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After all:

(1) No thoughtful opponent of liberty and good economics is ever going to be persuaded by it.

(2) There are lots and lots of incredibly good sites out there. Here is yet another terrific observation from Coyote:

Dispatches from the Corporate State: A Study in Contrasts

December 9, 2011, 11:39 am

It is interesting to study the contrast between the handling of the Toyota accelerator problems, which turned out to be pretty much all driver error, and the Chevy Volt fire issues.

In the case of the former, we had public hearings and government threats.  The government, without evidence at that point, demanded Toyota recall the vehicles and stop production.  Eventually, when the NHTSA determined that the panic and recall was in error and the issue was operator error and not with the car, the Obama Administration suppressed the results.

Now, Volts appear to have a fire problem with their batteries.  This time, the government is keeping things real quiet and, instead of exaggerating the safety issue, they are suppresing it

It now appears the fire hazard was first discovered back in June, when GM first heard about a fire in a Volt that occurred some three weeks after the vehicle had been crash tested.

Yet, almost five months went by before either GM or the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) told dealers and customers about the potential risks and urged them to drain the battery pack as soon as possible after an accident.

Part of the reason for delaying the disclosure was the “fragility of Volt sales” up until that point, according to Joan Claybrook, a former administrator at NHTSA.

Demagoguing a non-problem in the first case, covering up a real problem in the second.  Guess which one has a union that supported Obama’s election and which does not.  Guess which one Obama bought equity in with taxpayer money?

11 Responses to “I Probably Should Close the Unbroken Window”

  1. Harry says:

    Just who out there is a thoughtful opponent of liberty? Isn’t that an oxymoron?

    Wintercow is entitled to be less prolific on his blog; his readers understand the need to get out of the blogosphere in order to pursue more important things.

  2. Mike says:

    Don’t.

    I have the same thoughts about my own blogging. Others obviously do it better, so why should I continue? People like Warren Meyer make me realize how average I really am.

    I even took the silly step of linking my blog to my facebook page in an attempt to increase my readership. Now my “friends” can see what I’m up to and read about what I’m doing here in the Indian Ocean. They can also be staggered by my occassionally wonderful insights about the economy and economic activity.

    The result has been no measurable increase in activity at my humble site. Oh, well… I’m probably going to put up a few posts about this and then sever the connection and go back to a readership that essentially consists of my wife and children. They are the only people really interested in what I’m doing here anyway.

    I know you are not serious about stopping. But, in case you’re even somewhat serious, know that you have a few kindred spirits out here in the world that enjoy your insights and have you in our readers so that we can check in each day. I would also bet there are a couple of your students that really benefit from the blog too.

    Are there really any thoughtful opponents of of liberty and good economics? There are only those opposed to liberty because they think they know better for me than I know for myself. There are only those, the ones we’ll never be able to convince, that want and seek power over others for their own enjoyment. All others are ignorant of the morality of free markets and liberty. While it’s hard, they still need to be preached to, even if they would only stop by here in an effort to find something else.

    I hope others chime in.

  3. C S says:

    I’ll be sad if you close it. I’m a parent of one of your Econ students and I’ve learned a lot from your posts. Even if you can’t persuade opponents, you can still educate the uninformed.

    I especially liked your Thanksgiving post and shared it with several people. They just don’t teach those facts in school.

    If you do close your blog, I hope you will link us to interesting articles in your tweets.

    Thank you for all the time you’ve put into this blog.

  4. Kit says:

    It is not the “thoughtful opponents” that will be persuaded but the confused and ignorant or those just looking for reassurance that not being invited to dinner parties is ok.

  5. John Jacob says:

    I too, would be sad like everyone else who has posted. Your blog is something I check everyday, and it is simply one of my favorite web-locations.

  6. chuck martel says:

    You can foam at the mouth over unions but this is the “United States” and unions are collections of individuals that have organized to further their own interests, just like the residents of Massachusetts Bay Colony and New York did and just like other organizations such the US Chamber of Commerce and various trade groups have. Any abusable power that you feel unions have isn’t inherent in them but a benefit from government. This isn’t a defense of unions as such, but when a problem is perceived it’s important to define and analyze it correctly or an effective solution won’t be found.

  7. Steve says:

    I’ve long enjoyed your blog and while not always in complete agreement, appreciate the obvious hard work and thought you invest. I get to sit on my duff and enjoy your hard work. Perhaps I’ll have to work a bit harder myself should you pull back from blogging. Maybe I should work harder anyway.

    My best wishes for all your endeavors.

  8. chuck martel says:

    I read your blog every day. If it takes too much of your time, just cut it back a little, it’s too valuable to dispense with entirely.

  9. Brent says:

    Wonderful blog. A must read for me. I was sent here by J. Eric Smith.

  10. sherlock says:

    Your blog is how I start every workday.

  11. Mike wrote: “I have the same thoughts about my own blogging. others obviously do it better, so why should I continue? People like Warren Meyer make me realize how average I really am.”

    I see this as a technologist and also as a sociologist. Michael “Wintercow” Rizzo has interesting ideas and perceptions which he shares with the wide, wide world. I appreciate the fact that the technology allows him to have his choice of a Blog or a Discussion Board or a Website. But in any event, we are experiencing and enjoying a vertiable Renaissance of expression, thought, fact, and opinion. This is a stepping stone to a Human Consciousness – science fiction realized; and rebellion against which is the stuff of science fiction also.

    I am fascinated by the statistics for my own blog. I have loyal readers in Russia. Why?

    Socially, we bloggers form networks. I added Mike to my Favorites. I post comments here, OrgTheory, Cafe Hayek and elsewhere. Coyote is a deft writer; and I read, but I do not post comments there, because he says it all; still, he is in my network of Favorites.

    Sure, it would be nice to be HuffPo. It would be nice to be married to Sandra Bullock (or maybe not). Ayn Rand teaches us to achieve and the Tao Te Ching teaches us to accept and the truth is probably somewhere between.

    Keep the Broken Window open.

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