Economics and Social Policy - XL

Welcome to the December 16, 2007 edition of Economics and Social Policy. Not only does this special holiday edition represent the 40th edition, it’s also a “XL” size version, with lots of econogeekery.

First up, some posts on the ethical underpinnings of the market, from some High School / College students: Ethical Ideas and Consequences posted at Will's Perspective, and Shaun Connell presents The Philosophy of Liberty and Capitalism posted at Reason and Capitalism. kcawley presents Get Organized, America posted at Life, the Universe, and Everything (Warning – a long post that pretty much takes in Life, the Universe, and Everything).

Next, Monetary policy. Stirling and Numerian from The Agonist in Dancing On a Volcano and The Fed to the Rescue Yet Again, But at What Cost? take some shots at Bernake, both parties in Congress, and the President over the expected recession. As time allows, they’ll be over to kick Alan Greenspan’s dog as well. Some minor nits to pick – at this point, the key problem in the economy isn’t inflationary pressure generated by the war on terror or healthcare, it’s too much consumer debt in both credit cards and mortgages. Additionally, fiscal and monetary policy tools have rarely been used effectively to dampen the business cycle. But they’ve got real arguments worth the read – I’ll probably add them to the blogroll in the next maintenance cycle.

Sagar presents How to Save the Dollar: Thoughts From 10 Experts posted at Currency Trading.net.

At least the third Ron Paul mention of the carnival. Plus, Gary North and Murray Rothbard! Christian Reconstructionists and Libertarian link hijinks ensue! Speaking of Ron Paul, Suzanne says if you watch just one Ron Paul video, let it be this one posted at :: adventures in daily living ::.

I’ve got a lot of sympathy for Ron Paul and libertarian ideas, but he’s not going to be President. We, all of us, are too addicted to the false notion that Uncle Sam can provide benefits for us ex nihilo. Unfortunately, Dr. Paul has allowed some of his more extreme positions, especially on the war, to be the focus, so he’s not drawing any of the ‘major’ candidates toward his positions.

General Business: Charles H. Green focuses on Ben Stein vs. Goldman Sachs: Market-Makers, Brokers, and Trusted Advisors at Trust Matters. Hmmm… Shorting the product you’re selling. Subprime mortage baskets the Wall Street equivalent of Nigerian Oil Minister Ink Jet Cartridge replacement email scams? Unfortunately, all too plausible.

Matthew Paulson notes Citibank Busted Issuing 3.5 million Credit Cards to People Who Never Even Applied on American Consumer News. Just remember folks, credit = debt.

Personal: Louise Manning presents You’re listening to me, but why don’t you hear? posted at The Human Imprint. Actually, they probably weren’t listening in the first place. They were simply marking time till they could get back to their favorite conversational topic – themselves.

Matthew Paulson is back with Don?t Tell Anyone How Much Money You Make. Tough to quarrel with that recommendation.

Mark Riffey presents Lessons in Serendipity and consistency posted at Business is Personal. A must read. Chilling. And not the frozen hot chocolate sense.

Value Seeker presents Why Most Investors Underperform The Market - Stock Investing Resource posted at Stock Investing. Probably because they bought some stock trading software from an infomercial.

Government: Timothy Moreland presents Analysis of Airline Pricing posted at timmorelandonline. Actually, when the government mandates a minimum price above the market, surpluses tend to occur, not shortages. At artificially high prices, goods tend to be overproduced.

Wenchypoo presents The Scam That is Global Warming and How it’s Making People Rich (L-O-N-G) posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket. Well, it’s certainly lining Al Gore’s pocket. And once the UN bamboozles us into carbon taxes, the resulting corruption will make Oil for Food look like penny ante poker.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of Economics and Social Policy using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

That concludes this edition. Merry Christmas from TBMD.

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