Jeffrey Alan Miron

Primum Non Nocere: A Libertarian Stimulus Package

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/05/miron.libertarian.stimulus/index.html

No "Feel Good" Rhetoric Left Behind

The stated goals of No Child Left Behind are in a head-on collision course with reality:

No Child Left Behind, the landmark federal education law, sets a lofty standard: that all students tested in reading and math will reach grade level by 2014. Even when the law was enacted five years ago, almost no one believed that standard was realistic.

But now, as Congress begins to debate renewing the law, lawmakers and education officials are confronting the reality of the approaching deadline and the difficult political choice between sticking with the vision of universal proficiency or backing away from it.

The Right to Bear Arms

The D.C. Court of Appeals hands down an important ruling.

Government Efforts to Stop Doping in Sports

What a waste of government resources:

The battle against the use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs by athletes is increasingly being led by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies as part of an expanding cooperative effort with the U.S. Olympic Committee's primary anti-doping body, according to law enforcement and anti-doping officials.

If Olympic Committee wants to enforce anti-doping rules, that's their business (ditto for MLB, the NFL, and so on).   But it's a waste of taxpayer money.

And, while we're at it, we should stop using government funds to support the Olympics, sports stadiums, college football (via state universities), golfing (via public courses), and all other sporting activity.  Athletics is great; but it should not receive government support.

Prosecuting Prostitution

Is this a good use of police and prosecutors? I think not.

Opium Wars

We will address the issues discussed in this article later in the course (subscription required).

The Consequences of Prohibiting Immigration

Prohibitions breed violence because they shut down non-violent mechanisms of dispute resolution.  It does not matter much what good or activity is being prohibited.

Clear-Headed Thinking on Iraq

This piece, by a retired Army General, mimics my own views almost perfectly.

Should Africa Fix Itself?

One perspective on how Africa can grow.

U.S. Options in Iraq

The positions of most politicians on Iraq are either hoplessly naive or unspeakably hypocritical.

It is difficult to imagine any reason why a modest increase in troop strength (the Bush administration's surge) could make any meaningful difference.  Perhaps an enorous increase might install some level of calm in the form of martial law.  But this would merely suppress the political, ethnic, and religious divisions in the country temporarily; they would resurface whenever these trooops withdraw.

Similarly, it is difficult to see why any diplomatic approach or set of timetables and deadlines will work any better in the future than it has so far.   The Iraqi government has neither the ability nor the desire to achieve the various transitional goals.   Thus, this approach is just a way to shift blame from the U.S. to Iraq in preparation for eventual withdrawal.

So what options are left?  Withdraw now.  This approach has its own negatives; in particular, it might unleash a torrent of bloodshed.  That outcome is not entirely pre-ordained; the Shiite majority might take control quickly enough that transition to a Shiite-dominated theocracy is less violent than the current situation. But a prolonged and deadly civil war is unquestionably possible.

But, whatever is going to happen is going to happen whether we withdraw tomorrow; or in a year; or in a decade.  Our continued presence, if anything, only makes matters worse. So, we should just get out now.