Thomas Sowell: Ignoring Economics (Part I)

Creator's Syndicate ^ | November 15, 2005 | Dr. Thomas Sowell

[syriacus]

We could almost think of France as a huge laboratory, in which Sowell's clear-headed ideas have been tested and validated.

[Popman]

bumped for later

[GBA]

We see a similar situation here with people hiring illegal immigrants. Putting the illegal immigration issue aside, the economic and social questions remain the same: are we exploiting the the unskilled or shutting out the competition?

[ml/nj]

I'm surprised at Sowell. Poor Catholics are not burning cars, warehouses, etc. Free market economic analysis isn't likely to be very useful among people willing to walk into pizzerias and blow themselves up.

ML/NJ

[ThirstyMan]

What he didn't address is the support system that holds up the unemployed...the safety net...welfare.

Does France offer unemployment benefits to these who can't find work?

The real problem could be that the gap between working and welfare is so slight that it discourages the unemployed from finding work. Why work 40 hours for just a little more?

If socialist France does offer generous unemployment benefits it'd mean that Sowell's idea of solving the problem by eliminating the entry wage structure/package wouldn't work at all.

[Tax-chick]

What he didn't address is the support system that holds up the unemployed...the safety net...welfare.

Maybe he'll get to that in Part II :-).

Excellent point, though. Systematic unemployment has at least those two parts: wage rates fixed by government above the market level, AND government support of those who aren't supporting themselves.

[ThirstyMan]

Thanks.

I admire your succinct wording...and your tagline too!

[Tax-chick]

I just found the tagline in a book last night :-).

I think Dr. Sowell will cover all the relevant points, eventually - he's so close to perfect that it's scary sometimes!

[AFPhys]

Yet another great article by Sowell.

I wonder if politicians will ever start to listen to the great economic thinkers about these problems?

[Tax-chick]

I doubt it. It's not like these are new concepts. The politicians are supported by the unions, who understand perfectly what artificially high wages do to the economy, and don't care.

[Publius6961]

BUMP! .

.

The clearest difference between regular pets and human ones is that our cats and dogs won't go nuts and burn the neighborhood down...

[Tax-chick]

Well-put. "Caring" government does reduce unproductive citizens to the status of pets.

[Sam Cree]

*

[xzins]

Good article, but it made it appear that the rioting was a result of unemployment.

It ignores that wahabbist Muslims are indiscriminately killing all over the world.

And all we need to do is increase job growth?

Seems to me that someone should be questioning whether there's a problem in their religion.

[NonValueAdded]

reference bump

[Publius6961]

BUMP!

[Tax-chick]

Some of both ... economics and religion. An over-emphasis on Islam, in this situation, ignores the fact that we've had similar riots among our own underclass, the majority of whom are not Moslem.

[xzins]

These same regions seem to have their share of anti-Jewish desecrations, intimidation of uncovered females, and pro-terrorist sympathies.

I'm assuming that those are not correlated to unemployment. Would you agree?

[Tax-chick]

I'm assuming that those are not correlated to unemployment.

In Europe, those manifestations are correlated with unemployment. I assume what you meant is that they are not caused by unemployment?