SOME ECONOMICS

US protectionists accuse economist of treason -- though he is of course a benefactor of U.S. taxpayers: "Sumner, an agricultural economist at the University of California at Davis, played a key role in an international trade case that is shaping up as one of the most significant defeats the United States has ever suffered on the trade front. An analysis that he wrote helped frame a preliminary decision issued two weeks ago by a World Trade Organization panel, which held that the federal subsidies paid to U.S. cotton farmers violate WTO rules because they cause overproduction, drive down world prices and impoverish farmers in developing countries". (See post of May 15th. The permalink is kaput).

How America came to dominate the phone business. America left it to the market. State control in countries such as France caused a much slower development of phone service there.

Indian Communists back globalization: "The communist leader of the Indian state of West Bengal, Buddhadev Bhattacharjee, is quoted by the New York Times as declaring that "Globalization is a must." More meaningfully, he succeeds in implementing some policies that encourage firms such as Mitsubishi and I.B.M. to invest in West Bengal".

Reality denial: "Current examples are many political commentators, as well as elected politicians, who frequently say the country went from surplus to deficit because of the Bush tax cuts. The deficit actually was caused by a large increase in government spending (voted for by majorities of both parties), which began at the end of the Clinton administration, and the recession was under way when President Bush took office."

No to outsourcing? You're sure? "What's the dirtiest word in the United States political dictionary these days? That's easy: 'outsourcing.' There's an ironic aspect to this fear of outsourcing. The U.S. happens to benefit a lot when consumers in foreign countries outsource their wants and needs to American companies. Take the example of 'copyrighted' products such as software, motion pictures, and sound recordings. The U.S. exports $90 billion US worth of these items each year."

"Yes, gas prices have spiked upwards by at least 30 percent in most local markets this year, and yes, it's infuriating to pay $2.00 a gallon to fill up the tank. And yes, higher oil prices are a significant tax on the U.S. economy -- given that we're the world's largest importer of crude. But prices, properly measured, are nowhere near their historical peak. In fact, the long-term trend in oil, gas, and electricity prices is downward, not upward."

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ELSEWHERE

From the Sodakmonk: "I first noticed the (Left wing media) bias after Reagan was elected in 1980. My theory is that after Watergate, many libs became journalism majors as a way of advancing their political cause. They thought after Watergate that the Republican party would be a permanent minority. When Reagan swept into power in 1980 they couldn't believe it, and felt they had to correct what they saw as clearly a malfunction in our political system. That began their crusade." I think that the monk might have PART of the story there but I think that, in general, journalistic Leftism is just one instance of the Leftism that is to be expected of any elite group.

"The Democrats are the party of the elite. Consider Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. In a 1948 student poll Thomas E. Dewey beat Harry Truman by 2 to 1. In 2000 Al Gore beat Bush, an Andover alumnus, by nearly the same margin, reflecting the Democrats' historic capture in 2000 of "professionals," a group well-represented among the parents of Andover students. Next to African-Americans, the most reliable Democrats in the electorate are women with post-graduate degrees".

What feminist hatred of men leads to: Guilt is presumed and evidence is manufactured. "A woman's admission that she lied in accusing 13 people of pedophilia � causing some to be imprisoned for up to three years � has riveted France and shaken the nation's legal system".

A tragedy caused by the perverse Leftist belief in nurture rather than nature: "David Reimer, the Canadian man raised as a girl for the first 14 years of his life in a highly touted medical experiment, committed suicide May 4 in his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was 38."

Another battle honour for Scotland's Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders that will long be remembered -- this time in Iraq. With good British perversity, Sutherland is of course in the far NORTH of Scotland.

"Weblogs now make up 5 percent of the 128 million Internet-using American adults. A whopping 17 percent call themselves blog readers"

I can't believe the quantity of posts that the Judd Brothers put up in one day. All good too.

Carnival of the Vanities is up with its usual convenient index to blogospheric wisdom.

For more postings, see GREENIE WATCH and POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH. Mirror sites here and here

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The Left have always wanted more spent on welfare and made "Fascism" a swear-word. President Bush deposed a brutal Fascist dictator and sponsored a big expansion of welfare. But instead of being admired by the Left, he is hated with a passion. What does that tell you about the Left? It tells you that they have no principles at all: That everything they have ever claimed to stand for is fake.

All politicians seek power but conservatives bring with them some concern for the welfare of their country. Leftists bring only their hate-filled Stalinist hearts and their pretend compassion. Voters, unfortunately, often believe the compassion is genuine

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