Comment on the Commentary of the Day by Donald J. Boudreaux Chairman, Department of Economics George Mason University [email protected] http://www.cafehayek.com

Disclaimer: The following “Letters to the Editor” were sent to the respective publications on the dates indicated. Some were printed but many were not. The original articles that are being commented on may or may not be available on the internet and may require registration or subscription to access if they are. Some of the original articles are syndicated and therefore may have appeared in other publications also.

29 August 2010 should do almost the suburbs so that more opposite of what he people can enjoy Editor, Washington advocates. McMansions situated on Examiner large grassy lots. We For example, it's beneficial should quit protecting Dear Editor: to help others. So I argue endangered species that that we are morally obliged humans don't consume as David Sirota identifies a to do more to help others, food, as protecting such benefit - namely, reduced regardless of the costs species hurts people by human impact on the (including any resulting reducing economic output. environment – and argues impacts on the And we should certainly that, therefore, people are environment). avoid Mr. Sirota's practice morally obliged to take of bicycling to work: steps to achieve that We should spend more because travel by bike benefit ("A week of living time working in factories takes far more time than with low impact on the producing furniture, cars, does travel by car, bicycle environment," Aug. 29). cell phones, and the commuters thoughtlessly – But because he ignores countless other products nay, irresponsibly! - reduce competing benefits, Mr. that people enjoy. the time they spend Sirota's moralizing fails. Because so many working to help others. Using the very same Americans enjoy big method of argument houses and sprawling 29 August 2010 employed by Mr. Sirota, I lawns, we also should can 'prove' that people encourage the growth of Editor, Los Angeles Times and productive while on the economics by refusing also Dear Editor: job. to swallow any pharmaceuticals not made Arguing that greater In short, Ford was locally? Does he drive a government "redistribution" something of an early locally manufactured of income will spark supply-sider. He automobile? Is the economic growth, Gloria understood that the key to furniture in his home and Richards repeats the fable economic growth is not in office made only of that Henry Ford more than giving people stronger materials found in or near doubled his workers' pay to incentives to spend but, Harlemville? And are the $5 per hour so that "they rather, in giving people novels he reads, the themselves could afford to stronger incentives to musical composition he drive his automobiles" produce. listens to, and the movies (Letters, Aug. 29). he watches only those that 28 August 2010 are produced locally? Ford raised workers' wages for two reasons, neither of Editor, The New York Of course not. But he which had anything to do Times needn't berate himself. with raising consumer 620 Eighth Avenue demand for his New York, NY 10018 A beautiful consequence of automobiles. The first the so-called "cold logic of reason was to reduce To the Editor: global economics" is that it worker turnover. In 1913, knits people from around the year before the $5 David Sassoon of the world into a kind of wage was announced in Harlemville, NY, is a community - into a January 1914, the average locovore because, in his worldwide web of peaceful Ford employee quit after words, he's "interested in and productive mutual less than four months on restoring community dependence. Commerce the job. A workforce so through the act of eating, over large geographic unstable and rather than swallowing the areas undermines the inexperienced prevented cold logic of global nativism and insularity - his factories from achieving economics" (Letters, Aug. and poverty - that result peak efficiency. 28). when people live in local communities with little or Second, because the $5 I wonder if Mr. Sassoon's no contact with outsiders. wage was conditioned refusal to "swallow the cold upon his workers learning logic of global economics" 27 August 2010 English, as well as their goes beyond his dietary steering clear of alcohol choices. Does he promote Editor, The Wall Street and gambling - conditions community by wearing only Journal monitored by Ford clothes made from locally 1211 6th Ave. executives visiting workers' grown fibers and woven at New York, NY 10036 homes! - the higher wage a local mill? When he is ill, was an incentive for does he stick to his To the Editor: workers to be more reliable principle of not swallowing the cold logic of global ZBB Energy president Eric is in 2010. I'm happy to Apfelbach argues that Editor, The New York negotiate on which items to government subsidies to Times include in the basket as his firm are justified 620 Eighth Avenue long as these items are because his company has New York, NY 10018 typical foods eaten by a promising future (Letters, middle-class Americans. Aug. 27). I don't buy it. To the Editor: So the basket might include, for example, a loaf If ZBB Energy's future Reviewing Julian Cribb's of whole-wheat bread, a really is as bright as he book "The Coming dozen eggs, a gallon of says it is, private investors Famine," Mark Bittman milk, a gallon of orange would commit sufficient approvingly summarizes juice, a box of corn flakes, funds to keep it growing. Cribb's thesis that "we a head of iceberg lettuce, a The fact that private have passed the peaks for pound of sliced turkey investors aren't doing so is water, fertilizer and land, breast, and a liter bottle of strong evidence that ZBB and that we will all soon be Coca-Cola. Energy's future is dimmer made painfully aware that than Mr. Apfelbach thinks. we have passed it for food, Whatever items are as wealthy nations included in the basket, I'm It's true, as Mr. Apfelbach experience shortages and confident enough to stake notes, that private rising prices, and poorer my money on the investors are now generally ones starve. Much of 'The prediction that the staying on the sidelines. Coming Famine' builds an aggregate price of these But they're doing so for argument that we’ve items will constitute a lower good reasons. As jumped off a cliff and that portion of Americans' pre- explained elsewhere in global chaos - a tidal wave tax income ten years from your pages today by of people fleeing their own now than it constitutes economists Thomas countries for wherever they today. Are Mr. Cribb and Cooley and Lee Ohanian, can find food - is all but Mr. Bittman as confident in looming tax increases and guaranteed" ("Seeing a their contrary prediction? other burdensome Time (Soon) When We’ll government interventions All Be Dieting," August 25). 26 August 2010 make the prospects of future profits throughout These apocalyptic, Editor, Washington Post the economy quite dreary economically uninformed 1150 15th St., NW ("FDR and the Lessons of predictions are growing Washington, DC 20071 the Depression," Aug. 27). tiresome. There's no reason to Dear Editor: suppose that ZBB Energy I will bet Mr. Cribb (and/or is immune to the Mr. Bittman) $5,000 that Harold Meyerson can learn enterprise-debilitating the percentage of the a valuable lesson from you. viruses being injected into median family pre-tax Yesterday you published the economy by the mad income spent in a an editorial opposing scientists in Washington. supermarket on a basket of Virginia Attorney General food in the United States Ken Cuccinelli's effort to 26 August 2010 will be lower in 2020 than it regulate abortion clinics more strictly ("The case public health that greater will result in a slew of against stronger abortion regulation is necessary. terrible problems. regulations in Virginia"). You pointed out that, 25 August 2010 25 August 2010 because there's no strong evidence that these clinics Editor, Los Angeles Times Editor, The New York pose undue dangers to Times women, it's bad policy to Dear Editor: 620 Eighth Avenue strengthen regulations that New York, NY 10018 nevertheless will likely Arguing against cause some clinics to Proposition 19 - the To the Editor: close. passage of which would liberalize marijuana laws in Thomas Friedman wants to Unlike you, Mr. Meyerson California - former U.S. improve public education in doesn't understand the "Drug Czars" Gil the U.S. by the summoning necessity of weighing the Kerlikowske, John Walters, into action "supermen and benefits of regulation Barry McCaffrey, Lee superwomen" ("Steal This against its costs. For Mr. Brown, Bob Martinez, and Movie, Too," August 25). Meyerson, the recall of a William Bennett assert that half-billion eggs is "No country in the world Relying on the intervention evidence enough that has legalized marijuana to of superheroes is indeed a government must regulate the extent envisioned by possible course of action. egg producers more strictly Proposition 19" ("Why A far better course, ("The many sins of California should just say however, is to introduce deregulation," August 26). no to Prop. 19," August consumer choice and Never mind that only a 25). competition. Although half-billion of the nearly 78 much more mundane than billion eggs annually Not true. Marijuana was the prospect of altruistic produced in America are perfectly legal throughout action heroes sweeping in suspected of possibly the United States until the to teach our children, being tainted with city of El Paso first giving parents choice (say, salmonella. That is, the outlawed it in 1914, a move through tuition tax credits) percentage of annual U.S. that was followed in the will spark the many egg output now thought to same year by national ordinary men and women be tainted is 0.6 - less than criminalization with the working in K-12 schools to one percent. I wonder how Harrison Act. work harder and more this percentage compares creatively to educate their to the safety record of The long historical record students. Virginia abortion clinics. of legal marijuana in America - a record dating We successfully rely upon The puny percentage of from the 17th century until competition and consumer recalled eggs is hardly the lifetimes of many choice rather than super sufficient evidence to people still alive today - heroes to keep the likes of support the conclusion that offers no support for the supermarkets, restaurants, American egg producers authors' contention that and hardware stores ever- are such a danger to the liberalized marijuana laws dedicated to serving their customers well. Let's do and delinquencies. Suppose that Sue works the same with schools. Revenue collected by the hard on her land all spring IRS will be unaffected - and summer growing 100 24 August 2010 thereby exposing those bushels of corn, and then high IRS penalties as being successfully resists her Editor, The Wall Street nothing more than Uncle Sam's attempt to Journal unconscionable measures grab 40 of those bushels. 1211 6th Ave. imposed by a giant, Would Mr. Krugman New York, NY 10036 unaccountable describe this situation as organization for no purpose one in which Uncle Sam To the Editor: other than to suck GAVE 40 bushels of corn additional money to Sue? Even if some sort You're correct that the unjustifiably out of the of familial duty obliges Credit Card Accountability, pockets of hard-working nieces to help feed their Responsibility and yet hapless Americans. improvident uncles, surely Disclosure Act of 2009 will it would still be grossly discourage lenders from 24 August 2010 misleading to say that extending credit to Sue's transfer of 30 households most in need Editor, The New York bushels to Uncle Sam, of it by arbitrarily reducing Times rather than the 40 bushels the penalties that lenders 620 Eighth Avenue that Uncle Sam's friend may assess against dead- New York, NY 10018 believes that Uncle Sam beat and delinquent "should" receive, means debtors ("The Politics of To the Editor: that Uncle Sam GAVE 10 Plastic," August 24). Our bushels of corn TO Sue. Leaders, though, cling to According to Paul their peculiar faith that Krugman, for government 23 August 2010 regulations never create not to raise taxes is for incentives for people to do government "to cut checks" Editor, New York Post what Our Leaders would to persons whose taxes prefer people not to do. aren't raised ("Now That's Dear Editor: Rich," August 23). Let's put this faith to a real In light of China's military test: Ask Congress and the Economists say that modernization, Peter White House to reduce money is a "veil" that Brookes warns that Uncle penalties assessed by the obscures our view of the Sam should do more to IRS against dead-beat and economy's underlying prepare for a possible delinquent taxpayers - for reality - namely, the fact future war against the example, let's reduce fees that people produce and Chinese ("The China and interest charges for consume, not money, but challenge," August 23). late payment of taxes, and real goods and services. eliminate jail time as a So let's recast Mr. An even more important punishment for tax Krugman's understanding task is to AVOID future evasion. If Our Leaders' of taxation in terms of belligerencies. To this end, faith is sound, there will be something real. Sen. Charles Schumer, no increase in tax evasion Sen. Lindsey Graham, and other protectionists in For government not to Washington should stop raise taxes on high-income trying to prevent Americans earners is NOT, contrary to from buying goods and Mr. Krugman's assertion, services from China. The for government "to cut single best hope for checks averaging $3 continued peace is million each to the richest politically unfettered vibrant 120,000 people in the commerce between country." No checks will be Americans and the cut and no money will be Chinese. Economically taken from anyone. integrated, mutually dependent peoples have All income is earned by powerful incentives not to individuals. It originates as destroy each other. Killing THEIR property and not one's customers or that of any government or suppliers is seldom a of some collective 'us.' desirable course of action! Even if this money is deemed necessary to keep 23 August 2010 Uncle Sam solvent, remember that this Editor, The New York government was created to Times protect individual rights that 620 Eighth Avenue each of us receive from our New York, NY 10018 "Creator" - that is, rights existing independently of To the Editor: any state. In contrast, according to Mr. Krugman's Reasonable people can mystical political dogma, all debate whether or not property (and, hence, each higher taxes are a sound right) originates in means of funding government. Government government spending, but is elevated to the status of Paul Krugman isn't Creator, while each reasonable ("Now That's individual is thereby Rich," August 23). Instead, reduced to the status of a he slings mud and serf living at the favor and insinuates that the proper pleasure of government. relationship between That belief, if pursued Americans and their consistently, leads to the government is exactly the greatest tyranny. opposite of what the founders expressly took this relationship to be.