Saturday, September 29, 2018

In the news, Saturday, September 15, 2018


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SEP 14      INDEX      SEP 16
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from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)
RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, HIGH, non-profit organization

5 (Other) Financial Crises that Shook the Modern World
From the Middle East and Asia to the U.S. and Latin America, these crises helped shape the 20th century. A decade has passed since the collapse of the Lehmann Brothers investment bank, which triggered the worst recession since the stock market collapse of 1929. But between the 1930s and 2008, the world experienced several economic downturns, some of which had long-lasting effects on the affected countries. Here are five lesser-known crises that shaped the 20th century: The 1973 Oil Crisis; The Sovereign Debt Crisis in Latin America; The Japanese Asset Price Bubble; Asia’s 1997 Financial Crisis; The Dotcom Bubble and Early 2000s Downturn.

Concentrated Benefits and Diffused Costs Explain the Persistence of Tariffs
Tariffs hurt more people than they help. So why do those outnumbered few keep winning so many political victories at the majority’s expense? The answer can be found in the concept of concentrated benefits and diffused costs. The concentrated benefits and diffused costs of tariffs open more opportunities for corruption. Tariffs and other trade barriers are not just bad economics—they are bad ethics.

To Say Socialists 'Mean Well' Gives Them Too Much Credit
In discussions of illiberal ideologies, socialists are frequently praised for being at least well-intentioned, if naive or ignorant—unlike fascists, who mean to cause harm to certain groups of people. While it goes without saying that fascists have bad intentions, the comparison sets the bar too low for socialists. Conceding that socialists mean well gives them too much credit.

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from HumanProgress.org  Education Website

How the Market Helped to Make Workplaces Safer
The free market, some people allege, is incompatible with workplace safety. Competition drives down profits, the German philosopher Karl Marx asserted, which forces business owners to cut corners and expose their workers to growing risks. Yet, by historical standards, work-related fatalities are at an all-time low. Labor activism and government regulations deserve part of the credit for that happy state of affairs. But, a general improvement in living standards and, consequently, higher expectations on the part of the laborers, also played a part in improving workplace safety. Plainly put, a safer workforce is a more contented workforce. As so often, Marx had it backwards. It is in the interest of the employers not to expose their workers to unnecessary risks.

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from The Spokesman-Review
Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

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