Backlog O’Links for March 5, 2011: John Stossel on the regulatory juggernaut; Richard Wolff says weird stuff; Andrew Beitbart, I hardly knew ya; others….

1. John Stossel | Illegal Everything

   This could happen to you. They can take any law that they think you broke and take you to trial. And whether you win or lose, you’re going to lose, because by the time you’re done fighting it, you’re broke.

2. KatieKieffer.com | Conservative Thought in Minnesota and Around the Nation

   The web site says “conservative”, but she markets herself as “libertarian” on facebook, hence my click of curiosity.

   I think this girl does pretty much what I do, but it looks like she actually makes a living at it. How cool is that? Unlike me, she actually goes out and talks to real people. That might be her edge.

3. Economic Update with Richard Wolff | February 4th 2012

   I wish I had all day to sit around writing blogs. This particular episode of Update is, well … weird. I can’t rightly criticize the guy, because he is a professor of economics and I am not. That is why I listen to him–but what should an economically aware consumer of online media make of a statement such as this?:

Some Bunch O’ Links: Possibilianism; Greece; Portugal; Unheeded Prophets; others….

1. TEDxHouston | Dr. David Eagleman: Possibilianism

   I’m going to suggest that the next time someone says, “Well, you should just ‘cowboy up’ and commit to a decision,” we can say, “You know what? What I’d rather do is geek out.” And the idea with geeking out is, I’m going to be creative and come up with new narratives. I’m going to be comfortable holding multiple possibilities in mind.”

   I think this is good advice for learning economics. Some pairs of theories directly contradict each other. In those cases, you gotta pick one. Other theories don’t directly contradict each other. These could both be held in mind, and neither should be dismissed until better explanations are uncovered. One might weigh them. One might favor one of the other, but the other can not be dismissed until it is directly contradicted.

2. NPR | Portugal Plays By The Rules, But Economy Slumps

   Last May, Portugal received a $104 billion bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund, in exchange for deep spending cuts and structural reforms. … After a decade of easy credit, Portuguese are scrambling to make ends meet.

   Government can not keep bailing out and inflating ad infinitum. Recovery is a process. As Peter Schiff said, “Sometimes medicine tastes bad, but you have to swallow it.” Also, what else is government doing to thwart recovery? The article says debt keeps rising despite cuts. Why?

3. Counterpunch | A Death Sentence for Greece

   I found this episode of This American Life to be helpful. If that broadcast is to be believed, then the dumbest economic policy of all was letting that vampire state Greece into the Eurozone in the first place.

Overdue Links for February 6, 2011: FDA regulates stem cells as drugs; Obama ignores marijuana questions; Krugman pooh-poohs austerity; others….

"Hold it right there, mister. Are those stem cells 'safe and effective'?"

1. Alliance for Natural Health | FDA’s New Claim: “Your Body Is a Drug—and We Have the Authority to Regulate It!”

   Stem cells, like other medical products that are intended to treat, cure, or prevent disease, generally require FDA approval before they can be marketed. At this time, there are no licensed stem cell treatments.”

   The article links to the actual FDA opinion. Over/under: How many tens of thousands of people to you think will die unnecessarily while awaiting awaiting the FDA to approve this procedure?

2. Stossel | Who Owns Your Body? Part 2

   Death by bureaucracy.

3. CBS News | Marijuana questions dominate White House online chat

   How will Obama dance around it tonight? Let’s find out….

4. DRCNet | Obama Interview Ignores Marijuana Legalization Questions

   [I]t ought to be obvious to everyone that something is very wrong when this many people keep asking the same question and the president has nothing to say.

   Completely ignored this time. Not even laughed at. The amazing thing was that the top questions were all posted right under the video as it aired. The powers that be here did not even try to cover up the blaring silence.

5. NYTimes.com | The Austerity Debacle

   Paul Krugman here in full flower. Usually missing from these austerity-bashing editorials is some indication that the government either actually has, or can reasonably obtain, the money that they are supposed to spend to jump-start the economy. Where is this money cming from? I’m looking for something like this. The concern is usually dismissed, a la Kevin Drum, as a can that may be safely kicked down the road. I say, “No. Let’s talk about that ish right now!”

6. ‘Gasland’ Journalists Arrested At Hearing By Order Of House Republicans (UPDATES)

   Politically motivated expulsion of cameramen from a hearing room. Pretty lame.

7. Philadelphia Weekly | PA House Unanimously Declares 2012 “Year of the Bible”

   I hope this means we can forget about it by year’s end. Maybe 2013 will be the “Year of the Bhagavad Gītā”.

8. NPR | Off The Record: A Quest For De-Baptism In France

   Here in America, I’m pretty sure that the court would not touch a case like this due to Establishment Clause concerns. Personally, I would be satisfied with leaving a record that I was baptized as a baby, presumably without my consent, and that I had voluntarily chosen to leave the church. I ain’t in it to re-write my history and say that what had happened did not happen.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Last Week’s Links, for February 13, 2012: A Hodgepodge

1. The Big Think | Cornel West: How Intellectuals Betrayed the Poor

   I think the “Big Think” is to progressives like what “LearnLiberty” is to libertarians. This is good, I think, because it showcases for us some often mind-numbing obliviousness.

   I must say I’m a bit confused. The man claims to have been drowning in an ocean of free marketers and Hayekians, yet he doesn’t seem to hear anything they say, much less comprehend it. First, he completely misrepresents their ideas. Then, he claims that no fiscal conservatives are talking about this, that, or the other progressive talking point. It’s as if he had never so much as visited a libertarian website in his life, much less had his voice drowned out by gaggles of real, live libertarians. Maybe he’s talking about Republicans. Hmmm….

2. Businessweek | Paul Krugman vs. the World

   Probably the largest picture of Paul Krugman you’re likely to see on the web.

3. Wefunder | Crowd Investing

   We can gamble in Vegas. We can donate on Kiva or Kickstarter. But it’s illegal to purchase $100 of stock in a job-creating business? That makes no sense.

   The rule evidently applies to those without the financial wherewithal to satisfy the SEC.  I didn’t even know about it. Really? If this is true, then ‘free country’ my ass. It’s really a miracle that anything ever gets done at all with such shackles on markets. 

Links for January 30, 2012: ACTA is the new SOPA; More on Ron Paul and Racism; others….

1. Anonymous | What Is ACTA ?

   I can’t commenting on the specifics, as I have not read the agreement, but this much I know: As technology improves, copyright enforcement will become more invasive and more draconian. As I consider intellectual property to be on shaky philosophical ground anyhow, I’d prefer to relinquish it now, a la Stephan Kinsella, than live under the coming police state, a la SOPA, PIPA, and now ACTA.

2. IfrahLaw: Crime In The Suites | Indictments of Megaupload Are a Greater Threat to Web Users Than Piracy

   Just because SOPA may has been tabled, that doesn’t necessarily make the internet a safe place to store and share information.

3. Al Jazeera English | Ron Paul and the liberty of bullies

   This tightly knit sweater of criticism leaves a few strings dangling. It deserves a full response. For now, just understand that the alternative to a Civil Rights Act that forces blacks and whites to make nice is not necessarily either government-mandated Jim Crow segregation or segregation reinforced by mob violence. There is another way: Ron Paul’s way, which is not to force anyone to do anything, and to punish those who force their will on others. 

Links for January 23, 2012: Ron Paul on Drug War Racism; SOPA; others….

1. YouTube | Ron Paul Booed by Insane Debate Audience for Endorsing the Golden Rule 

   Oh, boo yourselves.

2. NPR: Fresh Air | Legal Scholar: Jim Crow Still Exists In America

   Listen to this, and then listen to ron Paul speak on the issue of the War on Drugs and its effect on minorities. Come back and tell me more about Ron Paul’s alleged racism.

3. Opposing Views | Video: Ron Paul Says Drug War is Racist

   Ron Paul, speaking around the time of the publication of his infamous newsletters, condemns what he perceives to be the racism inherent in America’s War of Drugs.

4. Huffington Post | How to Write a Clichéd, Unpersuasive Argument Against Drug Legalization

   I’m relieved to witness these recurring fallacies finally put to rest. We’ll never hear of them again, I trust, and thank goodness. I so look forward to actual thoughtful, constructive drug policy discussions from here on out. 

Links for January 16, 2012: Ron Paul’s Libertarian Principles vs. Racism; Romney on employer-based health care; scads of great satire; others….

1. The Daily Show | Jon Stewart Defends Ron Paul’s NH Finish

   
   Rigodddamndiculous.

2. Daily Intel | How Ron Paul’s Libertarian Principles Support Racism

   This is an analysis that makes sense only within the airtight confines of libertarian doctrine. It dissipates with even the slightest whiff of exposure to external reality. The entire premise rests upon ignoring the social power that dominant social groups are able to wield outside of the channels of the state. Yet in the absence of government protection, white males, acting solely through their exercise of freedom of contract and association, have historically proven quite capable of erecting what any sane observer would recognize as actual impediments to the freedom of minorities and women.

   Here is the libertarian response: Yes, there is a grain of truth to this. Yes, there are social powers that dominant social groups are able to wield outside of the channels of the state. But this is not a free process. This comes at a cost to the racist and the harasser.