How free are sugar quotas?

For years, domestic sugar producers have benefited from import quotas that limit competition from foreign suppliers of sugar. As with all protectionism beneficiaries, they roll out all manner of bogus arguments to defend it (aptly characterized by William Graham Sumner’s description that “A wants protection; that is, he wants B’s money. A talks sentiment and metaphysics finely, and, after all, all there is in it is that he wants B’s money”). But one justification is particularly noteworthy for its blatant illogic.

After the Hideous Light Bulbs

In my last article, I urged everyone to say no to the hideous looking fluorescent light bulbs the environmentalists plan to force on us in the name of fighting global warming and “saving the planet.” I described the light bulbs as an entering wedge for further demands adding up to the sacrifice of our entire standard of living.

Here’s the kind of demands the environmentalists have in store to follow our acceptance of the light bulbs, if we should be so foolish. Give Up Clothes Dryers and Power Lawn Mowers

I Was On the Global Warming Gravy Train

David Evans writes: “I was on that gravy train, making a high wage in a science job that would not have existed if we didn’t believe carbon emissions caused global warming. And so were lots of people around me; there were international conferences full of such people. We had political support, the ear of government, big budgets. We felt fairly important and useful (I did anyway). It was great. We were working to save the planet!”

What Homeland Security Really Means

Security is a microeconomic issue. Threats to person and property come in very precise forms. What gives us homeland security is not a swaggering occupant of the White House but locks on our doors, reliable insurance, a gun in the closet, or a daughter with a good technique for catching bats. The key to feeling secure is good management of precise threats. The solution is carefully calibrated based on matching risk level, data of time and place, and making contracts with people who have an interest in bringing about the desired result. There is also a need for constant trial and error, since the nature of the threat is ever changing.
Subscribe to