Disqus - Latest Comments for TJIC

Re: Income v. Control

TJIC — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 08:24:49 -0000

Excellent analysis! Couldn't have said it better myself. The point that I particularly love in the "relative pay is what's important" is that the only solution to the problem is ABSOLUTE equality through redistribution. Unless everyone makes exactly the same amount, there will always be "winners" and "losers" in the greedy, materialistic vision of the left.

Re: Linguistic False Consciousness and the Myth of Modern Liberalism

TJIC — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 19:46:08 -0000

Excellent rebuttal. I'm not good at that sort of thing, as the leftist argument that historically conceived, negative freedoms are not freedoms at all, and massive state regulating and structuring of every private moment is the only way to achieve "real" freedoms always just sets off my 1984-doublespeak button, and I turn as twitchy and incoherent as if someone punched me in the face and told me that by doing so they were expressing friendship.

It's good to see that someone else can remain calm and point out crisply just details of how the argument is defective.

Re: Do minimum wages cause unemployment?

TJIC — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 06:28:37 -0000

My immediate assumption is that minimum wage laws hamper employment at the margin.

Imagine one state with high labor demand, tight labor supply, and high wages. Politicians can pass a feel-good minimum wage law that does very little, and garner great press.

No imagine another state with low labor demand, high labor supply, low wages, and noticeable unemployment. Any attempt to raise the minimum wage even a bit will be met with employers telling both employees and politicians "raise it ten cents, and I start firing people" - all of this delivered with the cold hard steel of a truthful assertion.

In the latter case, politicians might move on to policies that caused less IMMEDIATELY VISIBLE damage, or was less obvious.