A very large portion of the laws that our officials enact run contrary to simple economics, which is to say, they are out of touch with the reality of how people operate. Take the “war on drugs” for example. We’ve identified a problem (people mess up their lives by abusing chemicals) and then think that the solution lies in government (make those chemicals illegal). How’s […]
Michigan View
Two SOTU responses
Here are two of the best responses I have heard to the State of the Union speech: The first came from Rep. Paul Ryan, who delivered the official Republican response. “It’s no coincidence that trust in government is at an all-time low now that the size of government is at an all-time high.” But my favorite came from a father, who said, “You know what […]
Give the Obama Administration credit for one thing …
… they’re going to do away with the “terror by color” scheme that the Bushies put into place. If you’re gotten used to the message “the threat level, as determined by the Department of Human Security, is orange,” whenever you’re at the airport, enjoy it while you can. http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/watercooler/index.php?blogid=1579
There’s a difference between being pro-market and a crony capitalist
“Contrary to popular presumption, being friendly to business is not the same as being pro-economic growth or pro-free-market.” So says Donald J. Boudreaux in this essay. “In a free market,” he writes, “businesses profit only by pleasing consumers. But a business that obtains special favors from government can profit without pleasing consumers. And it’s here that trouble starts.” And when it comes to businesses trying to […]
More bailout candidates for 2011
Dailyfinance.com has a list of 10 American companies that will disappear in 2011. Bailout possibilities, anyone? Failed governments usually soldier on, propped up by cash infusions. (The Obama stimulus plan, for example, largely stimulated the finances of state and local governments.) http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/watercooler/index.php?blogid=1514 Private companies that fail to meet public demands and keep costs under control are either taken over, or dissolve entirely.
Michigan should consider dismantling ObamaCare
Gov. Snyder and members of the Legislature certainly have their hands full, but here’s something else they should consider: Fend off ObamaCare. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has just released The State Legislators Guide to Repealing ObamaCare which offers legislators plenty of options for defunding ObamaCare, drawing attention to its harmful effects, and otherwise working to undo the increasing rate of “governmentizing” health care. ObamaCare […]
Creative destruction
A couple of weeks ago I purchased a new laptop computer, and I have enjoyed learning about its features since. But I also have the slightest tinge of sadness. You see, this computer will replace one I bought in 2004 – which at the time was the latest and greatest. Now its best days are past, with its technology on the junk heap of computer […]
The Daily Grope: Congressman calls for special treatment from TSA
U.S. Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) says the TSA labors under the illusion that “congresspeople should be treated like everybody else.” Clyburn based his reasoning on the recent shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). The funny thing is, though, that Giffords was nowhere near an airport, and the TSA could have done nothing to prevent the assault. http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/watercooler/index.php?blogid=1445
The Daily Grope: Naked scanners won’t stop at airports, DHS says
“If you object to the naked scanners, you can just not fly. Nobody’s forcing you to get on airplane.” Have you heard that argument? Or offered it yourself? As if to prove that civil liberties are indeed an invisible cloak, the Department of Homeland Security is looking at looking at you, not just at the security line at an airport, but, well, everywhere. “The department […]
Fact-checking PoliFact
Who watches the watchdogs? Politfact made news last year when it said that the claim ObamaCare was a “government takeover” of health care was the “lie of the year.” Pretty damning stuff, no? But does this news service, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 2009, shoot straight (oops! Did I just incite violence?) when it evaluates the claims of various politicians? Two recent developments make […]