@BarackObama nails safe spaces on campuses
09 Apr 2016 Leave a comment
in economics, economics of education, economics of media and culture, liberalism, Public Choice
@JulieAnneGenter tax havens underwrite The Great Escape from extreme poverty in developing countries
08 Apr 2016 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, constitutional political economy, development economics, economic history, economics of bureaucracy, economics of crime, growth disasters, growth miracles, International law, law and economics, property rights, rentseeking
Tax havens and offshore financial centres are vital to the economic development of poor countries. There are plenty of countries, poor countries, where the ability to move funds offshore is fundamental to successful investment. That is missed in the reporting of the Panama Papers:
Consider the big names that have shown up so far on the list. With the notable exception of Iceland, these are not countries I would describe as “capitalist”: Russia, Pakistan, Iraq, Ukraine, Egypt. They’re countries where kleptocratic government officials amass money not through commerce, but through quasi-legal extortion, or siphoning off the till. This is an activity that has gone on long before capitalism, and probably before there was money.
Tax havens and offshore financial centres offer a way in which entrepreneurs can make an honest investment, secure a return and put it aside safely from the reach of the minister’s cousin who wants to muscle in once the business succeeded.
A major problem in poor countries is short time horizons for investment. Entrepreneurs must make their money quickly.
Many years ago there is a survey of entrepreneurs in Russia and Poland. It was in the early 1990s. Each was asked whether an investment project that doubled their money in two years was worth the risk. The Russian entrepreneurs mostly said no, the Polish entrepreneur said yes.
So insecure are the returns from investment in Russia at that time that the phenomenal returns were required before an investment was made. They would only invest if they could double the money in two years.
Many years ago, Mancur Olson wrote an insightful book about prosperity and dictatorships. He introduced the concept of rights intensive production.
As countries become more and more developed, investment horizons lengthen and depends more and more upon the enforcement of contract and property rights in a tolerably honest way.
Instead of being the first entrepreneur to introduce the most basic technologies and profit handsomely, entrepreneurs are introducing a product upgrade or new product that is a minor improvement on current offerings. Such investments will take time to pay off.
In many developing countries, China as an example, property rights are insecure. One way to secure your investment is to take the proceeds offshore to a tax haven. If everything goes wrong, at least you got some nest egg overseas.
As many developing countries have corrupt politicians and dishonest courts, the way to secure gains from honest investments is to move some of the profits offshore. That is why tax havens are essential to poor countries growing richer.
One of the sources of Hong Kong prosperity was investors would deal with a Hong Kong-based company with the requisite political and economic links to China. They could enforce their contracts in China against their Hong Kong assets because the contract was based in Hong Kong under British law.
If the local legal system is inadequate, entrepreneurs well look overseas for mechanisms to force contracts and secure their returns on investments against confiscation.
@BernieSanders @realdonaldtrump want to reverse The Great Escape in developing countries
07 Apr 2016 Leave a comment
in applied welfare economics, development economics, economic history, growth disasters, growth miracles, industrial organisation, international economics, politics - USA, Public Choice, rentseeking, survivor principle Tags: absolute poverty, extreme poverty, tariffs, The Great Escape, trade agreements, trade liberalisation
Source: TRANSCRIPT: Bernie Sanders meets with News Editorial Board – NY Daily News.
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Source: If you’re poor in another country, this is the scariest thing Bernie Sanders has said – Vox.
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Source: If you’re poor in another country, this is the scariest thing Bernie Sanders has said – Vox.
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Bruce Yandle on Bootleggers & Baptists
06 Apr 2016 Leave a comment
in Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: bootleggers and baptists
How does media bias really operate?
02 Apr 2016 Leave a comment
in economics, economics of media and culture, Public Choice Tags: media bias
@JordNZ best way to talk yourself out of #UBI is listen to advocate list new taxes required
01 Apr 2016 Leave a comment
in economics, income redistribution, labour economics, labour supply, politics - New Zealand, poverty and inequality, Public Choice, public economics, welfare reform Tags: universal basic income
Political bias, free trade and @berniesanders @realdonaldtrump
31 Mar 2016 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, applied welfare economics, economics of media and culture, industrial organisation, international economics, politics - USA, Public Choice, public economics, rentseeking Tags: 2016 presidential election, antiforeign bias, antimarket bias, makework bias, pessimism bias, rational irrationality
Balance for ballot propositions
28 Mar 2016 Leave a comment
in economics, economics of media and culture, industrial organisation, Public Choice, survivor principle Tags: media bias
Newspapers and agenda setting
25 Mar 2016 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, economics, economics of media and culture, Public Choice Tags: media bias
Does competitiveness lower bias?
23 Mar 2016 Leave a comment
in economics, economics of media and culture, entrepreneurship, politics - USA, Public Choice Tags: media bias
Left-wing governments are rare in Australia
21 Mar 2016 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, economic history, politics - Australia, Public Choice Tags: Australian Labour Party, Bob Hawke, Gough Whitlam, left-wing governments, Paul Keating, Social Democrats
There have been one left-wing government in Australia since 1949. That was the Whitlam government elected between 1972 to 1975.
The Australian Labour Party defeated a tired and smelly Liberal National party government that had held office for 23 years. There was no landslide when it was time to throw out a 23 year government.
Gough Whitlam managed to beat dopey old Billy McMahon on a small swing and win a majority of 9 seats in 1972. That was later reduced to 7 in the 1974 election.
Hawke, Keating, Rudd and Gillard Labour governments were all social democratic governments. They were not left-wing governments.
What drives media slant?
20 Mar 2016 Leave a comment
in economics, economics of media and culture, Public Choice Tags: media bias
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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