AUSTRIAN ECONOMICS ADDICT

Patients Are “Dying In Corridors” Of Britian’s Socialised Health System, by George Pickering, at mises.org. Why do people continue to believe that economic central planning doesn’t produce the results the planners planned? The only way to “fix” a health care system is to turn over the decision-making to the individuals involved in the economic exchange (the consumer and the producer). All attempts by central planners to “fix” the problems brought about by the previous “fixes” are treating the symptom, not the problem. Central planning is the disease. Individual decision-making is the cure.

Will Unfinished Train Overpasses Become California’s Stonehenge?, by Victor Davis Hanson, at victorhanson.com. Another example of central planners plans not turning out as planned. In 2008 planners convinced voters that high-speed rail was an affordable way to cure their crowded freeway system. California may not have enough money to finish the project. Even if the project gets finished there will never be enough riders to cover the initial cost of building it, let alone the day-to-day cost of running the railroad.

Six Years After Bankruptcy, Stockton Is Preparing To Start Handing Out Free Money, at zerohedge.com. Another example of central planners arrogance. Excerpt from the article: “The pervasive poverty in his city has led Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs to announce….the city would soon begin an interesting social experiment. Starting later this year, a random sample of 300,000 Stockton residents will receive $500 every month with no strings attached. This program is set to become the US’s largest experiment with a policy that has become a favorite topic of Mark Zuckerberg and his Silicon Valley peers: Universal Basic Income.” One question: Where is the money coming from? We know Stockton doesn’t produce anything that can be exchanged for enough money to cover the cost of their budget and this social experiment. The money either has to be taxed away from other individuals, or it has to be borrowed (which means it has to be paid back by future tax payers). This is like taking a bucket of water from the deep end of the pool and dumping it into the shallow end, while spilling half the water on the way to the shallow end.

Republicans’ Latest Family Leave Scheme Shows Why We Can’t Be Free, by Robert Tracinski, at thefederalist.com. A majority of Republicans in office aren’t for free markets and smaller government. Family leave is another example of central planning brought to you by the “free market” party. Big government politicians have to be purged from the Republican party through primary election process.

Great Moments In Government Regulation: Meijer Charged By Wisconsin Price Police Of Hurting Consumers By Charging Too Little, by Mark J. Perry, at carpediemblog. Excerpt from the article: “When Meijer opened its first two stores in the Badger State, the greeting Meijer received was far from “Wisconsin nice.” Rivals filed complaints accusing it of pricing 37 items…..below cost…..Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection sent the superstore a letter explaining the requirements of the state’s Unfair Sales Act.” How can lower prices hurt consumers? The simple fact is lower prices hurt Meijer’s competitors. The quote about “rivals” filing complaints with Wisconson’s Department of Agriculture tells us that consumers are not being thought about. This is an example of government central planners setting price floors. Allow prices to be set by individuals freely exchanging in the market. Central planners can’t possibly know where Meijer’s prices should be set. If Meijer is wrong it will bear the cost of its mistake.

Chart Of The Day (Century?): Price Changes 1997 to 2017, by Mark J. Perry, at carpediemblog.  Intervention by Government central planners increases the prices of goods and services. The freer individuals are to make decisions in a market the lower the prices. Of course we know money printing and artificially low interest rates, courtesy of the Federal Reserve, are the ultimate intervention in the market.

EXCERPT FROM THE ARTICLE: ” 1) Blue lines = prices subject to free market forces. Red Lines = prices subject to regulatory capture by government. Food and drink is debatable either way. Conclusion: remind me why socialism is so great again. 2) Almost all of the items above the line are protected industries while those below the line are subject to generally robust competition…3) This is one of the most important charts about the economy this century. 4) Imagine that, prices are cheaper with more competition and less government. 5) What areas are government most intrusive? Education and healthcare or manufacturing? ”

Connecticut’s Towns Are Crying For Help: But Will Hartford Listen? at zerohedge.com. Because central planners have no incentive but to cave to the demands of public sector unions over the years, the government of the State of Connecticut has a serious debt problem. If Connecticut was forced to respond to signals sent by market prices over the years, they wouldn’t be in this mess. These losses wouldn’t have been able to pile up year after year. Market prices send signals to stop unproductive activities. But of course Government can negate market forces for only so long. Paying labor more than it produces is an unproductive activity. Of course Governments think that they can ignore market forces. But ultimately you can’t hide the cost of consuming more than you produce for an extended period of time. Ultimately someone will have to give something up.

Plastic Straws Bill In California Makes Them Illegal Unless Requested, by Josh Hafner, at usatoday.com. This can’t possibly be true can it? Of course we can never underestimate the length which central planners will go to control the decisions of the masses.

Ratings For Grammy Awards Drop 24%, nytimes.com. Politics ruins everything. People want to watch the Grammy awards to be entertained. They don’t want to be preached to by a bunch of people who don’t understand that the very system they denigrate allows them to be as prosperous as they are.

CARTOONS  from theburningplatform.