I hear what you are saying, but do you hear what I mean?

Read this Commentary, and ask if Robert Frank is not questioning Us bloggers who might be a little less than Frank? Notice that the information presented was at the Heart of the old Nazi propaganda machine: Repeat a Lie often enough, and you get the correct reaction, even if everyone knows that it is a Lie. Case in Point: the famous Republican Death Panels. Everyone knows that Death Panels are a patent lie, but there have actually been physical assaults incited by the use of the language between Democratic and Republican followers. Such activity has produced increasing acrimony in the discussion of health care; the desired goal of the issuance of the label. Even recognition of the tactic did not dissuade the emotive reaction. How does this relate to yelling ‘Fire’ in a crowded theater?

Readers should preview this Piece to reach an Understanding of how black markets are created. The particular Thought I would wish to impart consists of the fact that environmental factors can be manipulated to create a black market which is to the advantage of the managers. I know of prison guards who buy several cartons of cigarettes a week, though they do not Smoke. There are several prisons where prison guards regularly get $1 per cigarette for allowing Prisoners to smoke in their supervisory areas–though the practice is banned by prison policy. The real definition I wish to express stands as fact that prison policy operates for the personal benefit of the managers, rather than any public, stated policy. It relates to the previous paragraph about the repeated Lie; can you tell How?

Bruce Bartlett and I are working on the same page, even though I am sure We are at odds as far as economic policy goes. We are agreed that Taxes are being raised for hidden motives, rather than the stated policies. He thinks these Taxes are too high; I think such Taxes are insufficient. He would eliminate American taxes because of the existence of foreign tax assessments; I will state that American tax assessments should be independent of foreign taxes. It is my contention that multinationals should be taxed for their use of American infrastructure and Consumers, thinking it be a taxation for the availability of markets upon these companies. I justify this taxation based upon American production being forced to withstand these Costs before competition with multinational pricing. Both Bruce and I believe We are being fair about the issue, and We are both in some ways not! Such is the complexity of the World. lgl