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Sunday, August 3, 2014

Miscellany: 8/03/14

Quote of the Day
The dogmatist within is always worse than the enemy without.
S.J. Gould

Chart of the Day: Funding of State Retiree Healthplans
Via IPI
Pro-Liberty Thought of the Day



Image of the Day

Via Mike Mcfly
Prices during the 1970's before Fed moneyprinting
Via Being Classically Liberal
Via Libertarian Republic
 Your choice--the third term of Zipper or Obama 
Tweet of the Day
The GMO Kerfuffle

This is basically a personal pet peeve. I have a low tolerance for conspiracy theory cranks (I referenced a few weeks back coming across a bunch of 9/11 truthers on a Christian liberation FB group) I also have utter contempt for fearmongering food fascists whose junk science has intimidated national leadership in desperately poor countries, and as a consumer, I came to the conclusion a long time ago that organic foods weren't cost-justified for alleged nutritional benefits. These cranks are everywhere; if you do a simple query on GMOs on Youtube, it seems that the pro-science/GMO videos must be outnumbered at least 4-1. (I sometimes find them so obnoxious and pervasive on FB, I'll simply reply they're crackpots.) The special interests advocate on a number of fronts, including government certification of preferred foods to forcing food vendors to label their foods as GMO as though an implicit scarlet letter. (I don't have a problem with an industry certification for voluntary organic/non-GMO labeling, but given the generally lower prices of non-organic/GMO foods, it would seem that vendors would naturally want to explain the reason for higher prices.

I'm embedding a couple of blunt Penn-Teller videos relevant. There are numerous reviews of GMO foods in the peer-reviewed literature, but I'll end with this paragraph from the Genetic Literacy Project via Forbes:
In short, genetically modified foods are among the most extensively studied scientific subjects in history. This year celebrates the 30th anniversary of GM technology, and the paper’s conclusion is unequivocal: there is no credible evidence that GMOs pose any unique threat to the environment or the public’s health. The reason for the public’s distrust of GMOs lies in psychology, politics and false debates.




Why I Love George Will

From Fox News Sunday 7/24/14:
GEORGE WILL, CONSERVATIVE COLUMNIST: Well, I think Kirsten is largely right. My view is that we have to say to these children, welcome to America. You're going to go to school and get a job and become Americans.
We have 3,141 counties in this country. That would be 20 per county. The idea that we can't assimilate these 8-year-old criminals with their teddy bears is preposterous.
WILL: We can handle the problem is what I'm saying. We have handling, the same as they call the wretched refuge of the teaming shores a long time ago and lot more people.
Long term, the most effective legislation passed concerning immigration wasn't an immigration bill at all. It was Bill Clinton's greatest act, passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement that put North Americans on the path to prosperity. We need to do something similar for the countries in which these children are fleeing...
Facebook Corner

(IPI). Another story of patronage hiring from the Chicago Tribune:
"A powerful Chicago alderman's sister who failed Chicago Public Schools' selection test for principals twice will become the new principal at Gray Elementary thanks to changes in the district's hiring policy made in July."
 Nepotism involving the same piece of work: "Ald. Patrick O’Connor quickly pushed through an ordinance Wednesday that limits the ability of the City Council’s watchdog to investigate aldermen’s campaign finances — a week after that investigator received permission to open an ethics probe of O’Connor."? Say it ain't so, Joe.....

(Independent Institute). Senior Fellow William Shughart: "If the United States continues to take on the social and economic problems of Central America, our neighbors to the South never will institute the human-rights and market-based reforms that will protect their children and make then want to stay home.The United States should neither be the world’s policeman, nor should it be the world’s wet nurse."
We need to address the fundamental issues here, which include a dysfunctional war on drugs, a lack of liberalized trade with Central America, and failed restrictive immigration policies. To adopt Milton Friedman's rationalization of a social welfare net to prevent win-win immigration is unacceptable. I think The (Incompetent) One's lawlessness and reckless rhetoric have exacerbated the issue, but the children should not be held hostage to partisan talking points.

(Bastiat Institute). This article misses the point. Marijuana is safe. Does this mean it should be legal? Guns, ammonia, and sulfuric acid certainly aren't safe. If we accept "safety" as a valid excuse to end freedom, the battle has already been lost. Marijuana should be legal for the same reason guns, heroin, and other things should be legal: Because contraband rules are for prisoners, not free people.
No, marijuana is NOT safe; you are engaging in wishful thinking. Nevertheless, there are a number of things that aren't safe, like tobacco and alcohol, also addictive substances. The larger question is to what extent the State should intervene in individual consumption decisions; the Statist record on prohibition policies come at a high price for compliance and artificial shortages merely provide high margins luring organized crime into the black market. We should rely on persuasion, not force, in dealing with victimless offenses.

(IPI). Even though a patient is “insured” under the Medicaid program, patients routinely face barriers to accessing care.
In Illinois, more than 35% of doctors have stopped taking new Medicaid patients altogether.
Read more: http://illin.is/1pwuJkG
We need to start thinking outside the box; let's acknowledge more of the same Statist controls (heavy paperwork) in healthcare simply don't work, and there is a shrinking pool of willing physicians. One suggestion, from Manhattan Institute's Avik Roy, is a fusion of concierge medicine paired with catastrophic insurance. (Concierge service is a flat-fee, say 80 per adult, monthly retainer per patient.)

(IPI). Illinois owes more than $56 billion for retiree health insurance. Read more: http://illin.is/1phhxQD
Taxpayer bailouts of hidden corrupt crony unionist obligations are NOT an option. I think we also have a need for catchup contributions of middle-aged state employees, and we need to look at reforming the retiree healthplan to raise deductibles and look at more free market reforms to healthcare

(Drudge Report). UK health system to fund sperm bank for lesbians... New generation of fatherless families...
Why should taxpayers fund a sperm bank? If there is a market, the private sector will service it. Socially experimental policy under a so-called "Conservative" government?

More Proposals









Political Cartoon
Courtesy of Gary Varvel via Townhall
Musical Interlude: My Favorite Vocalists

Billy Joel, "She's Got a Way"

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