Homines libenter quod volunt credunt
Posted in Behavior, ethical foundations, Government Gone Wild on Nov 18th, 2013
A new NBER Paper finds: In this paper, we demonstrate that university students who cheat on a simple task in a laboratory setting are more likely to state a preference for entering public service. Importantly, we also show that cheating on this task is predictive of corrupt behavior by real government workers, implying that this measure captures a meaningful propensity […]
Posted in Central Planning, Government Gone Wild on Nov 6th, 2013
Posted in Government Gone Wild, Government Thuggery, You Can't Have it Both Ways on Oct 15th, 2013
Unless you head has been mercifully been under a pillow, you would by now be familiar with the complete childish spitefulness coming from your Lords and Masters in DC. Among the most newsworthy and noteworthy “actions” taken by the Federal Government in response to the shutdown has been to close parks. Fine you say, parks […]
Posted in Government Gone Wild, If I Really Hated the Poor ... on Oct 3rd, 2013
For sending my children to Catholic schools. No reason to comment on that. I just got a tingle when I compared that piece to this news: the LA Unified School District has a ONE BILLION dollar program to give tricked out iPads to kids instead of textbooks. Again, no need to even comment on that […]
Posted in Government Gone Wild, Government Thuggery on Oct 2nd, 2013
If ever there was a myth to be shattered it would be that your “government” is out there “for the people.” Here’s the latest via Coyote: National Park Officials closed down the educational Claude Moore Colonial Farm near the CIA in McLean, Va., even though the federal government doesn’t fund or staff the park popular with children […]
Posted in Economic Illiteracy, Government Gone Wild, You Can't Have it Both Ways on Sep 30th, 2013
Well, who actually cares? If 1/3 of the federal government employees are relieved for a while, does that mean that 1/3 of the federal tax collections will stop? Or more important, does anyone understand that the total government employment in this country is close to twenty million people? That’s right, 1 in 7 “jobs” in the […]
Posted in Government Gone Wild on Sep 17th, 2013
Whatever. To recap: California’s emissions mandates are so onerous that they require mandates for electric cars that consumers won’t buy without subsidies that go mainly to the wealthy and that are now so expensive that they have become another drain on the state budget. Look for the middle class to be hit with a fee […]
Posted in Classical Liberalism, Government Gone Wild, Government Thuggery, Politics on Sep 4th, 2013
Well here we are again. Nothing seems to bring Team Reebok and Team Nike together like a little death inflicted on some foreigners. Now, this is beyond my credentials, but help me understand this. The Syrian regime can kill as many of its people as it wishes by all kinds of means – like shooting […]
Posted in Behavior, Economic Illiteracy, Financial Institutions, Government Gone Wild, Personal Finance on Jul 25th, 2013
Just how badly are public pensions underfunded? Here’s a great way to extract an answer: A good response occurred to me, to those cited by Josh who want to argue that underfunding is a mere $1 trillion. OK, let’s issue the extra $1 trillion of Federal debt. Put it in with the pension assets. Now, […]
Posted in Government Gone Wild, labor markets, Voluntary Society on Jul 10th, 2013
Navigating New York City websites has me confused, so I will ask for help, and my question also makes up the point of the post today. In which occupation is there more training required to obtain a “license” to practice? Becoming a hair-stylist in New York City, or becoming a Police Officer in New York […]