Framing the Dialogue

Posts Tagged ‘economics’

News Briefs – Volume XI

News briefs are a collection of interesting news stories…

Brief 1:  The Democrats and Obama have been making some noise about providing subsidies for the dead tree media.  Maybe this is a quid pro quo since most newspapers have been propping  them up for decades and Obama for the past few years.  Before you get all freaky on this concept, remember that it has been used quite successfully in other countries.  The United States would join the ranks of Venezuela, China, Russia (they’ve gone a step further and have actually “cancelled” some journalists to decrease supply), North Korea and Nazi Germany. 

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Super Freakonomics

In the follow-up to their best selling and controversial book Freakonomics, authors Levitt and Dubner traveled a less controversial path.  As usual they provide interesting theories, but I found Super Freakonomics to to have missed the connection and detail relating to economics.  The book is probably more readable for the general public, but I missed the details in every story.

One of best parts of the book was a discussion about global warming near the end of the book.  It was the first balanced discussion that I have ever read.  The discussion centers around a group of brilliant men and should be part of a robust public debate:

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Ever Wonder Why?

Starting a book like this is a daunting task.  Thomas Sowell is one of my favorite writers and I marvel at the ease in which he dissects complex subjects in a very practical and entertaining way.  Ever Wonder Why is a collection of past articles and “other controversial essays” covering race relations, taxes, black history month, public education, the media, and much more.  Because of the format, none of the articles is more than three pages and sometimes the subject left me wanting more from Sowell.

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The Economic Naturalist

Economic NaturalistI had recently been “in search of explanations for everyday enigmas” when I happened upon a book by Robert H. Frank.  Frank believes that “even those who have taken an economics course in college typically emerge with little working knowledge of basic economic principles.  I agree and in The Economic Naturalist Frank compiles numerous examples from everyday life.  While the title may scare many people away, it is an entertaining book to read and is not at all dry.  Through Frank’s examples you get a great background on how the free market and economics play a role in many unusual ways.

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The Law

The Law2Just a few days ago I commented on my desire for Americans to learn more about economics.  I also finished the post adding the need to learn about history.  The writings of Frederic Bastiat prove this second point.  Bastiat died in 1850 yet 160 years after his death words speak to many of the issues that we encounter today. 

In The Law, written shortly before his death, Bastiat makes a compelling case that law in France at the  time was being misused to commit legal plunder.  Laws passed that allow government to take from one person and give it to other persons to whom it does not belong do not change the fact that something is TAKEN from the first person or plundered.  The passage of such laws make the plunder legal.  We most recognize this plunder in the form of taxes.

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The Chinese Are Stealing Our Jobs

CalvinEconomicsAbout a year ago I was asked to participate on a committee (I know yikes a committee) from our local school district.  The idea was to pull together the community to work with district personnel to better prepare students for college and working life.  Our district has an outstanding track record in academics and that is one of the main reasons that we moved here long before we had children of school age.  At one of the first meetings we brainstormed about topics where more emphasis was needed to better prepare our children.

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Environomics

kermit-the-frog“It’s not that easy being green…It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why?  Wonder, I am green and it’ll do fine, it’s beautiful!  And I think it’s what I want to be.”

When Kermit the Frog famously sang these words, being green was not all that popular and that was the point of his song.  Fast forward a couple of decades and green is good.  Green is so good that television networks have green weeks, schools go green, cities go green, and lots and lots of money is steered toward green enterprises.  Investments in green infrastructure is necessary, it is explained, to drive development of the technology.  That is a reasonable position and one taken by most politicians.  Even the staunches fiscal conservative often bows to green energy.

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Predictably Irrational

predictable irrationalSome of the great truths that most of us (actually all of us) believe about ourselves is that we are great drivers (it’s always the other jerk), that we look good in our favorite outfits, and we make good, rational decisions.  In Predictably Irrational author Dan Ariely leaves our delusions about driving and fashion alone and focuses on “The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions.” 

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Economic Sophisms

If you follow my posts, you probably know that I like economics.  I my travels I had heard about a French writer, Claude Frederic Bastiat who cleverly exposes economic sophisms.   I had thought that sophisms were similar to myths, but a sophism actually is meant to deceive.  I have come to believe that most of the economic drivel that we are fed is meant to fool us while allowing those in power to tinker with our future.

Tinkering is bad.

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Check Please

My wife and I used to go to dinner with some of her friends around Christmas every year.  I am not real social, but I enjoyed these occasions.  One year we went to a pretty nice (read expensive) restaurant.  My wife and I were really watching our money that year and agreed to avoid high cost entrees, drinks, appetizers and deserts.  The others were not as frugal as they ordered appetizers, expensive meals, and deserts.  Oh and how the wine (and beer and mixed drinks) flowed. 

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