Thomas Jefferson wrote that the U.S. Constitution gave Congress the power to criminally punish “treason, counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States, piracies, and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations, and no other crimes whatsoever.”
Yes, this is today's 3rd quote from an old, dead guy, but with good reason: these people appreciated the philosophical underpinnings of proposed legislation and governance. They also understood their role in building an impermanent form of government.
A tip of the hat to my favorite blogger-gone-mainstream, Radley Balko:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,113861,00.html
Monday, March 15, 2004
I guess the offshoring argument is at least 300 yrs. old......
"It is the maxim of every prudent master of a family, never to attempt to make at home what it will cost him more to make than to buy...What is prudence in the conduct of every private family, can scarce be folly in that of a great kingdom. If a foreign country can supply us with a commodity cheaper than we ourselves can make it, better buy it of them with some part of the produce of our own industry, employed in a way in which we have some advantage."
Adam Smith, in "The Wealth of Nations," Book IV, Chapter II
Adam Smith, in "The Wealth of Nations," Book IV, Chapter II
Just curious.....
2 of the bigger hot button political issues right now are 1) job outsourcing (to foreign locations) and 2) prescription drug prices.
I wonder how many people have a unified view of the 2 issues? This is a meaningful question, since the most common solution to problem #2 is problem #1 - i.e. lower prescription drug prices thru the direct importation of prescription drugs from other countries (use cheaper foreign sources to deliver lower prices.) Importing goods or services can deliver lower prices for consumers, but for some reason imported products = good, imported services = bad. Hopefully this is just a phase that we'll grow out of, but I'm still shocked by the naiviety towards these issues by prominent politicians.
One batch of naive politicians are the group that would tend to be pro-outsourcing and anti-drug importation. This is contrary to the free market point of view that would argue for transparency and low barriers to curency (or product) flow.
Worse so would be the point of view that is anti-outsourcing but pro-drug importation. Unfortunately, this is the current populist perspective espoused by far too many prominent politicians abandoning principles for vote$.
But even this policy is preferable over a legislated middle ground that would include price controls and some form of control over job transfers.
The States and Outsourcing
I wonder how many people have a unified view of the 2 issues? This is a meaningful question, since the most common solution to problem #2 is problem #1 - i.e. lower prescription drug prices thru the direct importation of prescription drugs from other countries (use cheaper foreign sources to deliver lower prices.) Importing goods or services can deliver lower prices for consumers, but for some reason imported products = good, imported services = bad. Hopefully this is just a phase that we'll grow out of, but I'm still shocked by the naiviety towards these issues by prominent politicians.
One batch of naive politicians are the group that would tend to be pro-outsourcing and anti-drug importation. This is contrary to the free market point of view that would argue for transparency and low barriers to curency (or product) flow.
Worse so would be the point of view that is anti-outsourcing but pro-drug importation. Unfortunately, this is the current populist perspective espoused by far too many prominent politicians abandoning principles for vote$.
But even this policy is preferable over a legislated middle ground that would include price controls and some form of control over job transfers.
The States and Outsourcing
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