statism

Damascus clubbers try to dance away constant threat of death

"When night falls in Damascus, gaggles of determined revellers still head out on the town seeking to drown out the thunder of outgoing artillery fire with the boom of music. The shells are raining down on suspected rebel positions in suburbs just a few kilometres away but, while most people lock themselves fearfully in their homes, some head out to try to forget the war on their doorstep. 'I come here for a change of atmosphere,' says Mohammad, a 25-year-old car salesman, who has clearly had a drink or three. 'There is joy here,' he says of the nightclub in the upscale Shaalan neighbourhood, where the barman juggles bottles of spirits. 'I want to live, I don’t want to hear any more bad news.'" Continue reading →

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‘Technical glitch’ brings down Iranian censorship firewall temporarily

"A technical glitch allowed some Iranians temporary access to banned social networking websites Facebook and Twitter, an Iranian Internet official said on Tuesday. Surprised Internet users in Iran Monday night were able to log onto their accounts without using illegal software that enables them to circumvent a widespread state-run filtering mechanism. They voiced their delight online, with posts revelling in the rare web freedom — restricted in 2009 when social networking sites enabled protesters to organise anti-government demonstrations in the aftermath of a disputed presidential election." Continue reading →

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When Penalties are Preferable

"Nearly five in eight Americans polled by ABC News and The Washington Post say they 'lack the information needed to understand the changes that will take effect as the Affordable Care Act is implemented.' No surprise with a bill that stretched to 906 pages — plus 20,000 more of associated regulations. Besides, there’s nothing you can actually do in reaction to these stories. You’re a helpless spectator. Which is why we find the YouTube video much more intriguing… 'What we’re trying to communicate is, ‘No, you’re actually not required to buy health insurance,’' says Evan Feinberg. 'You might have to pay a fine, but that’s going to be cheaper for you and better for you.'" Continue reading →

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Pricing Glitch Afflicts Rollout of Online Health Exchanges

"Less than two weeks before the launch of insurance marketplaces created by the federal health overhaul, the government's software can't reliably determine how much people need to pay for coverage, according to insurance executives and people familiar with the program. Government officials and insurers were scrambling to iron out the pricing quirks quickly to avoid alienating the initial wave of consumers. A failure by consumers to sign up online in the hotly anticipated early days of the 'exchanges' is worrisome to insurers, which are counting on enrollees for growth, and to the Obama administration, which made the exchanges a centerpiece of its sweeping health-care legislation." Continue reading →

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The Sharing Economy Fights Back Against Regulators

"What started with a few enterprising individuals willing to let complete strangers sleep in their homes and use their possessions has now developed into a formidable economic force that threatens to upend several different industries. Along the way, it has posed some major legal challenges. The companies that are pushing it forward have continually undermined local ordinances, consumer safeguards, and protectionist regulations alike. As a result, governments around the country are trying to rein them in. That’s where Silicon Valley’s newest advocacy group comes in. Peers is a self-described 'grassroots organization' that launched to 'mainstream, protect, and grow the sharing economy.'" Continue reading →

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Beef Prices Set New Record Highs

"Retail beef prices rose nearly 4¢ in August to reach $5.394/lb, a record high, reports Beef Magazine. This should be no problem, though, if you switch to lower priced goods as beef climbs, as government theorizes consumers do as part of its chained-inflation index. For example, peanut butter prices are down 5.7% over the last 12 months, according to the BLS. So if you switch from steak to peanut butter sandwiches, you won't notice any increase in the cost of eating." Continue reading →

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Plundering The Provinces

"The establishment media and many economists and other social scientists continually bemoan the varying income differences generated by voluntary and ever changing consumer choices on the market. In the U.S., the political class regularly and forcibly extracts a massive amount of income from productive workers, investors, and entrepreneurs via taxation and money creation ('quantitative easing' and 'zero interest-rate policies') and funnels these stolen funds into its own pockets and those of privileged financial institutions, giant agribusiness corporations, government military contractors, construction unions, etc." Continue reading →

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Theaters brace for new federal rules on accommodating blind, deaf

"Movie-house owners -- as well as disability advocates -- are anxiously awaiting the release of an Obama administration proposal that would require theaters to install expensive technology so deaf and blind patrons can enjoy their films. Theater owners -- particularly those with small, independent houses -- say they cannot afford the technology shift which starts with converting to digital cinema. The cost of that is about $70,000 per screen, though most theaters have already gone digital. Theaters then would have to purchase the headsets that narrate films for the blind and glasses that provide the closed-captioning for the deaf, at an additional cost." Continue reading →

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Operation Compliance: Detroit’s War on Small Business

"Mayor David Bing announced in January that he'd assembled a task force to execute Operation Compliance. Operation Compliance began with the stated goal of shutting down 20 businesses a week. Since its inception, Operation Compliance has resulted in the closure of 383 small businesses, with another 536 in the 'process of compliance,' according to figures provided to Reason TV by city officials. But business owners say that Operation Compliance unfairly targets small, struggling businesses in poor areas of town and that the city's maze of regulations is nearly impossible to navigate, with permit fees that are excessive and damaging to businesses running on thin profit margins." Continue reading →

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Anarcho-Perspective on Detroit is Catching On

"Detroit’s ground-up resurrection has not been created by the city, but rather, it has been enabled by the city because in spite of its seemingly unyielding regulatory environment, as presented by the media and some local businessmen, the government-regulatory complex has been too corrupt, too inept, and too inconsequential to enforce its own ridiculous dictates, for the most part. Detroit’s entrepreneurial storm that is rooted in rejection of the conventional political system is purposeful in that creative human capital actually seeks Detroit out as a place where they can potentially launch and operate innovative entrepreneurial efforts with minimal bureaucratic meddling." Continue reading →

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