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 Welfare State on Apr 30th, 2011
There are exactly as many families that have incomes below the federal poverty level as there are families who receive federal disability benefits (about 7.5 million).
Posted in Regulation, Welfare State on Apr 4th, 2011
An 1919 Illinois Health Commission Report showed that 81.9% of wage earning families in the City of Chicago had at least one member with a life insurance policy. Even among the poorest residents, 73% purchased life insurance. Further 9 in 10 blacks held some life insurance, a share larger than ANY other native group, including [...]
Posted in Environment, Taxation, Welfare State on Mar 14th, 2011
According to this paper: Our simulations cover the period from 2015 to 2105, and assume stable energy demand elasticities and energy efficiency improvement factors. Using an elasticity carbon pricing method, we calculate implied revenues of roughly 6% of Gross World Product (GWP) on average across the whole time period. Allow me to translate. These guys [...]
Posted in Politics, Voluntary Society, Welfare State, You Can't Have it Both Ways on Mar 14th, 2011
It would be very difficult to make a convincing case that the world of 2011 is horrible by any reasonable standard. We are richer, healthier, and wiser. Beyond that, there are a lot more people who get to enjoy living today than at any time in the past. This must count for something. With that [...]
Posted in Welfare State, You Can't Have it Both Ways on Feb 25th, 2011
If instead of the Wisconsin Senators leaving the state to avoid voting on Governor Walker’s bill, everybody else (aside from the teachers’ unions of course) left Wisconsin permanently, would the public employees still have a right to their salaries and retirement benefits?
Posted in Voluntary Society, Welfare State on Jan 15th, 2011
David Beito in his excellent book, From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State, tells us that it is very difficult to estimate just how many people were affiliated with franternal and mutual aid societies back in their heyday – especially since large segments of the black and immigrant population would have been undercounted. Nonetheless, by [...]
Posted in Paternalism, Unintended Consequences, Welfare State on Dec 2nd, 2010
Fatherhood.gov. It’s a effort of NRFC, which is a division of ACF which is an office of OFA which is a branch of HHS, which of course is a department of the Executive branch of the USA. Phew. Now that we have that out of the way. Here is what it does: NRFC Activities The [...]
Posted in Welfare State on Nov 20th, 2010
This comes in from Pravda: There is a consensus among the Wall Street and Beltway establishment on Social Security. Most CEOs, pundits, and elected officials favor cutting and / or privatizing it, claiming that doing so will reduce the deficit. That claim is a lie, since Social Security is fully funded through 2037, pays for [...]
Posted in Welfare State on Nov 17th, 2010
“Inmates in New York’s County Jails Collecting Unemployment Benefits Illegally.“
Posted in Welfare State on Aug 27th, 2010
That’s why the plunders of the past decided to do one of two things. (1) Move on to plunder someone else. (2) Stay put and allow their hosts to live so that there was still something to plunder in the future. The public employees and retirees are doing neither. Is it wrong for me to [...]
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