five years, residing in said county for thirty days or more…shall be required to work on the roads and bridges of the several counties for six days of not less than ten hours each in each year when summoned so to do.” No-shows, the law went on to say, “shall be fined or imprisoned in the county jail for not longer than thirty days.”'
'If a war really benefits the general population, then the general population should pay the full cost of it, including the cost of offering compensation that’s high enough to attract as many volunteers as might be needed.'
NY, NJ: Just Hold Off | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary
NY, NJ: Just Hold Off | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'one study suggests it will take a 5 percent tax on insurance premiums to pay to operate Oregon’s exchange.'
Since they want almost everything covered, premiums will be almost all of health care costs. So it is a 5% tax on health care just to run the exchanges!
'If the feds set up an exchange in New York or New Jersey, the feds will be responsible for the cost of running it. If a state establishes the exchange, that state will have to pay for it.'
'Nor does setting up an exchange preserve state control over the local insurance market. Under Section 1311(K) of the ObamaCare law, the federal government essentially has veto power over the design of state exchanges.'
Since they want almost everything covered, premiums will be almost all of health care costs. So it is a 5% tax on health care just to run the exchanges!
'If the feds set up an exchange in New York or New Jersey, the feds will be responsible for the cost of running it. If a state establishes the exchange, that state will have to pay for it.'
'Nor does setting up an exchange preserve state control over the local insurance market. Under Section 1311(K) of the ObamaCare law, the federal government essentially has veto power over the design of state exchanges.'
Why Apple, Samsung's phones sit atop piles of cash (FAQ) | Mobile - CNET News
Why Apple, Samsung's phones sit atop piles of cash (FAQ) | Mobile - CNET News: 'Apple and Samsung accounted for 95 percent of the industry's profits in the fourth quarter - with Apple generating 80 percent by itself - as the rest of the players struggle for the scraps. Canaccord Genuity analyst Mike Walkley said yesterday that their percentage could rise even higher in the first quarter.
Just five years ago, Nokia and Research in Motion - two companies now desperately looking for a comeback - were the ones gobbling up the industry's profits. The radical change in leadership illustrates the rapid shifts in the business, which is even more dependent than ever on consumer tastes and technical trends. Titans today are paupers the next.'
This is a great example of why the government shouldn't pick winners and losers -- Even a great pick can quickly become a bad pick.
Just five years ago, Nokia and Research in Motion - two companies now desperately looking for a comeback - were the ones gobbling up the industry's profits. The radical change in leadership illustrates the rapid shifts in the business, which is even more dependent than ever on consumer tastes and technical trends. Titans today are paupers the next.'
This is a great example of why the government shouldn't pick winners and losers -- Even a great pick can quickly become a bad pick.
Rapid GDP Growth--Best Antidote for Poverty | Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar | Cato Institute: Commentary
Rapid GDP Growth--Best Antidote for Poverty | Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar | Cato Institute: Commentary: "record GDP growth in India has produced record poverty reduction, just as it did in China."
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