
Wednesday, March 24, 2004 more thought = more liberal does more thought and study on the political tend to make people more liberal? some evidence seems to point in that direction. there's a recognized positive correlation between level of educaton and the degree of "liberalness". now, to top it all off, there's a new book out about an experiment (Deliberation Day, Yale U. Press) where students were paid to think and read about politics and "society", and generally turned out to be more liberal (in the modern sense, an advocate of government action) than before. could it be that the materials they were given to deliberate on were just skewed? The WSJ thinks maybe so... it does seem that something else is going on here, because there are obviously non-liberal academics and others with higher educations (i hesitate using "conservative" because non-liberals can be libertarians, anarchists, or a host of other things). is it that these folks are just dense? what happened to them? Labels: ideology permalink \| comments (0) \| 0 Comments: Post a Comment the trackback URL for "more thought = more liberal" is: http://haloscan.com/tb/sullifred/108014493544944581 trackbacks for this post temporarily listed here Tuesday, March 23, 2004 monopolies don't work the u.s. post office apparently can't keep its head above water. congress, the general accounting office, and a presidential commission, say it's going to need drastic rate increases or a taxpayer bailout (but the postal worker labor union leader is in denial, and "does not accept the notion that the Postal Service is failing"). the internet has largely been blamed for the post office's dire condition, although it wasn't doing too great before that. it seems folks are so happy with the conveniece of the internet, but are unwilling to shift our idea of how society should work - of course now we can pay bills online, that's great! just scale down post office services and raise rates. that's one solution. but why is privatization never discussed? an association representing folks who market via mail said that "In short, a viable Postal Service is vital to the future of [our] members and our industry." NO, actually, a mail system is vital to the industry, just as an email system is vital to spamers. that does not have to be a government monopoly like the postal service. as a monopoly the post office didn't react to changing technological trends and customer preferences. should we reward such behaviour? Labels: economics permalink \| comments (0) \| 0 Comments: Post a Comment the trackback URL for "monopolies don't work" is: http://haloscan.com/tb/sullifred/108007236349878350 trackbacks for this post temporarily listed here another genocide for the u.s. to ignore from darfur, sudan: "I think some people are using the term ethnic cleansing and I would say that is not far off the mark," he added. "I think the term is being used by certain people because it's one group of people organising themselves to do away with another group of people, and that's a definition of ethnic cleansing." Labels: political permalink \| \| the trackback URL for "another genocide for the u.s. to ignore" is: http://haloscan.com/tb/sullifred/108006285572596084 trackbacks for this post temporarily listed here Monday, March 22, 2004 repeating history so u. illinois students voted 2-1 to keep their mascot chief illiniwek. students believe that he "pays homage to Illinois' American Indian history." well, if by paying homage, they mean proving the point that native americans are still not viewed as humans, then, yes. he pays homage to the still accepted stereotype of the feather-wearing, tomahawk-using, war paint-wearing chief. ah, democratic racism, ain't nothin better. Labels: social permalink \| comments (0) \| 0 Comments: Post a Comment the trackback URL for "repeating history" is: http://haloscan.com/tb/sullifred/107996816652532954 trackbacks for this post temporarily listed here Protectionism Redux wsj's opinion journal talks about protectionism, blaming democrats for protectionist policies. the wsj opinion page usually blames democrats, so that's no surprise. i've got to give them some credit, though, for mentioning the bush steel tariffs - that must have been a difficult step for them. because protectionism comes from both sides, that's just the nature of the beast. i guess what i'm trying to say is that amercan democracy encourages most politicians to be protectinists. the public's (understandable) attitude of "what are you going to do for ME?" forces them to be that way, and those that say "well, actually, tariffs and subsidies are bad for the economy in the long run" die out - a kind of natural selection that leaves only unfit policies... so is there a solution? are we destined to replay our follies because of citizens' ignorance of economics and history? Labels: ideology, political permalink \| comments (0) \| 0 Comments: Post a Comment the trackback URL for "Protectionism Redux" is: http://haloscan.com/tb/sullifred/107996625021817827 trackbacks for this post temporarily listed here Friday, March 19, 2004 BOLDER action msnbc reports today that "Bush urges 'bolder action' on Iraq anniversary". okay. color me silly, but really - how much bolder can you get? bush's team has already taken over two countries. i'm very afraid... next: iran, syria, lybia, cuba, pakistan, haiti............. Labels: political permalink \| comments (0) \| 0 Comments: Post a Comment the trackback URL for "BOLDER action" is: http://haloscan.com/tb/sullifred/107972541296121026 trackbacks for this post temporarily listed here More really is less... ? a psychologist has found that too many choices make humans unhappy. i say, what's the point? too few choices make people anxious too, i'd imagine. did anyone measure happiness in communist russia? do we really have to go there? those who say wealth of opportunity and/or choices can only make you worse off have never truly been without those choices. the washington post reports. more about the book, The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less. Labels: well being permalink \| comments (0) \| 0 Comments: Post a Comment the trackback URL for "More really is less... ?" is: http://haloscan.com/tb/sullifred/107970929615644572 trackbacks for this post temporarily listed here Thursday, March 18, 2004 a market for everything even dead bodies... now what's wrong with allowing a family to benefit from selling your body (with your consent, signed before your death) for profit? it's grotesque, but imagine the benefit to a poor family that can't pay for the funeral: not only can they now afford a nice ceremony, they don't have all the expense of an actual burial. seems the gov't has banned this for the wrong reasons- too many squishy people out there don't like the idea. and, come on! like anyone really buys the argument that suddenly people will be murdered for their bodies! contracts and laws against murder (!) solve that easily. Labels: economics permalink \| comments (0) \| 0 Comments: Post a Comment the trackback URL for "a market for everything" is: http://haloscan.com/tb/sullifred/109828491011631084 trackbacks for this post temporarily listed here Tuesday, March 16, 2004 about the blog: thinking aloud, sharing ideas the point of this blog is not to generate new policy or theoretical prescriptions. if i had enough time or patience, the blog would present analysis of the political with an emphasis on human thought and action through the lens of individual and economic freedom. rigorous analysis like this is an unattainable goal given the amount of time and energy i’ve chosen to devote, which isn’t much. i’m using the blog as part of a larger goal to force myself into more analytical thought patters, as well as to improve my writing skills which are sorely lacking, as the even not-so-observant might have already noticed. i hope the blog is mutually beneficial. please let me know (gently) how i can improve. permalink \| comments (0) \| 0 Comments: Post a Comment the trackback URL for "about the blog: thinking aloud, sharing ideas" is: http://haloscan.com/tb/sullifred/109266883800466294 trackbacks for this post temporarily listed here	recent posts the hubbub about friedman two guesses better than one bill gates the monopolist ban repealed for wrong reasons, but replealed none... cougars in chicago what jefferson 1 is about. mill's psychology of subjection illegal peaceful assembly haudenosaunee: the first libertarians? a fruit by any other name... categories well being social political personal neuroscience misc. science misc. psych links internet ideology economics drugs decision making search posts powered by free find blogrolling recommended books get posts via email enter your address: archives 03.2004 04.2004 06.2004 07.2004 08.2004 09.2004 10.2004 11.2004 12.2004 01.2005 02.2005 03.2005 04.2005 05.2005 06.2005 07.2005 08.2005 09.2005 10.2005 11.2005 12.2005 01.2006 02.2006 03.2006 04.2006 05.2006 06.2006 07.2006 08.2006 10.2006 11.2006 12.2006 01.2007 02.2007 07.2007 08.2007 01.2008 03.2008 04.2008 05.2008 06.2008 07.2008 09.2008 current posts feeds & etc. feed options: main posts only current events only my posts at neuroeconomics.com creepy visitor map why no caps? the fox or the hedgehog? current events
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Wednesday, March 24, 2004

more thought = more liberal

does more thought and study on the political tend to make people more liberal? some evidence seems to point in that direction. there's a recognized positive correlation between level of educaton and the degree of "liberalness". now, to top it all off, there's a new book out about an experiment (Deliberation Day, Yale U. Press) where students were paid to think and read about politics and "society", and generally turned out to be more liberal (in the modern sense, an advocate of government action) than before.

could it be that the materials they were given to deliberate on were just skewed? The WSJ thinks maybe so...

it does seem that something else is going on here, because there are obviously non-liberal academics and others with higher educations (i hesitate using "conservative" because non-liberals can be libertarians, anarchists, or a host of other things). is it that these folks are just dense? what happened to them?

Labels: ideology

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Tuesday, March 23, 2004

monopolies don't work

the u.s. post office apparently can't keep its head above water. congress, the general accounting office, and a presidential commission, say it's going to need drastic rate increases or a taxpayer bailout (but the postal worker labor union leader is in denial, and "does not accept the notion that the Postal Service is failing").

the internet has largely been blamed for the post office's dire condition, although it wasn't doing too great before that. it seems folks are so happy with the conveniece of the internet, but are unwilling to shift our idea of how society should work - of course now we can pay bills online, that's great! just scale down post office services and raise rates.

that's one solution. but why is privatization never discussed? an association representing folks who market via mail said that "In short, a viable Postal Service is vital to the future of [our] members and our industry." NO, actually, a mail system is vital to the industry, just as an email system is vital to spamers. that does not have to be a government monopoly like the postal service.

as a monopoly the post office didn't react to changing technological trends and customer preferences. should we reward such behaviour?

Labels: economics

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another genocide for the u.s. to ignore

from darfur, sudan:

"I think some people are using the term ethnic cleansing and I would say that is not far off the mark," he added. "I think the term is being used by certain people because it's one group of people organising themselves to do away with another group of people, and that's a definition of ethnic cleansing."

Labels: political

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Monday, March 22, 2004

repeating history

so u. illinois students voted 2-1 to keep their mascot chief illiniwek.

students believe that he "pays homage to Illinois' American Indian history." well, if by paying homage, they mean proving the point that native americans are still not viewed as humans, then, yes. he pays homage to the still accepted stereotype of the feather-wearing, tomahawk-using, war paint-wearing chief.

ah, democratic racism, ain't nothin better.

Labels: social

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Protectionism Redux

wsj's opinion journal talks about protectionism, blaming democrats for protectionist policies. the wsj opinion page usually blames democrats, so that's no surprise. i've got to give them some credit, though, for mentioning the bush steel tariffs - that must have been a difficult step for them. because protectionism comes from both sides, that's just the nature of the beast.

i guess what i'm trying to say is that amercan democracy encourages most politicians to be protectinists. the public's (understandable) attitude of "what are you going to do for ME?" forces them to be that way, and those that say "well, actually, tariffs and subsidies are bad for the economy in the long run" die out - a kind of natural selection that leaves only unfit policies...

so is there a solution? are we destined to replay our follies because of citizens' ignorance of economics and history?

Labels: ideology, political

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Friday, March 19, 2004

BOLDER action

msnbc reports today that "Bush urges 'bolder action' on Iraq anniversary".

okay. color me silly, but really - how much bolder can you get? bush's team has already taken over two countries. i'm very afraid...

next: iran, syria, lybia, cuba, pakistan, haiti.............

Labels: political

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More really is less... ?

a psychologist has found that too many choices make humans unhappy. i say, what's the point? too few choices make people anxious too, i'd imagine. did anyone measure happiness in communist russia? do we really have to go there?

those who say wealth of opportunity and/or choices can only make you worse off have never truly been without those choices.

the washington post reports.

more about the book, The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less.

Labels: well being

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Thursday, March 18, 2004

a market for everything

even dead bodies...

now what's wrong with allowing a family to benefit from selling your body (with your consent, signed before your death) for profit? it's grotesque, but imagine the benefit to a poor family that can't pay for the funeral: not only can they now afford a nice ceremony, they don't have all the expense of an actual burial.

seems the gov't has banned this for the wrong reasons- too many squishy people out there don't like the idea.

and, come on! like anyone really buys the argument that suddenly people will be murdered for their bodies! contracts and laws against murder (!) solve that easily.

Labels: economics

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Tuesday, March 16, 2004

about the blog: thinking aloud, sharing ideas

the point of this blog is not to generate new policy or theoretical prescriptions. if i had enough time or patience, the blog would present analysis of the political with an emphasis on human thought and action through the lens of individual and economic freedom. rigorous analysis like this is an unattainable goal given the amount of time and energy i’ve chosen to devote, which isn’t much. i’m using the blog as part of a larger goal to force myself into more analytical thought patters, as well as to improve my writing skills which are sorely lacking, as the even not-so-observant might have already noticed. i hope the blog is mutually beneficial. please let me know (gently) how i can improve.

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