Here’s a list of articles that I have been reading lately:
“Necessary” Bank Bailouts Harm the Economy, Wreck the Banks
blogs.forbes.com
John Tamny channels Joseph Schumpeter: “The bank bailouts of 2008 continue to bring the broad economy harm, all the while restraining the ability of the banking system to get back on its feet. This shouldn’t surprise anyone. To put it simply, while business failure of any kind is always painful for investors and employees alike, it’s a happy sign of economic revival for revealing in living color that capitalism is working.”
The Young And the Perceptive
nytimes.com
Interesting essay on how “systematically” important errors often go undetected: “Could teenagers have caught Wall Street’s false notes?”
Do the Math (even if you’re getting a PhD in English)
21stcenturyscholar.org
This article documents, among other things, the persistent (and chronic) oversupply (relative to demand) of PhD’s in fields such as English, History, and Foreign Languages…
Deterrence in the Age of Nuclear Proliferation
online.wsj.com
“In The Wall Street Journal, George P. Shultz, William J. Perry, Henry A. Kissinger and Sam Nunn say the doctrine of mutual assured destruction is obsolete.”
‘Borders on Misrepresentation’
online.wsj.com
“Judge Vinson calls out Justice on its ObamaCare dishonesty.”
The Unhappy Paradox of Santa-Statism
online.wsj.com
As an alternative to Santa-Statism, AEI president Arthur Brooks channels Nobel (economics) laureate Friedrich Hayek: “As regards the economy, the government should provide a minimum basic standard of living for citizens, and address market failures in cases where government action can do so cost effectively.”
The Dictator’s Wife Wears Louboutins
online.wsj.com
“In The Wall Street Journal, Bari Weiss and David Feith write about Vogue magazine’s recent paean to Syria’s first lady, Asma al-Assad. Apparently Anna Wintour missed the trend: Middle Eastern tyrants are out this season.”
The Middle East Uprisings, their Economies, and the World Economy
advancingafreesociety.org
Thoughtful essay by University of Chicago economist and Nobel Laureate Gary Becker: “The revolutions and protests in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, and other parts of the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) are the most important world development in the past 20 years, even though it is still highly uncertain about the types of governments that will emerge…”
When halfway isn’t
advancingafreesociety.org
“The negotiations on the continuing resolution (CR) began yesterday. The Administration’s new line, echoed by Congressional Democrats, is that their new offer “comes halfway.””
Costs of the New Government Activism
advancingafreesociety.org
“In “Activism,” a paper soon to be published by the Council on Foreign Relations, Alan Greenspan delves into the consequences of the recent surge of what he describes as “government activism, as represented by the 2009 US$814 billion programme of fiscal stimulus, housing and motor vehicle subsidies and innumerable regulatory interventions.””
George F. Will – Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich and the spotlight-chasing candidates of 2012
washingtonpost.com
“When Republicans do not recoil from question-rants, the conservative party is indirectly injured.”
Badgering the Witless
iowahawk.typepad.com
Very interesting followup by “iowahawk” on his previous post entitled “Longhorns 17, Badgers 1“. Among other things, iowahawk references Caroline Hoxby’s 1996 QJE paper “…which statistically controls for additional variables. Her main conclusions: collective bargaining increases the input provided to schools (spending, construction and the like), but actual decreases school output (test scores and the like).”