Posts
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?"
Saturday, March 13, 2010
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).'"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)