Homines libenter quod volunt credunt
Posted in Economists, Methodology, Special Privilege on Nov 18th, 2012
Do you know why economists are likely to be in favor of Washington and Colorado legalizing marijuana use? Not because they care much about freedom or even that they think it is welfare improving. No, not at all. Remember, “we” economists are self-interested creatures. And this change in the law will be a very useful […]
Posted in Economic Illiteracy, Education, Environment, Special Privilege on Oct 26th, 2012
My alma mater is much in the news lately, and I will post on that if I can figure out the right way to articulate my view on the unfortunate events. But they still can’t help sending their alumni triumphal emails about how awesome they are. In the latest e-mail they are celebrating the Chevy […]
Posted in Central Planning, Environment, Government Gone Wild, Special Privilege on Aug 10th, 2012
Students of mine have seen these pictures several times from me: Beginning with the Soviet Union and now continuing with the Uzbeks, government officials have long made it a priority to make the desert bloom like a rose. For years they have made massive surface diversions of water from what was once the world’s 4th […]
Posted in Entrepreneurs, ethical foundations, Government Thuggery, Special Privilege on May 30th, 2012
I may just turn this blog into a news feed. It all speaks for itself. I wonder if its because companies have to beg for government permission, and then pay a hefty bribe, to get permission to hire more employees: The city council in Menlo Park, Calif., is set to approve a deal that will let […]
Posted in Special Privilege on May 10th, 2012
You’d think folks would be embarrassed? Take the response of the director of a barbering school in Michigan to a different proposal by a state legislator (not included in Mr. Snyder’s proposal) to repeal barber licenses: “I’m not saying we are as important as doctors, but we are the closest you can get. We are […]
Posted in Central Planning, Special Privilege on Feb 22nd, 2012
I really should just dedicate this site to illustrating the insanity that I “rant” about from time to time. Here is Warren Meyer (who’ll be visiting us in Rochester next month) on quite possibly the Worst American Rail Project Ever: The Rail Runner collects about $3.2 million a year in fares and has an annual operating […]
Posted in Environment, If I Really Hated the Poor ..., Special Privilege, You Can't Have it Both Ways on Dec 20th, 2011
Organic farming is not good for the environment. Even if one assumes that yields on organic farms are identical to the yields achieved on conventional farms, organic farms have a distinct biological disadvantage when compared to others – they need to get fertilizer from organic sources. The organic code rejects fixing nitrogen from the air […]
Posted in Corporatism, Special Privilege on Oct 10th, 2011
It’s nice to have so many thoughtful bloggers out there – I have to respond to far fewer inquiries today than I had in the past. She captures the issue very nicely. I reprint a good Venn Diagram here:
Posted in Environment, Institutions, Politics, Special Privilege on Jul 27th, 2011
But will the progressives and greenies also support it? In the 2008 bank bailout bill there was a rider tucked into it to support a plug-in hybrid vehicle tax credit. Now I am sure all of my readers are keenly aware of how this prescient act of government saved the financial sector and turned the […]
Posted in Government Gone Wild, Special Privilege on Jul 9th, 2011
Just another day of the cops protecting the people: And what happened to this cop? 250 pound Anthony Abbate beats the daylights out of a 125 pound female bartender because she refused to serve him due to his drunkenness? He got a slap on the wrist. And oh yeah, the video forgets to tell us […]