Category Archives: Economic policy
The Fall of the House of Credit – a review
A review of Alistair Milne’s excellent book on the financial crisis. The financial storm will be remembered not only for the colossal damage it caused, but also as the first such crisis of the modern information age. Consequently there has … Continue reading
Smaller chocolate and competitive paternalism.
Tim Worstall is irate because the Government appears to be suggesting that chocolate is sold in smaller sizes to tackle the obesity ‘crisis’. He said that surveys and food production statistics suggested that total calorie intakes had not increased. So, … Continue reading
Chavez “bribes” Ken, and the poor ride buses.
London, or rather Ken Livingstone, has struck its own deal with Hugo Chavez for cheap oil. The fuel will be priced below cost and in return for ferrying around poor people in London, Venezuela will get “assistance” with global warming … Continue reading
Why Oliver James really hates capitalism, or “My theory of depression, for it is mine and mine only, by O James (Mr)”
Monty Python had a celebrated sketch in which a self-proclaimed dinosaur expert, Ann Elk, propounded her theory of Brontasuaruses When repeatedly asked by the interviewer for the details of her theory, she finally answers All brontosauruses are thin at one … Continue reading
Political posturing on City bonuses
Tim Worstall is surely right when he claims that Peter Hain’s call for two-thirds City bonuses to be donated to charity, is just political posturing within the Labour Party. Let’s take it as given that no-one seriously considers this idea … Continue reading
In which Brad Delong is misunderstood. I think
Brad Delong writes Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Steve Ballmer and the other millionaires and billionaires of Microsoft are brilliant, hardworking, entrepreneurial and justly wealthy. But only the first 5 percent of their wealth can be justified as an economic incentive … Continue reading
Apparently I’m one of the wealthiest people on the planet
A new study on the World Distribution of household wealth has been published by the UN University. The research finds that assets $2,200 per adult placed a household in the top half of the world wealth distribution in the year … Continue reading
Why extend copyright terms?
The former editor of the Financial Times, Andrew Gowers, releases a report on the structure of the UK’s intellectual property framework today. One issue under discussion is the extension of copyright terms to 95 years from 50. Lawrence Lessig outlines … Continue reading
Power to the experts?
Why do sub-optimal policies arise through the political process? Why do misconceptions about, for example immigration, survive year after year? Bryan Caplan believes voter irrationality is to blame. The public hold not just weird but contrary beliefs to experts in … Continue reading
Why oh why can’t we have better science editing (with apologies to Brad DeLong)
So now The Lancet has got me really irked. Scientists, particularly epidemiologists, are fond of pointing out how the general public has such a poor understanding of statistics and science. And it’s a fair criticism; witness the hysteria over mad … Continue reading