The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design. – F.A. Hayek
Posted in Corporatism on Mar 11th, 2010
Export promotion strategy pursued by Obama. Add this to yet another stupid, unfair, corporatist economic policy.
Mr. Obama will sign an executive order establishing an Export Promotion Cabinet comprising the Secretaries of State, Treasury, Commerce and other top officials. The group, which will meet for the first time next month, is charged with executing Mr. Obama’s [...]
Posted in Corporatism, Environment on Mar 10th, 2010
This WSJ Editorial talks about how the Obama Administration, for all its yacking about domestic energy production, has tightened the screws on oil and nuclear here in the US:
Congress’s ban on offshore drilling expired in September 2008, and a Bush Administration plan for leasing the energy-rich Outer Continental Shelf was due to begin this year. [...]
Posted in Corporatism on Mar 3rd, 2010
Here is a story about government industrial policy as told by Burt Folsom in his wonderful, Myth of the Robber Barons. This one is about the government’s involvement in the steel industry around WWI.
In 1916, then, Daniels and Tillman began the campaign to convince Congress to spend $11 million for an armour factory. In the [...]
Posted in Corporatism on Dec 6th, 2009
Read about it here and here. Oh, you thought I was talking about this?
As the crisis has receded this year, the government has remained aggressive, seeking business outcomes it finds desirable with some apparent indifference to contractual rights. In Chrysler’s bankruptcy negotiations in April, for example, Treasury’s plan offered the automaker’s senior-debt holders 29 cents [...]
Posted in Corporatism on Dec 3rd, 2009
“Obama Open to Every Good Idea to Stop Job Losses.” Well, I guess that depends on how he defines “good” doesn’t it?
I just choked on my afternoon snack (it was an apple, for any paternalists out there thinking I am too stupid to look after myself). This is the biggest farce foisted on us since, [...]
Posted in Corporatism, Regulation on Nov 22nd, 2009
In this edition of Progressive Corporatism in Many Lessons:
But as the business grew, so did its troubles. Hundreds of new bike operators arrived, pestering tourists and testing the city’s tolerance. Pedicab owners, alarmed at lax safety standards, began a push for regulation — an effort that stretched for years, encompassing a rare mayoral veto in [...]
Posted in Corporatism, Government Gone Wild on Nov 13th, 2009
“Only a socialist could think this makes sense.”
Some poor soul just went through the entire health care bill. And in it he finds that PelosiCare has provisions to create 118 new bureaucracies. Not 1. Not 18. But 118. Here’s a sample:
46. Public Health Workforce Corps (Section 2231, p. 1253) (wintercow: sounds scary)
53. Community [...]
Posted in Corporatism on Nov 12th, 2009
In class a few weeks ago, I talked about how imposing tariffs in order to save jobs was a really expensive way to save jobs. (Aside: if saving jobs was a motivating factor, which I argue is unimportant, but be that as it may …). The most recent high profile tariff was the Obama Administration [...]
Posted in Corporatism on Nov 8th, 2009
Posted in Corporatism on Nov 2nd, 2009
Are vital for GM’s health? Yep. So much for that Obama promise to not play politics with GM. It’s only our money now anyway.
Chrysler and GM have moved aggressively to cut their transportation costs, effecting Teamster jobs and riling the union’s political friends. Chrysler, for example, will save 25 percent of its $111 million annual [...]
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