Thursday, February 09, 2006
Social Policy for Equity, Equality, and Happiness
The use of government intervention to pursue social policies for Equity, Equality, and Happiness are at best problematic.
How should a centrally planned bureaucrat approach inequity, inequality, and unhappiness? Who is right? Are the economists, policy analysts, or statisticians right in their theory and applications? Personally, I don't think so. How appropriate is it to use tax dollars to pursue an arbitrary agenda based on little more than self-directed opinion? What do you think?
Arnold Kling on the Happiness Police. (NewMark's Door)
Malcolm Gladwell on Social Spending. (Catallarchy)
Brad DeLong's question and Arnold Kling's response on income inequality.
How should a centrally planned bureaucrat approach inequity, inequality, and unhappiness? Who is right? Are the economists, policy analysts, or statisticians right in their theory and applications? Personally, I don't think so. How appropriate is it to use tax dollars to pursue an arbitrary agenda based on little more than self-directed opinion? What do you think?
Arnold Kling on the Happiness Police. (NewMark's Door)
Malcolm Gladwell on Social Spending. (Catallarchy)
Brad DeLong's question and Arnold Kling's response on income inequality.
Comments:
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Thomas Sowell's take:
http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/thomassowell/2006/02/08/185448.html
http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/thomassowell
/2006/02/08/185448.html
Whichever one works for you
http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/thomassowell/2006/02/08/185448.html
http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/thomassowell
/2006/02/08/185448.html
Whichever one works for you
Who is anyone else to determine the value of anything for anyone else. It is the common mistake of interpersonal utility comparisions, where much of this social policy fails.
For it was Carl Menger who arrived at the great insight that the value of a good to an actor depends on its marginal utility to him based entirely on pursuing the consequences of the assumption that people act with the purpose of improving their circumstances.
For more - Check out today's Mises Daily Article
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For it was Carl Menger who arrived at the great insight that the value of a good to an actor depends on its marginal utility to him based entirely on pursuing the consequences of the assumption that people act with the purpose of improving their circumstances.
For more - Check out today's Mises Daily Article
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