Posted on 08/20/2012 6:01:31 AM PDT by Kaslin
This morning I was at a Chicago Economic Club breakfast. The two panelists were Mayor Bloomberg from NYC, and Obama’s former chief of staff, Bill Daley. It was moderated by Andrea Mitchell. That’s about as middle of the road as we get in Chicago!
The panel was supposed to be about immigration. Some excellent points were made. Personally, I favor a very liberal immigration policy in the United States. We need high quality immigrants. They fill jobs, create businesses and add to the vibrancy of the US. What we don’t need are poor quality illegal immigrants. It seems to me that there is a supply for immigration and a demand for immigration. That means there are economics involved with real curves that intersect at a price. What’s hilarious to me is the fences we put up to stop people from leaving once they get in!
Gary Becker proposed charging for immigration and I think it’s a compelling idea. Immigration is not a zero sum game. There are huge network effects for countries that encourage immigration. The US is a net benefactor from immigration, particularly in the 20th century.
But the panel degenerated into the current political campaign and the statements made were telling. Especially some of the things said by Mayor Bloomberg. It reflected his deep distrust of the individual to make their own decisions. Given his recent policies, that point has been put into practice.
Bloomberg said that money in politics was corrupting the system. Not because of donations to individual politicians, but because of all the SuperPACs on each side of the aisle. He advocated for full disclosure of donations. I agree with him. Every dime anyone, or any company or organization gives ought to be searchable in an online data base.
However, Bloomberg said he though social media was terrible for politics. He said all the bloggers, all the tweeters and Facebookers were ruining politics worse than the money. He said it was much better when there was an editor at a newspaper, or an editor on a television news desk that filtered stories and “fact checked” them before they were run. On that point he and I disagree.
Bloggers and tweeters are the new media that brings transparency and truth to the political process. Would the Anthony Weiner story been broken twenty years ago? How about Jack Abramhoff? Politicians lie today and they are instantly accountable. For example, the left currently says Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan guts funding for everyone. The truth is that it doesn’t affect anyone over 55, and changes the way people get their medical insurance. Ryan’s plan bets that private industry can provide medical coverage cheaper than the government. It’s a good bet. Bloggers got that information out there.
The centralized planning that Bloomberg advocates goes against the grain of a market economy. There is wisdom in crowds. Twitter, Facebook, and other social media outlets allow crowds to interact and come up with solutions. The more centralized the government is, the more it consolidates power. Eventually, it becomes so overbearing free people cease to be free. Individual rights and social justice go away, and the populace is left with a giant government to pay for.
This crucial point is the crux of the debate we are having today. Can government decide better for you and your family or are you the better arbiter of what’s good for you and what’s not? Should you have the freedom to choose, or should you be trapped in a government program that won’t let you out-but has exceptions for people that can get them?
Of course, we all know that it takes political clout to get those exemptions. That’s why it’s called crony capitalism. Bloomberg believes in centralization and crony capitalism. He came out in favor of it today. The solutions to our problems are letting individuals choose for themselves. We need a big gulp of freshwater economics.
>> However, Bloomberg said he though social media was terrible for politics. He said all the bloggers, all the tweeters and Facebookers were ruining politics worse than the money.
To Hell with the 1st Amendment — such an inconvenience. /s
What an arrogant snot.
how is this anyway newsworthy ?
Editors? Editors??? Who or what are these creatures of whom Bloomie speaks? I thought they went the way of the dinosaur sometime in the last century. You certainly can’t confirm their existence from examining the level of writing, spelling, grammar, and language usage on media outlets today. Good example on the lead-in to a local TV news broadcast after the end of yesterday’s CBS golf tournament: “Police are searching for suspects after they busted in (sic) the front door of a local resident.” Of course the anchor was female with other obvious assets for the job.
Bloomberg is, in my opinion, a perfect example of someone with moderate intelligence and a big ego that suppresses self-doubt and thus allowed him to make a lot of money in business. That's all fine and good. The problem is when someone like that extrapolates from their success and think they are much wiser than they are.
He is basically arguing for an ‘enlightened oligarchy’, which is what most liberals want. This is shear madness, mixed with ignorance. Clearly we can't trust MSM editors to be unbiased or to tell the truth when it is not congruent with their world view. Why would you abdicate anything to them? Ever?
Oh, and Michael, please explain to me - without showing your elitism - why your opinion is more credible and worthy of wide dissemination than the opinion of some hard working guy from upstate.
This guy, if possible, is worse than Obama. The only thing that nuetralizes his political insanity is he would never sell outside New York City.
As a NYer, I agree with you. He’s a nutty, wannabe Napoleon.
....editors “fact checking”...give me a break....What are or did they ever do? Call Soros or one of their like-minded (read biased) friends for ratification? Phooey! Bloomberg is a little tyrant.
He’s one of two. the other one resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave
Well, I would say that most bloggers hate Mayor Bloomberg, so everything pretty much evens out.
Agreed. People who are "Helping me, for my own good" will never stop, and never feel guilty about what they're doing. Obama, while damaging, is too lazy.
Fox had a thing on this weekend about Bloomberg locking up baby formula in hospitals, to force new mothers to breastfeed. That, to me, says how crazy the guy is.
I’m celebrating with a 32 oz Coke, a salted pretzel and a Marlboro when this gnome is finally out of office.
Run his prick ass outta town NYC!
I want REAL full disclosure. I want to know who feeds stories to the New York Times...
Liberals who feed elite 'journalists' what are their political biases ... how deep are those biases? Are they the same people who whisper to Bloomberg?
Let's get it ALL out in the open.
Start with the suck-ups at the New York Times.
We know damn well you guys aren't going out to find the truth. Some dem like James Carville is calling you up with the good stuff. Journalists today are nothing more than stenographers for democrats. I want to know which democrats. How often... how much money or influence is involved? If the coil of the realm is information, how many bribes are going down?
Come on New York Times, you've got a story here - and the inside track.
I want REAL full disclosure. I want to know who feeds stories to the New York Times...
Liberals who feed elite 'journalists' what are their political biases ... how deep are those biases? Are they the same people who whisper to Bloomberg?
Let's get it ALL out in the open.
Start with the suck-ups at the New York Times.
We know damn well you guys aren't going out to find the truth. Some dem like James Carville is calling you up with the good stuff. Journalists today are nothing more than stenographers for democrats. I want to know which democrats. How often... how much money or influence is involved? If the coil of the realm is information, how many bribes are going down?
Come on New York Times, you've got a story here - and the inside track.
“The Emperor does not like being criticized by the peasants.”
The peasants are revolting!
Rest in peace Johnny Hart
I used to think that way, until Obama decided to start destroying people who give money to the SuperPACs that oppose him and his rule. Now, I realize those disclosure databases can provide a rich vein of dirty tricks.
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