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Economics

 

Haro on Cartels:

Xavier Méra

July 17, 2006:

344 million euros: this is the fine inflicted by the European Commission on 31 May on five chemical companies accused of colluding between 1997 and 2002 on the price of acrylic glass, better known under the name of Plexiglas. However, the co-operation between firms is not necessarily harmful to consumers. It can serve them, and the European Commission is unable to rule in their place if such or such agreement serves them. If Europe can do anything for consumers, it is to let them to solve the question themselves.

 

Sustainable Development: A Nonsensical Prescription vis-à-vis the Exhaustion of Oil:

Xavier Méra

July 17, 2006:

Xavier Mera analyzes the concept of "sustainable development" and concludes that-- taken to its logical conclusion-- it is the absurd idea according to which a resource whose use is precious for everyone should never be used by anyone.

 

The Inflation Tax:

Rep. Ron Paul, M. D.

July 18, 2006:

All government spending represents a tax, writes Rep. Ron Paul. The inflation tax, while largely ignored, hurts middle-class and low-income Americans the most. Simply put, printing money to pay for federal spending dilutes the value of the dollar, which causes higher prices for goods and services. Inflation may be an indirect tax, but it is quite real. The individuals who suffer most from cost of living increases certainly pay a “tax.”

 

The Market versus Government and the Structure and Goals of Bureaucracy (1995):

Dr. Murray N. Rothbard

July 19, 2006:

The great libertarian economist Murray N. Rothbard contrasts the incentives guiding free-market entrepreneurs and those motivating government bureaucrats in this first part of his 1995 treatise, Bureaucracy and the Civil Service in the United States. While free-market entrepreneurs are motivated by the desire for profit-- which implies efficient allocation of resources to meet the demands of consumers-- government bureaucrats are motivated by the desire for their agencies' growth and the corresponding expenses such growth entails.

 

Filosofy

 

Profit is Moral:

G. Stolyarov II

July 23, 2006:

Mr. Stolyarov argues that the profit motive is one of the noblest forces that can impel a man to act. Profits are necessary for an individual to flourish and improve his own life. Mr. Stolyarov further refutes the idea that the pursuit of profit can ever harm other people; he shows how the profit motive always either benefits or at least does not harm others.

 

Politics

 

It's Always Israel's Fault:

Alan Caruba

July 16, 2006:

The Israelis have tried everything they could to mollify the Palestinians and the neighboring Arab states, writes Alan Caruba. They have done this despite having fought several wars that gained Israel the territories the Arabs want returned, along with all of the rest of Israel. Now the United Nations and other international bodies are condemning Israel for no more than decisively responding to terrorist attacks against its territory and soldiers. There is no justice in the "international community's" treatment of this nation under attack. 

 

The Fate of Lebanon and the Rest of Us:

Alan Caruba

July 16, 2006:

Lebanon will benefit from Israel's recent military retaliation against Hezbollah, writes Alan Caruba, because such actions will substantially crack down on the oppressive terrorist organization and allow Lebanon to rise to its former prominence from under the iron fist of Syria, Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah.

 

End Threats against African Countries that Use DDT to Stop Malaria:

Sen. Tom Coburn, M. D.

July 17, 2006:

Physician and U. S. Senator Tom Coburn, M. D., has written European Union President José Manuel Barroso, seeking his “support and help in a life saving effort.” Many African nations want to use DDT to control malaria and save lives, but they are being told their agricultural exports could be banned if they do so. This “horrible and unconscionable situation” must end, Coburn says, and the EU must issue a “clear and unequivocal public statement” supporting the right of countries to use DDT and all other means to control this killer disease.

 

The Indispensable Condition of Peace:

Dr. Onkar Ghate

July 20, 2006:

Dr. Ghate condemns the Hezbollah terrorists, praises Israel's self-defense efforts, and provides the insight that only when the initiators of force learn that their actions lead to their own destruction, will peace be possible in the Middle East.

 

Science

 

The Truth about Malaria and DDT:

Paul Driessen

July 18, 2006:

After long resistance to using the chemical, the USAID, World Health Organization, and several African health ministers are once again emphasizing the vital role that DDT can play in disease control. With a death toll of 2-3 million a year, it’s not a moment too soon. But suddenly, home-grown anti-insecticide activists – funded, prodded, and misinformed by US and EU environmental groups – are fomenting new unrest and concerns. If they succeed in delaying indoor spraying programs, countless people will die needlessly from this readily preventable disease. Paul Driessen thinks it is vital that people all over the world learn the truth about this incredible mosquito repellant, irritant, and killer.
 

"Economics deals with society's fundamental problems; it concerns everyone and belongs to all. It is the main and proper study of every citizen."

 

~ Ludwig von Mises