Some Coasian economics

From the National Review's Corner blog, a story of a failure of the free market:

"Me:  How much will you pay me?"

The transactions costs were apparently too great to get a mutually-acceptable agreement.

Self identifying

On October 2 a rally designed to support the Obama Administration and the progressive cause, and to push back against the Tea Party rallies, was held in Washington D. C. Several hundred organizations endorsed it. If one wants a list of the organizations that make up the activist Left in the United States, this list serves a a good starting point because it contains those that have self-identified as being Leftwing. Here they are, taken from the onenationworkingtogehter.org website:
1Sky
350.org
A. Philip Randolph Institute
A. Philip Randolph Institute - The Metropolitan New York Chapter
Action LA Network
AFGE: American Federation of Government Employees
AFL-CIO
AFSCME
AFSCME 3800 - University of Minnesota Clerical Workers
AIDS Walk Washington
All Hands on Deck
Alliance for Democracy
Amalgamated Local 171 UAW
American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
American Association of University Professors
American Federation of Teachers
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
American Friends Service Committee
American Muslim Association of North America (AMANA)
American Rights at Work
Americans for Democratic Action
Americans for Financial Reform
ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition
Apollo Alliance
Bail Out the People Movement
Bethel Tabernacle AME Church, Brooklyn
Beulah Church of the Nazarene
Black Leadership Forum, Inc.
Black Women’s Roundtable
Black Youth Vote
Bronx for Change
Brooklyn for Peace
Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development
Bryn Mawr Peace Coalition
California Black League of Voters
California National Organization for Women
Campaign for America’s Future
Campaign for Community Change
Campaign for Peace and Democracy
Campus Camp Wellstone
Campus Progress
CEEF: Center for Community and Economic Justice
Center for Biological Diversity
Center for Community Change
Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War
Charlie Fink Productions
Chesapeake Climate Action Network
Chicago Democratic Socialists of America
Chicago Teacher’s Union – AFT Local 1
Children’s Defense Fund
Church of the Evangelical United Church of Christ
Citizen Wave
Cleveland Peace Action
Climate Crisis Coalition
Coalition for Peace Action
Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
Coalition of Black Trade Unionists Region One
Coalition of Labor Union Woman
Coalition on Human Needs
CODA (Coalition for a District Alternative)
Code Pink
Coffee Party Progressives
Colage
Color of Change.org
Committee of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism
Communication for Social Change Consortium
Communications Workers of America
Communications Workers of America Local 2336
Communist Party USA (CPUSA)
Community Empowerment Network
Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago
Courage Campaign
CUNY University Student Senate
CUSH
DC 1707, AFSCME
DC Asian American and Pacific Islander Democratic Caucus
DC Latino Caucus
DC Vote
Delaware Pacem in Terris
Demand Equity Now
Democracy for America
Democratic Socialists of America
Demos
Detroit Democratic Socialists of America
Disciples Justice Action Network
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. DC Support Group
Drum Major Institute
Earth Day Network
Energy Action Coalition
Equality Federation
Equality Wisconsin, Inc.
Ex-Offenders Association of PA
Family Equality Council
Fellowship of Reconciliation
Free Speech TV
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Poor
Fur Cultural Revival (Darfur Community Center)
Gathering for Justice
Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
General Board of Church and Society- United Methodist Church
Generation Change
Generational Alliance
Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition
Gertrude Stein Democratic Club
Get Equal
Girldrive
Gray Panthers
Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral
Green for All
Green Party
Green Party USA
Haitian American Caucus
Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement
Harlem One Stop
HOFADS Corp., Inc.
Human Rights Campaign
Humanist Party, New York City Chapter
Illinois Single Payer Coalition
Imani Group
immigration Equality
Injured Workers United
Institute for Policy Studies
Institute of Caribbean Studies
Interfaith Worker Justice
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
International Federation of Black Prides
International Socialist Organization
International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, AFL-CIO
Iraq Veterans Against the War
Jewish Arab Dialogue Association
Jewish Funds for Justice
Jewish Labor Committee
Jobs with Justice
Jordan / Rustin Coalition
Latin America Solidarity Coalition
Latino Action Coalition of DC
Latino Equality Alliance
Latino Federation of Greater Washington
Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
Left Labor Project
Lemeul Haynes Congregational Church
Lincoln Park Neighbors United for Peace, Chicago
Long Island C.B.T.U.
Maine Green Independent Party
Majority Agenda Project
Make the Road NY
Maryland and DC AFL-CIO
Maryland Black Family League
Mass Equality
Mass Transgender Political Coalition
Mexican American Coalition
Midwest Academy
Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout
Mother A.M.E. Zion Church
NAACP
National Action Network
National Alliance Against Racist and Political Oppression, Chicago Branch
National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education
National Association of Black Social Workers
National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
National Black Justice Coalition
National Black L.U.V. Festival est. 1997
National Black Law Students Association
National Black Police Association
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
National Community Reinvestment Coalition
National Congress of Black Women
National Council of La Raza
National Council of Negro Women
National Domestic Workers Alliance
National Education Association
National Exhoodus Council
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
National Immigrant Solidarity Network
National Jobs For All Coalition
National Missionary Baptist Church
National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth
National Nurses United
National Organization for Women California
National Stonewall Democrats
National Union of Home and Health Care Employees
National Urban League
National Wildlife Federation
New England Region – AFSC
New Haven Peoples Center
New Jersey Black Issues Coalition
New York City Democratic Socialists of America
New York State AFL-CIO
New York Urban League
Next Step
North Country Peace Group (Long Island)
North Manhattan Neighbors for Peace and Justice
North Suburban Peace Initiative
Northeast Connecticut Coalition for Peace and Justice
NY Coalition of 100 Black Women
NYC Environmental Justice Alliance
NYC LCLAA
NYU Nursing Doctoral Students Organization
Ohio AFL-CIO
One of the 266 Wrongfully Terminated
P.A.P.A.II People Assisting Positive Actions
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore
Pax Christi USA
Peace Action
Peace Action Education Fund
Peace Action Maine
Peace Action Montgomery
Peace and Freedom Party
Pennsylvania Council of Churches
People for the American Way
People’s Organization for Progress
People’s Organization for Progress
Physicians for a National Health Program
Planned Parenthood
Pledge of Resistance - Baltimore
Policy Link
PowerPAC
Prayer, Praise and Worship Centers of America
Pride at Work
Progress Ohio
Progressive Congress Action Fund
Progressive Democrats of America
Progressive Democrats of America - NYS and NYC
Queers for Economic Justice
Rainbow PUSH Coalition
Reform Immigration for America
Resurrection Temple of the Lord
Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union
Riverside Edgecombe Neighborhood Association (RENA)
Roosevelt Institute
School of Americas Watch (SoA Watch)
SEIU 1199
SEIU Local 32BJ
SEIU Local 722
SEIU: Service Employees International Union
September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
Sierra Club
Sikh Coalition
Single Payer Action Network Ohio - SPAN Ohio
Single Payer New York
Society of American Law Teachers
Sojourners
Solidarity
Stonewall Democratic Club
Stonewall Democratic Club - Los Angeles
Stonewall Young Democrats
Student World Assembly
Suffolk Peace Network
Teamsters Local 808
The Community Church of NY Unitarian Universalist
The L.I.F.E. Institute
The New Testament Revival Cathedral
The New York Immigration Coalition
The Opportunity Agenda
The Other 98%
The Power: The People United for LGBT Equality
The Religious Institute
The Shalom Center
The Southern Anti-Racism Network (SARN)
Tikkun-Network of Spiritual Progressives
TransAfrica Forum
Transition United States
Transport Workers Union of America
True Colors, Inc.
TWU Local 100
UAW, International Union
Unid@s LGBT- The National Latin@ LGBT Human Rights Organization
Union Jobs Clearinghouse
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
Unite Here
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union
United Food and Commercial Workers Minority Coalition
United for Peace and Justice
United Mine Workers of America
United Puerto Rican Organization of Sunset Park
United States Students Association
United Steel Workers
Urban Agenda
US Action
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
US Human Rights Network
US Labor Against the War
US Peace Council
US Peace Council– Wisconsin
Utility Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO
Veterans for Peace
Veterans for Peace NY
Voice of Haitian Americans Inc.
Voices for Creative Nonviolence
WAND: Women’s Action for New Directions
War Resisters League
Ward 7 Business Professional Association
Washington Peace Center
Welfare Rights Committee
Whitman Walker Clinic
William Kelibrew Foundation
Win Without War
Wishadoo
Witness Against Torture
Women’s Caucus for Political Science
Women’s Funding Network
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
Working Families Party
WPFW
Ya Ya Network
Young People For Working America

The brain on steroids

From Scientific American:

Yet there are millions of cases of steroid use that occur daily with barely a second thought:  Millions of women take birth control pills, blithely unaware that their effects may be subtly seeping into and modulating brain structure and activity.
....
The possibility that an accepted form of chemical contraception has the ability to alter the gross structure of the human brain is a cause for concern, even if the changes seem benign -- for the moment. 

It is ironic that so many people are so concerned with minute traces of man-made chemicals in the environment but think nothing of dousing themselves with huge dozes of man-made chemicals that are prescribed by their doctors.

Stuxnet

From the Christian Science Monitor:

The cyber worm, called Stuxnet, has been the object of intense study since its detection in June. As more has become known about it, alarm about its capabilities and purpose have grown. Some top cyber security experts now say Stuxnet's arrival heralds something blindingly new: a cyber weapon created to cross from the digital realm to the physical world – to destroy something.
....
The appearance of Stuxnet created a ripple of amazement among computer security experts. Too large, too encrypted, too complex to be immediately understood, it employed amazing new tricks, like taking control of a computer system without the user taking any action or clicking any button other than inserting an infected memory stick. Experts say it took a massive expenditure of time, money, and software engineering talent to identify and exploit such vulnerabilities in industrial control software systems.
....
Stuxnet's ability to autonomously and without human assistance discriminate among industrial computer systems is telling. It means, says Langner, that it is looking for one specific place and time to attack one specific factory or power plant in the entire world.

Experience is a cruel but effective teacher

James Taranto argues something good will come from the Obama presidency:

This is not to deny that the Obama presidency has been ruinous. But sometimes the costliest mistakes are those from which we learn the most.

(I wonder if the same will be true of the recent revival of fiscal policy. Fiscal policy seemed to have died in the 1970s but was revived by George W. Bush. Paul Samuelson was quite delighted to see it come back in his last days, but he departed before he would see it fail. If fiscal policy goes dormant again, it will only be for a generation and then it will be revived. Its appeal to politicians as a justification for things they want to do for other reasons is just too great to put it in the grave.)

Whom to blame

From Jennifer Rubin: "When things go wrong for the left, it blames the people; when things go wrong for the right, it blames the governing elites."

How many people did Mao kill?

From the Indpendent:

Mr Dikötter, who has been studying Chinese rural history from 1958 to 1962, when the nation was facing a famine, compared the systematic torture, brutality, starvation and killing of Chinese peasants to the Second World War in its magnitude. At least 45 million people were worked, starved or beaten to death in China over these four years; the worldwide death toll of the Second World War was 55 million.
....

His book, Mao's Great Famine; The Story of China's Most Devastating Catastrophe, reveals that while this is a part of history that has been "quite forgotten" in the official memory of the People's Republic of China, there was a "staggering degree of violence" that was, remarkably, carefully catalogued in Public Security Bureau reports, which featured among the provincial archives he studied. In them, he found that the members of the rural farming communities were seen by the Party merely as "digits", or a faceless workforce. For those who committed any acts of disobedience, however minor, the punishments were huge.

....

People were forced to work naked in the middle of winter; 80 per cent of all the villagers in one region of a quarter of a million Chinese were banned from the official canteen because they were too old or ill to be effective workers, so were deliberately starved to death. 

45 million is only the Great Leap Forward. How many others were killed in his consolidation of power and in the Cultural Revolution?

(Found via Legal Insurrection.)

SUVs, green jobs, and thugs

From www.detnews.com news about Jesse Jackson:

Following the embarrassing news that Mayor Dave Bing’s GMC Yukon was hijacked by criminals this week, Detroit’s Channel 7 reports that the Reverend’s Caddy Escalade SUV was stolen and stripped of its wheels while he was in town last weekend with the UAW’s militant President Bob King leading the “Jobs, Justice, and Peace” march promoting government-funded green jobs.
Read that again: Jackson’s Caddy SUV was stripped while he was in town promoting green jobs.
....
Real jobs produced big, profitable SUVs like the one Jesse prefers to ride in. His SUV has been stripped by thugs – a fitting metaphor for what Jesse and his pals have done to the auto industry for the last 35 years.

Catholic writers and economics

In an article at Inside Catholic, Jeffrey Tucker tries to explain why Catholics do not understand economics. He begins with this assertion:

Today, most of what is written about economics in Catholic circles is painful to read. The failing extends left and right, as likely to appear in "progressive" or "traditionalist" publications. In book publishing, the problem is so pervasive that it is difficult to review the newest batch.

His hypothesis is that in religious thought many things are not scarce goods but rather either free or public good and thus religious writers are not used to dealing with economics questions that arrive from scarcity:

These are goods like salvation, the intercession of saints, prayers of an infinitely replicable nature, texts, images, and songs that constitute non-scarce goods, the nature of which requires no rationing, allocation, and choices regarding their distribution.

I accept his premise that a lot of Catholic writing shows no understanding of economics, and many of the comments left on his post re-enforce his premise--they are painful to read if you understand economics. I think there is an element of truth in his theory, but I also think there are at least two other factors that help explain the awfulness of Catholic economic understanding.

First, a lot of people who deal with religious matters are used to thinking in normative terms. I knew a person who thought of himself as a Catholic thinker and I do not know if he was able to think in any other way. For him, everything was normative and he simply could not think in positive terms. It meant that most conversations with him went nowhere.

Second, intention is key in discussing whether a person is acting morally or not. This is not true in determining what is naturally right or wrong, the natural law view of things, but it is in terms of judging specific actions. If a person does something that is naturally wrong but does not intend to do something wrong, or thinks that the action is in fact a right action. that person is not guilty of sin. If I hate my neighbor and do something that I intend to harm him but it in fact helps him, it is my intention that matters not the result when looking at whether I have been sinful or not. Alternatively, if I intend to help my neighbor but my actions in fact harm him, my actions are not sinful. In contrast, economics pays no attention to intention. Economics assumes that people act in a self-interested way, but self interest can be anything from selfish greed to certain forms of altruism. When economists see a result they do not like, they do not try to change people's intentions, but rather they try to change incentives. People in the religious world are prone to convert people, in other words, to try to change intentions and motivations,

Finally, my guess is that few Catholic writers have ever taken an economics course. (Maybe that is a third factor.)

Fun quotations

Mattheew Sheffield in the Washington Examiner:

The reason for this rhetorical disparity is that conservatives and libertarians seem to have a much better grounding in the idea that they have a political ideology. Liberals lack this sense, believing their ideology to be literally incommensurable to other ideologies. To oppose liberalism is thus not only intellectually incorrect, it is also an affront to common decency.

In other words, he says that liberals suffer from what has been called epistemic closure.

David Greenfield in his blog Sutan Knish has an entertaining rant on the ideological bias of the mainstream media:

By putting politics over profitability, the media left alienated viewers and readers exactly during the critical transition period when it needed them most. And the worse its fortunes grow, the more radical its politics have become.
....
When it came to a showdown between the principles of journalism and the principles of liberalism-- journalism never stood a chance. And all that was left was shrill political advocacy, propaganda if you will. Numerous stories praising their politicians and their cultural figures. Numerous other stories damning opposition politicians and elements of culture that displeased them. And the costs to the nation were high. The same media that did everything possible to destroy McCain and Palin, also portrayed Obama as a visionary leader, even though he had barely nailed down 100 days in the Senate before running for President.