This Should Not Be Necessary
Posted on | February 2, 2014 | 19 Comments
Headline at Patterico:
No, Extending Unemployment Benefits
Does Not “Create Jobs”
The basic economics of this should be obvious — it’s simple common sense — but ignorance of basic economics is rampant and common sense is increasingly rare, and so Patterico feels obliged to rebut this fallacy promoted by You Know Who:
“Voting for extending unemployment insurance helps people and creates jobs,” Obama said. “Voting against it doesn’t.”
It’s about time we took on this silly notion that paying people not to work causes more people to work . . .
Read the whole thing. It makes my head hurt even to think that such fathomless stupidity is possible, and the fact that Obama got elected twice — because a majority of Americans are apparently brain-damaged — fills me with existential horror.
Comments
19 Responses to “This Should Not Be Necessary”
THE FULL METAL JACKET REACH-AROUND AWARD
This spot rotates to honor those who link us in shameless obedience to Rule 2 of "How to Get a Million Hits on Your Blog."
HIT THE FREAKING TIP JAR!
Search
Recent Posts
- In The Mailbox: 03.05.21 (Evening Edition)
- In The Mailbox: 03.05.21 (Morning Edition)
- An Embarrassing Defeat for Biden
- In The Mailbox: 03.02.21 (Evening Edition)
- Governor Gropo
- In The Mailbox: 03.02.21 (Morning Edition)
- Trump Approved 10,000 National Guard for Jan. 6, But Pelosi Rejected Troops
- Rule 5 Sunday: Cathryn Li
- Police Kill Juan Hernandez
- FMJRA 2.0: High Energy Protons
Click here to manage your email subscription options.
RSS reader subscription
MEMEORANDUM
Recent Comments
- Animal’s Hump Day News | Animal Magnetism on Night Of The Digital Long Knives
- Wednesday Linkage « Bacon Time !!!!!! on Can I Get a ‘Roll Tide,’ Please?
- Web Links And More Yummy Hotties Than Pelosi Could Ever Impeach! (32 Pics) | HarshBrutus on Rule 5 Sunday: Rep. Lauren Boebert
- I was off, a little – Da Boom on Night Of The Digital Long Knives
- FMJRA 2.0: Broken Whiskey Glass : The Other McCain on Real Life Is Not Twitter or a Video Game
THE AMAZING GONZO FEED
Blog-Fu Ninja Masters
ADVERTISEMENT
Axis of Fedorables
- All-American Girl for the Restoration of Values
- Allergic to Bull
- Cat House Chat
- Chris Cassone
- Conservative Daily News
- DaTechguy
- Fishersville Mike
- Girl on the Right
- Haemet
- Just A Conservative Girl
- Little Miss Attila
- Marooned in Marin
- Paco Enterprises
- So It Goes In Shreveport
- SWAC Girl
- The (Perhaps Slightly Less) Lonely Conservative
- The Camp of the Saints
- The World's Youngest Blogger
- Uncoverage
- VA Right
AMAZING SAVINGS NOW!
Archives
- March 2021 (8)
- February 2021 (57)
- January 2021 (71)
- December 2020 (77)
- November 2020 (81)
- October 2020 (84)
- September 2020 (94)
- August 2020 (75)
- July 2020 (68)
- June 2020 (83)
- May 2020 (77)
- April 2020 (65)
- March 2020 (85)
- February 2020 (94)
- January 2020 (95)
- December 2019 (88)
- November 2019 (60)
- October 2019 (113)
- September 2019 (92)
- August 2019 (91)
- July 2019 (88)
- June 2019 (80)
- May 2019 (74)
- April 2019 (97)
- March 2019 (100)
- February 2019 (85)
- January 2019 (93)
- December 2018 (90)
- November 2018 (83)
- October 2018 (96)
- September 2018 (79)
- August 2018 (107)
- July 2018 (98)
- June 2018 (86)
- May 2018 (78)
- April 2018 (78)
- March 2018 (97)
- February 2018 (61)
- January 2018 (70)
- December 2017 (62)
- November 2017 (68)
- October 2017 (67)
- September 2017 (70)
- August 2017 (68)
- July 2017 (52)
- June 2017 (60)
- May 2017 (56)
- April 2017 (80)
- March 2017 (80)
- February 2017 (102)
- January 2017 (104)
- December 2016 (65)
- November 2016 (86)
- October 2016 (77)
- September 2016 (81)
- August 2016 (66)
- July 2016 (83)
- June 2016 (81)
- May 2016 (65)
- April 2016 (64)
- March 2016 (81)
- February 2016 (74)
- January 2016 (66)
- December 2015 (64)
- November 2015 (85)
- October 2015 (71)
- September 2015 (80)
- August 2015 (67)
- July 2015 (79)
- June 2015 (69)
- May 2015 (72)
- April 2015 (94)
- March 2015 (122)
- February 2015 (71)
- January 2015 (93)
- December 2014 (99)
- November 2014 (67)
- October 2014 (109)
- September 2014 (87)
- August 2014 (106)
- July 2014 (132)
- June 2014 (154)
- May 2014 (126)
- April 2014 (145)
- March 2014 (144)
- February 2014 (142)
- January 2014 (185)
- December 2013 (192)
- November 2013 (174)
- October 2013 (175)
- September 2013 (181)
- August 2013 (172)
- July 2013 (147)
- June 2013 (135)
- May 2013 (128)
- April 2013 (105)
- March 2013 (162)
- February 2013 (191)
- January 2013 (206)
- December 2012 (190)
- November 2012 (176)
- October 2012 (240)
- September 2012 (206)
- August 2012 (235)
- July 2012 (223)
- June 2012 (161)
- May 2012 (230)
- April 2012 (269)
- March 2012 (282)
- February 2012 (247)
- January 2012 (267)
- December 2011 (285)
- November 2011 (300)
- October 2011 (302)
- September 2011 (297)
- August 2011 (288)
- July 2011 (297)
- June 2011 (245)
- May 2011 (260)
- April 2011 (344)
- March 2011 (293)
- February 2011 (201)
- January 2011 (263)
- December 2010 (265)
- November 2010 (266)
- October 2010 (305)
- September 2010 (280)
- August 2010 (272)
- July 2010 (230)
- June 2010 (244)
- May 2010 (256)
- April 2010 (222)
- March 2010 (271)
- February 2010 (286)
- January 2010 (229)
- December 2009 (21)
- October 2009 (1)
Wombat's Wizards of Blog
SHAMELESS CAPITALISM
The Other McCain is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for this blog to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Can't Get Enough of That Hot Bloggy Stuff
- All-American Blogger
- American Glob
- American Power
- Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler
- Athens & Jerusalem
- Barney Quick
- Bartholomew's Notes On Religion
- BatesLine
- Bear Creek Ledger
- Bearsears Patriots
- Blog de KingShamus
- Blueshelled
- Bride of Rove
- Cold Fury
- Dr. Helen
- Dustbury
- Five Feet of Fury
- I Own The World
- Legal Insurrection
- Little Miss Attila
- No Runny Eggs
- Obi`s Sister
- Piece of Work in Progress
- Pirates Cove
- Rhetorican
- The Conservatory
- The Sundries Shack
- VodkaPundit
- Zilla of the Resistance
Blogroll
- 90 Miles From Tyranny
- A Conservative Shemale
- AmSpec Blog
- Bad Blue
- Caffeinated Thoughts
- Calvin Freiburger Online
- Carol's Closet
- Cassy Fiano
- Catholic Bandita
- Catholic Tide
- Caught Him With A Corndog
- Cecil Calvert
- Charles G. Hill
- Clever S. Logan
- Common Cents
- Common Cents
- Conservative Girl With a Voice
- Conservative Hideout
- Conservative Watch News
- Conservatives for America
- Conservatives For Palin
- Crazy For Liberty
- Creative Minority Report
- Crush Liberalism
- Cubachi
- Cynthia Yockey
- Dad 29
- Daria DiGiovanni
- Dateline Zero
- DC Damsel
- Dr. Flap
- Dyspepsia Generation
- Effing Conservatives
- Election Dissection
- Ennui Pundit
- Eric Reasons, IT Genius
- Evil Blogger Lady
- Eye of Polyphemus
- Fausta's Blog
- Finding Ponies. . .
- Fire Andrea Mitchell
- For What It's Worth
- Founding Bloggers
- Free Will
- Funny and Jewish
- Gay Patriot
- Get Along Home
- GM's Place
- Grandpa John's
- Granite Grok
- Granny Rant
- GrEaT sAtAn"S gIrLfRiEnD
- Hit & Run
- Hoosier Access
- Hot Air Green Room
- Hugh Hewitt
- Ignorant Me
- Inside Charm City
- Is This Blog On?
- Jackie Wellfonder
- John William Perry
- Judicial Watch
- Jumping in Pools
- Katy's Conservative Corner
- KillTruck
- KURU Lounge
- Laughing Conservative
- Laura Elizabeth Morales
- Lead and Gold
- Lee Hernly
- Libertarian Republican
- Liberty Pundits
- Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
- Live Action
- Maj. Steven Givler
- Makes My Brain Itch
- Marathon Pundit
- Martin Eisenstadt's Blog
- Media Fade
- Michael Leahy
- Mind Numbed Robot
- Mister Pterodactyl
- Monique Stuart
- Morally Right
- My Blog
- My Thoughts on Freedom
- Naked Villainy
- Nathan Martin
- Never Yet Melted
- Newsreal Blog
- Nice Deb
- noot's observatory
- Not One Red Cent
- NOVA Townhall
- Ollieander
- Ordered Liberty
- Outside the Beltway
- Pierre Legrand's Pink Flamingo Bar
- Pileus
- Pinup Girl
- PJ Tatler
- Point of a Gun
- Political Clown Parade
- Political Pit Bull
- Politicaljunkie Mom
- Primordial Slack
- Public Secrets
- Pundit and Pundette
- Reaganite Republican Resistance
- Red Alexandria
- Red Dog Report
- Red State Eclectic
- Red, White & Conservative
- Republican Redefined
- ResCon1
- Rhymes With Right
- Ric's Rulez
- Ricochet
- Right of Course
- Right Pundits
- Right Turns Only
- Right View From the Left Coast
- Right Wing News
- Right Wing Nut House
- Robipedia
- Robomonkey
- Ruby Slippers Blog
- Saberpoint
- Scared Monkeys
- Sentry Journal
- Serr8d's Cutting Edge
- SI VIS PACEM
- Sissy 'put moi in your blogroll' Willis
- Skepticrats
- Smash Mouth Politics
- Sooper Mexican
- Southern Maryland Online
- Soylent Green
- St. Blogustine
- Stacy on the Right
- Story Balloon
- Suzy Rice
- Taking Hayek Seriously
- Tel-Chai Nation
- Tequila & Javalinas
- That Mr. Guy
- The Aged P
- The American Catholic
- The Anchoress
- The Blogmocracy
- The Busted Nut
- The Classic Liberal
- The Daily Conservative
- The Daily Ramble
- The Daley Gator
- The Essex Blog
- The Frugal Cafe
- The Hay Ride
- The Indentured Servant Girl
- The Izzy Report
- The Jawa Report
- The Last Tradition
- The Looking Spoon
- The Minority Leader
- The Minority Report
- The NeoSexist
- The Nose on Your Face
- The Political Commentator
- The Prudence Paine Papers
- The Real Mike
- The Republican Mother
- The Right Sphere
- The Saint Angilbert Press
- The Snark Factor
- The Snooper Report
- The Tiger on Politics
- The Underground Conservative
- The View From LL2
- The Washington Rebel
- Three Beers Later
- Threedonia
- Thunder Tales
- Tigerhawk
- Tom McLaughlin
- Tory Anarchist
- TrogloPundit
- Ui2 — Informed Dissent
- Urban Grounds
- Valley of the Shadow
- Vets On The Watch
- Vox Day
- Watcher of Weasels
- Western Experience
- Wintery Knight
- Word Around the Net
- World's Only Rational Man
- WyBlog
- Yankee Phil
- Zingstrom's Blog
February 2nd, 2014 @ 10:21 pm
No, somehow, it never does seem to be obvious.
I get tired of the oblivious nature of the left.
February 2nd, 2014 @ 10:47 pm
By that logic, everyone should hope to be fired from their jobs so they could file for unemployment. Then we would all be rich!
Only modern, Marxist lunatics, churned out by modern Marxist lunatic universities could make such a claim.
Suddenly, Gump doesn’t seem so stupid compared to the crop of “geniuses” currently running things…
February 3rd, 2014 @ 12:09 am
the fact that Obama got elected twice — because a majority of Americans are apparently brain-damaged
Let’s not forget that the GOP decided to run 2 guys that agreed with easily 75% of Obama’s policy points did play a bit of a role there.
February 3rd, 2014 @ 12:37 am
Ignorance of basic economics and civics isn’t just rampant, it’s policy. Public schools no longer place any emphasis on these areas and where they remain in the curricula at all, most of what is taught is wrong.
This is just another version of the Glazier’s Fallacy, a mistaken view that even broken windows help the economy since they must be replaced. The problem of course is that the window wouldn’t need to be replaced if someone had not broken it, and the shopkeeper might have had better uses for the money he must now spend on repairs. So there is no net gain at all, and in fact a loss since the resources are being misallocated for repairs, which has an inevitable ripple effect.
February 3rd, 2014 @ 12:38 am
Even Marxists with a nodding acquaintance with economics wouldn’t make such a claim. But ordinary American schoolchildren are spoon-fed this sort of nonsense every day.
February 3rd, 2014 @ 12:52 am
Rush Limbaugh has talked about the dumbing down of America for at least twenty years.
February 3rd, 2014 @ 5:30 am
at least we now know why the teachers unions have been “passing” students thru the educational system these past decades. Dumb people make for good democratic voters.
February 3rd, 2014 @ 7:01 am
Actually, the logic isn’t that bad. A person without a job and who cannot get one will be able to spend more money if he’s getting unemployment compensation than he would if he wasn’t. This is a velocity of money argument.
The part that they don’t tell you is that this only works when you are borrowing money from abroad. If the budget were balanced, UI would simply be redistribution of internal spending, so it wouldn’t be a net job creator. But, since overseas borrowing brings more money into the economy, if you borrow more to pay for UI, then you have increased the amount of money in the system, and the UI payments increase the velocity of money.
It’s simple Keynesianism, to which the left are wedded, because they don’t actually understand the economics. Keynesianism holds that you borrow during recessions, but you pay it back when times are good; we never paid it back, but continued to borrow.
The result has been that stimulus is useless, because the deficit spending every year made stimulus the new normal.
February 3rd, 2014 @ 8:46 am
Government borrowing, however, is a net loss for the economy, especially when the borrowed money is used in this way. Money borrowed by government comes from the same pool of capital that would otherwise be loaned to private borrowers or else invested in businesses. This results in less private sector economic activity. And extending unemployment benefits in such a way as to discourage people from seeking work harms the economy: Work creates value; collecting benefits does not.
Often, unemployed people are dealing with a skills mismatch. That is to say, they have been laid off by industries that no longer require their particular skill set. Paying them unemployment while they seek a similar job is useless, because the demand simply is not there. The person in such a predicament must find a job in a new field — and probably, enter that field at a lower level of pay than their previous job — and learn new skills.
February 3rd, 2014 @ 9:19 am
Which 75%?
February 3rd, 2014 @ 9:22 am
No, this is nothing knew. He is a lawyer who does not understand much about business and economics. That also describes Ralph Nader, who has been known to utter howlers with regularity and was once influential in a way he is not anymore. George McGovern was a decent and principled man in a way that few Democratic pols are nowadays, but he was just as much an economic illiterate. Remember wage and price controls? That was mainstream policy forty years ago. (Promoted by Richard Nixon, a lawyer; it was lapsed businessman Jimmy Carter who worked to rid us of their vestiges).
February 3rd, 2014 @ 10:08 am
100%.
February 3rd, 2014 @ 2:56 pm
Our esteemed host wrote:
Such was the worry when the $831 billion porkulus plan was proposed, but it didn’t work out that way: there was so little private sector demand for money that the stimulus plan wasn’t competing with it at all. And interest rates are still so low that it’s obvious that there’s still no real increase in demand for loans.
Further, you have assumed that the pool of capital is has a limit that government borrowing has approached, crowding out others; that doesn’t seem to be the case, either.
The real problem comes when you have to repay the loans to foreign lenders. If everything had been borrowed internally, as it was in World War II — in 1947, 99% of the national debt was owed to Americans — all of the debt service payments would remain within our economy, and the debt service itself would work to increase the velocity of money. But, with us borrowing so much abroad, the debt service payments are taken out of our economy, and contributing to economic growth in China.
In the end, it’s all about production. If you only borrow internally, you never send debt service payments outside your economy, but you are limited by the country’s production as to how much money is available to be borrowed, and, more importantly, spent.
February 3rd, 2014 @ 3:00 pm
There’s also a lying-to-ourselves problem. Government spending is included in the calculation of gross domestic product, but since we have been borrowing so much from abroad, our GDP looks higher than it really is; it inflates spending above production, and thus overstates production.
February 3rd, 2014 @ 4:07 pm
[…] This Should Not Be Necessary […]
February 3rd, 2014 @ 4:27 pm
In the case of Nixon, much of what he did was designed to forestall more serious actions by the Democratic Congress. He created EPA as an agency to prevent Congress making it a full Cabinet Department, for instance. And his “wage and price freeze” turned out to be more of a freeze on union wages, whereas the Democrats had been planning a true freeze that would have had devastating consequences. Nixon was a pragmatist.
That he understood economics should be clear from his “kitchen debate” with Khrushchev.
February 3rd, 2014 @ 4:37 pm
Not buying it. The Congress was around that time not quite evenly split between the main body of the Democratic Party conjoined to some Rockefeller Republicans on the one hand and the remainder on the other. I am fairly sure that none of Nixon’s vetoes were ever over-ridden and not many of Gerald Ford’s 65 vetoes were over-ridden (in spite of the 2/3 majority the opposition party had in Congress in 1975). The notion that Congress would have or could have re-imposed the full monty over Richard Nixon’s objections cannot be believed.
Nixon was not a pragmatist. He was an opportunist and a low grade head case. Read some of George Will’s columns from 1973 and 1974 on Nixon’s dealings with members of Congress from his own party. (“Now the President has all the friends he has earned and deserves”.)
February 3rd, 2014 @ 6:37 pm
Don’t forget to give parents the share of the blame they so richly deserve.
How many these days open-up a checking and/or savings account for their kids and make them balance the register – to cite one small example?
My Father, thank God, went even further and I was keeping the books on his banquet hall / restaurant when I was fourteen. Writing out the tax checks was quite the learning experience.
February 3rd, 2014 @ 6:40 pm
Did you have to cite Patterico?
Look, I have come to his defense many times in the fight against NR and BK because he did not deserve their horrible treatment, but, sorry, Patterico is still an arsehole.