Monday, March 15, 2010

 

Murphy Double Play

* At MasterResource I tut-tut Robert Frank's NYT column on climate change that scared the children. I use the latest Economic Report from the President (as in Obama), as well as a chart from the latest IPCC report (aka "the scientific consensus"), to show that the world is not ending, at least according to our trusted government and association-of-governments documents.


* At Mises I show the hidden paradox in standard free market arguments for drug legalization and against union thuggery. Specifically, a typical economic case for drug legalization will blame gang violence on the lack of contract enforcement (e.g. a drug dealer can't call the cops if he gets robbed), and free market economists will also usually say that unions can achieve above-market wage rates because the government doesn't intervene to protect "scabs" from picketers.

On the face of it, aren't these odd positions for a rabid free marketeer to take? In other words, s/he is arguing that there would be less gang violence, and a more coordinated labor market, if only the government would use its monopoly of courts and police more.

I resolve the paradox in my article.



Comments:
The Blackadder Says:

W/r/t the drug legalization article, I wonder if you have ever seen the TV show The Wire?
 
NOTE: I AM MOVING THE BLOG AND I FOOLISHLY DID SOMETHING THAT (I BELIEVE) PREVENTS ME FROM MAKING NEW POSTS UNTIL THE NEW SITE IS SET UP.

I think I will be able to import all the accumulated comments between now and the switchover, and that I will be able to point this domain name to the new host once it's ready. But in order to Export my blogger files to Wordpress, I had to switch from FTP to a non-FTP thingie, yadda yadda yadda, next thing I know I can't publish to this URL anymore.
 
Bob,

Can you re-explain your drug point for me? Assume you are talking to someone who is a moron, because I see where you are going with this, but for some reason, no "click" sound went off in my head.

Help!
 
Sweet! Your blog no longer shows up as "Malicious" and I can read it again. Perhaps Gene Callahan and "Anonymous" have cleaned up their comments.
 
The main page says there are no comments on this entry yet. I've been checking back since Monday, waiting for a new post, or at least a comment. Today, I finally clicked on "0 comments". I was really worried. I thought I was the last man on free advice, doomed to wander old posts.
 
Manny,

Do you understand the conventional anti-prohibition argument he lays out, or are you confused with both?
 
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