Sheldon Richman gets to the heart of the matter. Here’s his conclusion:
Thus, it’s costless to vote for the candidate who makes you feel good about yourself. As Bryan Caplan has shown, given these incentives, people tend to vote according to their biases, which for most people embody economic fallacies.
Yet the keepers of the system (pundits included) play a game in which they pretend that voters are informed and make wise decisions.
Common rhapsodizing about democracy notwithstanding, the details of what Leviathan does are beyond comprehension. (Remember, members of Congress don’t read the bills.) Even an enthusiast for big government can’t tell if this government’s policies do good or harm. Yet the cult of democracy aims at maximum participation in elections. If a small number of ignorant voters is not good, how can a larger number be an improvement?
Here’s a better idea: let people cooperate with one another in the free market, and leave as few matters as possible to the overrated democratic arena.
The Wall Street Journal (alas, gated) understands that sequestration hysteria is fabricated nonsense. Here’s a slice:
Yes, even as the White House warns that the modest automatic spending cuts will force the furlough of meat inspectors, two divisions of the Agriculture Department will underwrite the 26th California Small Farm Conference in Fresno next week.
The event will feature USDA speakers, field trips, a banquet and a tasting reception, according to the conference website. Conference organizers promise the tasting will be a “mouthwatering event” featuring “fine wines and exceptional micro-brews paired with seasonally driven culinary delicacies.”
Saturday Night Live spoofs that which is itself a spoof of itself – a reality true of nearly all politics. (HT Tad DeHaven)
