Dead-tree format's demise is slow, steady | Business Tech - CNET News

Dead-tree format's demise is slow, steady | Business Tech - CNET News: "Paper demand peaked in 2006 and has declined every year subsequently between 3-10 percent year over year and is now tracking 20 percent+ below the 2006 the peak"

Even "Primitives" Pursue Profit - Mike Reid - Mises Daily

Even "Primitives" Pursue Profit - Mike Reid - Mises Daily: "These "dirty, greasy" bits of shell were in fact prestige goods, just as valuable and just as arbitrary as Rolex watches, luxury cars, and sports trophies. Such goods attract attention and advertise your achievements. They say, "I am powerful enough to have this."

In North America, when a team in the National Hockey League wins the Stanley Cup, it brings the team members enormous fame (at least in Canada). But instead of making a new cup each year, the NHL uses the same trophy over and over; so the winning team holds the Stanley Cup only until the next team wins it away. The cup is a storied artifact that brings fame to any man who possesses it, even though no man can possess it forever."

"In short, the decentralized network of Kula gift exchanges provided the social scaffolding for international trade protected from robbery and warfare. No state required."

The Remarkable Story of Chile's Economic Renaissance | Daniel J. Mitchell and Julia Morriss | Cato Institute: Commentary

The Remarkable Story of Chile's Economic Renaissance | Daniel J. Mitchell and Julia Morriss | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Thirty years ago, Chile was a basket case. A socialist government in the 1970s had crippled the economy and destabilized society, leading to civil unrest and a military coup. Given the dismal situation, it's no surprise that Chile's economy was moribund and other Latin American countries, such as Mexico, Venezuela, and Argentina, had about twice as much per-capita economic output.

Today, by contrast, Chile has passed Argentina to become the richest nation in all of Latin America. For three decades, it has been the fastest-growing economy in the region. Poverty has fallen dramatically, and living standards have soared."

"The number of people below the poverty line dropped from 40 percent to 20 percent between 1985 and 1997 and then to 15.1 percent in 2009. Public debt is now under 10 percent of GDP and after 1983 GDP grew an average of 4.6 percent per year. But growth isn't a random event. Chile has prospered because the burden of government has declined. Chile is now ranked number one for freedom in its region and number seven in the world, even ahead of the United States.

The lesson from Chile is that free markets and small government are a recipe for prosperity. The key for other developing nations is to figure out how to achieve these benefits without first suffering through a period of socialist tyranny and military dictatorship."

Social Security: How much I pay, how much I get | Fox News

Social Security: How much I pay, how much I get | Fox News:
"If you turned 65 in 1960:
Lifetime Social Security benefits: $259,000.
Lifetime Social Security taxes: $36,000.
___

If you turn 65 in 2030:
Lifetime benefits: $699,000.
Lifetime taxes: $796,000."

Another example showing the breakdown of the system.