I got a degree in this building.
Archive for January, 2008
Markets in Medicine?
Is healthcare getting more expensive? Sure, the government subsidized kind is, but what about procedures still governed by market forces?
Voluntary cosmetic surgery, the kind which the government won’t subsidize, is getting cheaper and safer. Remember when no one could afford Lasik?
Monopoly of Force
Step 1: Obtain a monopoly on the use of force.
Step 2: Because you are human, and have your own incentives to do so, unequally apply the use of force to benefit some at the detriment of others.
Step 3: Tie as many actions as possible to the use of force. In the United States, taxation and force are inextricably tied. Don’t pay your taxes for long enough, you get to go to jail. The trifecta is complete. You can now tax different groups differently and use force to make sure each group pays.
Once a monopoly of force is granted, it is unrealistic to assume that the use of force will be equally applied. Unrealistic, that is, because it has never happened. The United States is a great example of a country where it was intended to occur, but has failed miserably. There are favored industries, social groups, and special interests, all in a country where the law was supposed to apply equally to everyone.
Giuliani + McCain = (Still) Not Voting For You
Whether it is just an endorsement or, worse, a future VP nomination, the Rudy/McCain alliance has put McCain even further off my radar.
I’m still a 100% Ron Paul guy, but I’m pulling for Mitt in the back of my mind. (If I thought one measly little vote would make the difference, you MIGHT be able to convince me to vote for Mitt. But good luck with that proposition. I can do math.)
And yes, this means that if you weren’t going to vote for Ron Paul, but still care about what I think, I think you should vote for Mitt Romney. But I’m not giving up on Paul, and you shouldn’t either.
Untestable
One the the reasons that I think anarcho-capitalism and/or minarchy will work is that we can’t find a government that will let us try.
We would be interfering with their monopoly.
Photo: Niagara River in Winter
(Image click goes to Flickr.)
Check out my latest shot from the Niagara Falls trip. Again, not the best in terms of quality, but a neat view.
Best Geek Pickup Line Ever
I wish I was your derivative so I could lie tangent to your curves.
Photography
I am doing my best to stumble into amateur photography. I have the equipment and I love taking pictures. You are invited to watch the process unfold in the photography section of this site.
Be gentle. I’m new at this.
Post-Florida
Hillary Clinton wins a whopping zero delegates.
John McCain wins, thanks to an unsuspected crowd.
John Edwards is out.
Rudy Giuliani lost the only state he really campaigned in, and is out.
