Homines libenter quod volunt credunt
Posted in Dynamism - Not, Financial Institutions, If I Really Hated the Poor ..., You Can't Have it Both Ways on Dec 7th, 2016
I’ve had a number of students ask me for letters of recommendation to help them secure their summer internships. Almost all of these internships are unpaid. Three quick observations: (1) It seems to be that high-end jobs have completely outsourced basic training to their future employees instead of it being done by them. You should see […]
Posted in Corporatism, Disingenuous, Education, If I Really Hated the Poor ... on Dec 2nd, 2016
We’ll dig down into this Current Affairs vituperation of Trump’s choice of Education Secretary in some more detail later (I’m off to class now). But two points in this article I’d like to make quite clearly and simply. The author starts out by trying to understand and articulate (in true Turing Test fashion) what the arguments made […]
Posted in Central Planning, Disingenuous, If I Really Hated the Poor ..., Institutions, Why Hillaryism and Trumpism Exists, You Can't Have it Both Ways on Nov 10th, 2016
Hamilton in Federalist 68: The process of election affords a moral certainty, that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications. Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity, may alone suffice to elevate a man […]
Posted in Disingenuous, Economic Illiteracy, If I Really Hated the Poor ..., Special Privilege, trade on Nov 4th, 2016
Via David Henderson this morning: “If our antidumping laws applied to U.S. companies, every after-Christmas sale in the country would be banned.” That is from trade economist Jagdish Bhagwati And here is another, this time from someone less famous whom you know a bit better: “Recycling enthusiasts should be the world’s most ardent free-traders.” […]
Posted in Health Care, If I Really Hated the Poor ..., Regulation on Oct 27th, 2016
Given the rise in PPACA premiums, do we get to rename the program? On a slightly more serious note, recall the vitriol spewed (ex post of course) at “economists” who for some reason were not able to predict the Great Recession. I had quipped why/whether political scientists are not, now, being excoriated for what is […]
Posted in Disingenuous, Environment, ethical foundations, If I Really Hated the Poor ..., Innovation on Oct 6th, 2016
There’s always something fun brewing down at ye ol’ alma mater: Dear Dean Boor and Trustees of the University: As New York State organic farmers, we object to the presence of the “Alliance for Science” on the Cornell campus (http://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/). This advocacy group for the highly controversial agricultural genetic engineering industry, funded almost entirely by […]
Posted in If I Really Hated the Poor ..., Inequality, Politics, Special Privilege on Jun 27th, 2016
A very good and underappreciated site is Put a Number on It. Here, from a recent post on inequality, is not something many are familiar with: Transfers comprise social security and the rest of welfare. I gave $5,700 to every person over 65 and spread the rest based on number of children and distance from […]
Posted in Disingenuous, Economic Illiteracy, If I Really Hated the Poor ..., labor markets on May 19th, 2016
This is already not going over well among the people this “law” is aiming to “help” … not surprising: Salary Threshold for Hourly Employees to Change The U.S. Department of Labor has announced changes to how some employees are paid by announcing an increase to the salary threshold used to determine eligibility for overtime pay. Effective December 1, […]
Posted in Economic Illiteracy, Education, If I Really Hated the Poor ..., We're Doomed, Welfare State, You Can't Have it Both Ways on Apr 19th, 2016
Today marks the pinnacle of pathetic pandering in NYS as “we” head to the polls to annoint the latest power-mad, megalomaniacal people with our blessings of awesomeness. In that spirit, check out these 10 core principles from the “Bern’s” website: AS PRESIDENT, SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS WILL REDUCE INCOME AND WEALTH INEQUALITY BY: Increasing the […]
Posted in If I Really Hated the Poor ... on Apr 14th, 2016
I spend a good deal of time making a point like this, somewhat more subtly of course, than the SciBabe. The title of her article is priceless, and spot on. Lost in the hot rhetoric she uses is certainly the idea that “natural” is not to be conflated with “good.” This is obvious for things […]
