Alternative Methodology

The new EPI Snapshot shows how median Wages have remained stagnant; 21 States suffering real Wage decline. Wage rates are a good Indicator, but should be seriously joined by two other Indexes which I do not see: a Commercial Cost per Unit Product Price Index, and a Profits minus financial obligations Index for State businesses. The three Indexes in conjunction could explain much of the interior functioning of business in the overall economy, and bring much greater evaluation skill to determination of Living Costs expansion. Where are the bright young economists We always hope for in the Graduate Departments?

Chris Dillow discusses the generation of tolerance in this Piece; One should check out the links in the Post. I personally have always hated the term ‘Networking’, but it provides the significance correlation between prosperity and tolerance. The former can most often not be accomplished without an expansion of Contacts beyond the individual’s normal sphere of social friendships. The entire concept of Networking not only implies an expansion of individual communication for Profit, but a loss of social compulsion to aid oneself by confrontation. Being unable to intrude oneself into another’s physical space, it becomes vital not to antagonize Others when in need of their cooperative labor. One does not want to lose valuable Business contacts, because ‘I didn’t know you were Black, Brown, or Jewish." Still greater impediment comes from a Network reputation of being a Racist.

Alex Tabarrok brings Us a good composite of opinion about the superiority of medical systems between Canada and the United States. Shafrin reviews the NBER Paper tending to agree with the O’Neills, but I tend to agree slightly more with Robin Hanson that We could be equally served by vastly cutting U.S. medical Costs through limitation of Services. It is equally obvious that the heavy incidence of American disease can be accounted by the much greater obesity rates in the United States; this said by Someone himself obese. The excess of fat on Americans, both North and South, probably account for 40% of the illness of Americans. Truly good medical practice would activate Food laws to reduce obesity; Examples: Restaurants required to limit all Meal provision to less than 800 calories; all Candy must be packaged individually with less than 4 ounces per Serving, all Drinks sold must be limited to 6 ounce Containers, and All priced as a full Serving. Limitation of medical service use, aka Robin Hanson, would require completion of a 20-Question list by phone to obtain a Doctor or Clinic appointment, with qualified medical Operators suggesting alternate medical treatments from an accepted list of Drugs; Cost of the Call to be $10 to defray Expense of the system. lgl