Monthly Archives: July 2008

Argentinean Tailspin…

Posted on by jsrule
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<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern

We have written about Argentina before here at Trying Liberty, and the previous post was pretty hopeful.  The Argentinean senate had just rejected a massive tax hike on agricultural exports, helping farmers across the nation.  Today’s news is not as fun to report, though.  Argentina has just announced plans to buy back the national airline, Aerolineas Argentinas.  The airline has been privately owned by a Spanish firm for nearly 20 years, but is continuing to lose money.  The majority of the fleet is grounded, and flights are rarely on time.  Yet, rather than lose the “flag-carrying national airline”, the country is buying back the dying fleet during one of the most expensive summers ever to operate an airline.

Oh, and did we mention that the airline is currently losing roughly a million dollars a day?  The best thing to do here is to let it die gracefully and realize that no government should have an officially sponsored “flag-carrying national airline.”  Aerolineas Argentinas is not the only airline in Argentina, and others would soon move to fill whatever gap was created by its closure.  To promote a stronger national budget and a vibrant economy, the government of Argentina simply should not buy Aerolineas Argentinas.  It should give the money back to its farmers, instead.

Monkeying with the 1st Amendment

Posted on by lmruhland
1

~LM Ruhland, MCPP intern

Jim Voorheis, a Montrose businessman, remains unimpressed by the two major parties’ presumptive presidential candidates.  His sign company has a big LED display outside, and he thought he’d express his disappointment by flashing pictures of both Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain along with a perplexed-looking chimpanzee.  Unfortunately for Jim Voorheis, some city officials think the sign is offensive and contains racial insults that could be aimed at either candidate.   (Obama’s father was from Kenya; McCain’s youngest daughter was adopted from Bangladesh.)

A member of the city commission filed a complaint about the sign, and the city manager wrote the Michigan Department of Transportation in hopes of intervention.  According to the Flint Journal, the letter stated that “[t]he insulting racial slur overtones and connotations of this series of electronic billboard image of flashing displays is quite clear to people who are astute in civic affairs and therefore are upsetting to many citizens in the City of Montrose community.”

“Is the Montrose sign showing images of Obama, McCain and a chimp racist?” is today’s Flint Journal poll.  As of 9:30 this morning, about 89% agreed that “Yes, it’s an outrage.”  Only 11% maintained that it was speech protected by the 1st Amendment.  When Mlive commenter gradylikesr pointed out that the sign is protected as satire, user metroual had the following to say (emphasis mine):

where are getting your info? posting a sign is not necessarily anyone’s right under our constitution. someone posts something obnoxious and one states the constitution and or ammendments. it is not always the case. freedom of speech is protected. it is protected by both sides. this MAN is acting immature, moron-like. what he is displaying is not NECESSARILY protected. please, do your homework.

I admit to slacking off in 10th-grade civics class, but I don’t remember any homework that taught me that.

Mackinac Center Current Comment :: 22 July 2008

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<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern

Mackinac Center Director of Communications Michael Jahr announces the succession of current President Lawrence Reed by current Executive Vice President Joseph Lehman.  Also available at the Mackinac Center website is the recording of a radio interview Reed & Lehman did with Frank Beckmann on 21 July 2008 to publicize the change, effective 1 September 2008.  Reed will become the Center’s President Emeritus and will simultaneously serve as the new president of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE).  Congratulations to both Reed & Lehman!

I Reject Your Notion of “Self-Interest”

Posted on by hkmead
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-Hannah Mead, MCPP intern, 2008

One awesome thing about the blogosphere is how courteous bloggers are. I’m not talking about posts or comments — these can of course get nasty. But the proliferation of such kind behavior as citing HTs, putting (pdf) after a link and giving spoiler warnings is pretty universal. And it’s pretty nice.

Do bloggers do this simply because they want more readers and so want to be as reader-friendly as possible? Maybe, but I doubt this is the sum of it. Because of peer pressure? Probably not, since that pressure would simply be in the form of losing readership. Do they include these courtesies because they consider readers to be part of their own community and so extend kindness to them? Perhaps — it’s either this or the last option: Because they themselves have suffered the intense frustrating of unknowingly clicking on a pdf link and waiting forever for Acrobat to open, and so want to spare everyone that pain?

I think the last two are the most plausible — which means bloggers are not acting in what some people would claim is their self-interest, since the poster does not stand to personally benefit from these courtesies.  Though some consider this to be irrational action, I think it’s perfectly reasonable. After all, “It’s nice to be nice.”

This brings me to the ultimate point: The concept of self-interest is of limited usefulness — it either dismisses genuine altruism or inherently encompasses all human action. Nice people are either irrational, manipulative, guilty or simply caring. I reject the first two outright. And though many have insisted that my altruism is motivated by a sense of guilt, I know that it’s not. Which leaves the last option. Most people like to do some nice things for themselves and some things for others — this is, I am sometimes told, in their “self-interest” since they like to do so. Which would mean self-interest is completely tautological: Anything I do is by definition in my self-interest. So where does that get us?

Mackinac Center Current Comment :: 21 July 2008

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<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern

Jim Vote writes today about labor unions in Michigan and how extensive reform is needed.  He calls for the defeat of the proposed RMGN amendment and the passage of right-to-work legislation in the state of Michigan.  Right-to-work laws would make it possible for all businesses and institutions to hire both union and non-union labor.  Check it out.

RMGN News and Commentary

Posted on by jsrule
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<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern

A compendium of news stories, editorials and blog-posts from around the state. Most are related to the exposure of the “Changing the rules of Michigan politics to help Democrats” Powerpoint on a UAW Web site, but also contains earlier material. Updated regularly.

RightMichigan: 31 July 2008: An article citing the Mackinac Center’s Jack McHugh’s analysis of the savings created by the RMGN ballot initiative.  The author argues that what is needed are far more substantive, long lasting changes.

HometownLife.com: 31 July 2008:  An article reflecting on the proposed RMGN amendment and calling for a deeper look at the underlying issues surrounding the proposal as well as a constiutional convention in 2010.

Lansing State Journal: 31 July 2008: An article announcing the date of the Board of Canvassers meeting that will determine whether the proposed RMGN amendment will make it to the ballot this November.

Detroit News: 31 July 2008: An article announcing the 21 August meeting of the Board of Canvassers that will determine whether the proposed RMGN amendment will make it to the ballot this November.

Human Events: 30 July 2008: An article focusing primarily on the judicial implications of the proposed RMGN amendment.

National Review: 29 July 2008: An article summarizing the development and fallout of the proposed RMGN amendment and the discovered powerpoint.  Special emphasis is given to the judicial implications.

RightMichigan: 29 July 2008: Right Michigan alleges a near constitutional violation by Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

Crain’s Detroit Business: 28 July 2008: A review of the previous week’s business and political news, including a Reform Michigan Government Now press conference.

Battle Creek Enquirer: 28 July 2008: A series of letters to the editor, including one from the executive director of Reform Michigan Government Now.

Marketplace of Ideas: 28 July 2008: An article describing the Mackinac Center’s discovery of the powerpoint and what it might mean for the proposed RMGN amendment.

Mackinac Center: 28 July 2008: An article arguing that the proposed RMGN amendment does not accomplish its stated goals of streamlining and downsizing.

WKZO: 25 July 2008: A blurb announcing Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s indecision regarding the RMGN ballot initiative.

Toledo Blade: 25 July 2008: An article calling for Michigan voters to reject the proposed RMGN amendment and wait for the 2010 constitutional convention ballot.

Lansing State Journal: 25 July 2008: An article arguing that the proposed RMGN amendment played a role in the supreme court race involving Cliff Taylor.

Grand Rapids Press: 25 July 2008: An article on the Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit filed against RMGN.

Michigan Liberal: 25 July 2008: An article describing what might happen if the proposed RMGN amendment made it to the ballot in November.

WLQV: 25 July 2008: An audio interview with the Mackinac Center’s Paul Kersey and WLQV’s Paul Edwards.  The interview begins a few moments into the recording.

WILX: 25 July 2008: A brief announcement regarding the Michigan Chamber of Commerce’s lawsuit against RMGN for allegedly poor or failed record-keeping.

Detroit News: 25 July 2008: An article on the Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit filed against Reform Michigan Government Now and its proposed RMGN amendment.

BlogCritics:  24 July 2008: An article promoting the proposed RMGN amendment.  Note that it falsely attributes the Mackinac Center’s discovery of the powerpoint to the Detroit Free Press.  Hopefully, the error will be corrected.

WJSM: 24 July 2008: A brief announcement on the lawsuit filed by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce against RMGN.  The article includes two audio clips – one from the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, and one from RMGN.

Detroit News: 24 July 2008: A brief article reporting on Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s recent comments on the RMGN proposal.

RightMichigan: 24 July 2008: An article briefly describing what legal problems might exist for the proposed RMGN amendment, as well as several links from around the blogosphere.

Michigan Political Report: 24 July 2008: An article describing the filing of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit against RMGN and the RMGN response.

Associated Press: 24 July 2008: An article comparing Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s tentative support for portions of the proposed RMGN amendment and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit against the proposal.

Wall Street Journal: 24 July 2008: An editorial in opposition to the proposed RMGN amendment.

Detroit News: 24 July 2008: A series of letters to the editor.  Some are in favor of the proposed RMGN amendment, some are against, and some are ambivalent.

WLNS: 23 July 2008: An article discussing the Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit against RMGN.

Detroit Free Press: 23 July 2008: Brian Dickerson describes how two potential Democratic Supreme Court candidates will not run because they disapprove of “court-packing and court destruction” schemes.

Detroit News: 23 July 2008: An article reporting the cancellation of a Democratic Party fund-raiser because of the Reform Michigan Government Now proposal.

Associated Press: 23 July 2008: A blurb noting the filing of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit against RMGN.

Detroit Free Press: 23 July 2008: An article discussing allegations that RMGN failed to report significant spending as required by law.

Detroit News: 23 July 2008: An op-ed in opposition of the proposed RMGN amendment.

Detroit News: 23 July 2008: An op-ed in favor of the proposed RMGN amendment.

Michigan Liberal: 23 July 2008: Michigan Liberal displays ambivalence toward the RMGN proposal.  The ambivalence does not consider the discovered powerpoint at all, but describes its implications as “unimportant.”

Crain’s Detroit Business: 22 July 2008: An article focusing on RMGN’s refusal to discuss the recently discovered powerpoint attributing their proposed amendment to partisan backers.

Gather: 22 July 2008: An article with several quotes from the powerpoint and discussing its allegedly deceitful origins.

Grand Rapids Press: 22 July 2008: An article reporting on the Michigan Democratic Party survey conducted just before the powerpoint was discovered.

WKZO: 22 July 2008: A blurb disagreeing with the Michigan Democratic Party’s conclusions after a recent survey about the proposed RMGN amendment was released.

Lansing State Journal: 22 July 2008: An article rejecting a constutional convention to address the same reforms as proposed by the RMGN amendment.

Detroit Free Press: 22 July 2008: A flash-based online political cartoon on the proposed RMGN amendment.

Detroit News: 22 July 2008: A rebuttal to Judge Cohn’s article against the proposed RMGN amendment.

Yahoo! News: 21 July 2008: A Press Release concerning the upcoming Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit against RMGN.

Detroit News: 21 July 2008: Detroit News blog post on the costs and benefits of the proposed RMGN amendment.

Disagreement Without Being Disagreeable: 18 July 2008: Three lengthy paragraphs explaining the major result of the powerpoint’s discovery, and a link back to the powerpoint.

Sunshine Review: 19 July 2008: Sunshine Review writes about the need for transparency in ballot initiatives like the proposed RMGN amendment.

Mad Puppy: 17 July 2008: Fairly scathing commentary on the Democratic Party and alleged ties to the RMGN ballot initiative.

Shop  Floor: 18 July 2008: Brief commentary linking to stories by Mark Pero and Jim Copland regarding the proposed RMGN amendment.

Outside Lansing: 20 July 2008: An article warning those against the RMGN proposals not to forget the conclusions drawn by the polling cited in the recently discovered powerpoint.

Detroit News: 19 July 2008: A slightly edited version of an earlier article by Charlie Cain announcing a soon-to-be-filed Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit against RMGN.

Detroit Free Press: 20 July 2008: An article explaining what the powerpoint contained, and why the contents might harm the creators.

Mlive.com: 20 July 2008: Reporter Susan Demas argues that the RMGN proposal is largely insignificant, precisely because she thinks it will not be on the ballot.

Mackinac Center: 21 July 2008: Jim Vote’s Current Comment at the Mackinac Center, calling for Michigan’s movement to become a right-to-work state, ending union control of manufacturing in Michigan, as evidenced by the discovery of the RMGN powerpoint.

WWMT: 18 July 2008: A brief article claiming that RMGN is becoming increasingly controversial, and mentioning again that many do not believe the proposed amendment will ever get to the ballot box.

Detroit Free Press: 20 July 2008: Reporter Brian Dickerson predicts that a typographical error in the proposed RMGN amendment will keep it from even getting to the ballot.

From The Maas: 18 July 2008: Two lines of brief commentary with links to the powerpoint, a couple news stories, and a quote from Jim Vote.

Continue reading →

Crash and burn

Posted on by hkmead
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-Hannah Mead, MCPP Intern, 2008

In response to the airlines’ ridiculous email plea vilifying futures market speculators, Kimberly Strassel vents her frustrations at airlines (HT: Coyote). I found it very therapeutic.

Note that the airline industry is so bureaucratized that it avoids the market forces that keep other service industries serving the customer. Because the payoff is cheaper and bigger if they lobby the government to restrict competition and bail them out in tough times, airlines pander to politicians, not customers. Remember this when you want more government intervention in more areas of the economy. The airlines are a perfect example of a “public/private partnership” — I sure as heck don’t want my health care going the way of the skies.

Also see Josh’s earlier post on oil speculation.

Another possible death caused by the FDA

Posted on by segrether
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Sarah Grether :: MED Managing Editor

One of the classic libertarian movements is to abolish or privatize the Food and Drug Administration. This is just another example of why we are called to such a stance. I await the statistics as to how many young adults died from this rare form of muscular dystrophy while the drug was being tested.

The family is suing the drug company, but hopefully it’ll set a precedent for more liberal interpretation of FDA policies.

A Simple Question

Posted on by jsrule
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from 53x.org

from 53x.org

<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern

I attend university in Illinois, and the past couple of years, a new law (well, lots and lots of laws actually…) has gone into effect.  It’s the ban on smoking in public facilities across the state of Illinois.  Most of the individuals I have talked with really appreciate this law, because it makes the air in restaurants, hotels, and most other public venues that much cleaner.  In fact, I am very appreciative of this law, because I simply don’t like cigarette smoke.

Yet, this law is in absolute defiance of the freedoms held by individuals and entrepreneurs throughout the state.  Why, many of the smoke shops have had to shut down their smoking rooms!  How is a quality cigar and pipe dealer supposed to do business?  Well, I know the answer to this question… repeal the law.  That is really the only way to restore people’s freedoms – get rid of the impediments.  Yet, what can the private sector continue to do, especially individuals, to encourage public facilities to go smoke-free?  Any ideas?  Let me know in the comments.

It’s hard not to be cynical…

Posted on by segrether
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Sarah Grether :: MED Managing Editor

When you find yourself reading the latest brickbat from Reason;

Steve Kink heard an alarm go off outside his wife’s bar in Weymouth, England. He found two men breaking into a cell phone store and confronted them. One punched him, but Kink swept his feet from under him and pinned him to the ground. By this time, more people had arrived and grabbed the other robber. They held them until police arrived. The next day, the police released the man Kink had grabbed with a warning for criminal damage, and they arrested Kink for assault.

It’s not my goal to come off as a genius, but that would be like arresting an attempted-murder victim for provoking her fourth-degree black belt, conspiring, ex-boyfriend.

I think I’m off to go find a cave up north to live out the remainder of my days.

I feel your pain

Posted on by hkmead
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-Hannah Mead, MCPP Intern, 2008

I can’t even tell if this was a quick response to what hit the fan yesterday or if this was already in the chute, but Mark Gaffney, president of the Michigan AFL-CIO, had a piece in The Detroit News today: “Reform state government to help voting, share pain.”

Share the pain? That’s all the “reformers” have to offer me? I hope for–heck, I demand– better. Michigan’s economic woes are not unavoidable. The pain will not be lessened by sharing it around. And passing a partisan power play masquerading as a “grass-roots” proposal will certainly not alleviate Michiganders’ pain.

Sometimes, I really feel bad for politicians. They’re like Dobby the house elf in Harry Potter — we’d all be fine if they’d just stop trying to save us.

NYT on Women in Science & Title IX

Posted on by lmruhland
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~Lauren M. Ruhland, SET intern

Title IX, the federal regulation mandating gender equality in public education, has been subject to controversial interpretations since its inception in 1972.  Most commonly, Title IX debates surrounded funding for women’s athletics programs at the high school and college levels.  Today, John Tierney of the New York Times writes that some would like Title IX intervention in order to establish a stronger feminine presence in the hard sciences:

The members of Congress and women’s groups who have pushed for science to be “Title Nined” say there is evidence that women face discrimination in certain sciences, but the quality of that evidence is disputed. Critics say there is far better research showing that on average, women’s interest in some fields isn’t the same as men’s.

In other words, women aren’t avoiding science because the lab has a prohibitive glass ceiling.  It’s that there are so many other appealing choices out there.  Even as somebody who’s been known to don heels and pearls for an date with D. melanogaster, I’m not counting on spending my career shackled to a lab bench.  Marie Curie, Maria Mitchell, and Rosalind Franklin were able to harness their passions to make groundbreaking scientific discoveries, and for that they should be admired.  However, women who chose to reach for other dreams should not be held up to an ideal they never embraced.

Open Source Software: The Gift Culture

Posted on by jsrule
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from outtacontext.com

from outtacontext.com

(Note: This is post 3 of a multi-part series about Open-Source Software (OSS), and what the idea of Open Sourcing means economically. Read post 2.)

<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern

This series has already looked at what exactly Open-Source Software is, and it has explained how Open-Source Software measures wealth in extra-monetary terms.  Another interesting feature of the Open-Source and Free software communities is that wealth is not capped.  Everyone could in theory write excellent code that gives them excellent rapport and status within the community.  There are very few theoretical limits on the available amount of reputation. Continue reading →