Archive for William L. Anderson
William Anderson is an associate professor of economics at Frostburg State University. He blogs at Krugman-in-Wonderland.
Are You Ready for Some Government-Approved Football?
I guess now I’ve seen it all. President Obama plans to bring the heavy hand of the Entity Formerly Known as the U.S. Department of Justice into the college football mix.
3Feb2010 | William L. Anderson | 8 comments | ContinuedCan We Have “Universal” Medical Care Without Coercion?
The recent loss of what supposedly was a “secure” U.S. Senate seat by Democrats in Massachusetts has triggered a firestorm of speculation about the future of the Democrats’ “health care” bill. For the current legislative season, so-called ObamaCare looks to be dead or at least dormant.
27Jan2010 | William L. Anderson | 12 comments | ContinuedWhy Did the “Stimulus” Fail to Help the Economy?
Attempts to “stimulate” the economy through massive government spending may put money into the pockets of politically connected people, but it does nothing to restore the economic factors to their proper balances.
20Jan2010 | William L. Anderson | 5 comments | ContinuedGovernment in the Bedroom – and Everywhere Else
Left-liberals, when discussing abortion on demand, often declare: “We don’t want government in the bedroom.” While I am not arguing about abortion rights, I will point out how the left really wants government in our homes.
13Jan2010 | William L. Anderson | 7 comments | ContinuedAbout Those Tax Breaks
Few things bug free-market economists as much as the attempts by local and state authorities to give tax breaks to certain firms in the name of “creating jobs.”
6Jan2010 | William L. Anderson | 3 comments | ContinuedAbout Those “Death Panels”
Neither the House nor the Senate bills use the phrase “death panels.” However, the “death panel” mentality certainly exists, and it exists precisely because socialist medical care exists not for care of individuals, but rather to enforce larger egalitarian political goals.
30Dec2009 | William L. Anderson | 5 comments | ContinuedObamacare and the Legacy of Progressivism
In the end, the bill will be whatever the White House wants it to be. The ultimate legacy of “Progressivism” is that political debate no longer matters.
23Dec2009 | William L. Anderson | 4 comments | ContinuedCan We Afford to Avoid the Truth?
The Times is urging us in the name of “cost reduction” to accept a huge new government expense that will affect us all in ways we cannot imagine because the regime in power declares that it will cut costs. It must be so because, well, it must be so.
16Dec2009 | William L. Anderson | 4 comments | ContinuedDoes Regulation Lower Costs? A Personal Experience
For many years I have struggled to breathe through my nose, and decided to do something about it, given that the condition helps cause sleep apnea. The experience of having this condition “fixed” has taught me both about the wonders of modern medical care as well as the idiocy of the medical/government bureaucracy. Unfortunately, the [...]
9Dec2009 | William L. Anderson | 6 comments | ContinuedAre the “Climate Change” Emails a Tempest in a Teapot?
For “climate change” skeptics like me, the recently revealed emails from scientists who aggressively have promoted the current political doctrine are very telling. Not surprisingly, those at the center of this controversy are claiming that the words we have read mean nothing, and that governments must continue their environmental policies – or else.
A gaggle of [...]
The Continuing Fallacy of Government “Creating Jobs”
Adam Smith said it best when he noted that "consumption is the sole end and purpose of all production." Unlike what Reich claims, an economy cannot be oriented solely toward production or solely toward consumption.
25Nov2009 | William L. Anderson | 2 comments | ContinuedThe Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008
Reading The Return of Depression Economics, I have to admit I was surprised. Paul Krugman, 2008 Nobel Prize winner in economics and New York Times columnist, isn’t as feisty and partisan in the book as he is in his column. Moreover, he presents some useful information about the many economic collapses that have occurred in [...]
18Nov2009 | William L. Anderson | 4 comments | ContinuedToo Big to Fail?
The New York Times declares that the Obama administration wants to “rein in” those businesses “too big to fail.” The story says:
Congress and the Obama administration are about to take up one of the most fundamental issues stemming from the near collapse of the financial system last year — how to deal with institutions that [...]
America’s Munich: The House Medical-Care Bill
In the wake of the euphoria that passed through Great Britain after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain displayed the Munich Agreement and declared “peace in our time,” Winston Churchill had a different view. The agreement between France, Britain, and Hitler’s Germany, Churchill told Parliament, was a “total and unmitigated disaster.”
I thought about this exchange after seeing [...]
The “Stimulus” Stopped the Recession? Not So Fast!
The “stimulus” has not “saved” anything. It has been a huge misdirection of resources from things that would meet real-live individual needs to those things that meet the “needs” of politicians to be reelected.
4Nov2009 | William L. Anderson | 7 comments | ContinuedBen Bernanke Saved the Day?
Instead of being “brave,” Bernanke has been reckless, just like a young driver playing “chicken.” There is a huge difference between bravery and bravado, and Bernanke’s actions reflect the latter not the former.
28Oct2009 | William L. Anderson | 3 comments | ContinuedDon’t Cry For Us, Argentina
Economic news continues to be bad, and despite the government’s promises that the recession’s end is near, I don’t see it. Economic fundamentals are more skewed now than they were two years ago, which means a recovery is not near.
We hear today that the Canadian dollar is almost at parity with the U.S. dollar. A [...]
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