How To Steal An Election – A Guide To Gerrymandering

Winning elections is hard work and some people would rather skip the inconvenient issue of getting a majority of votes and would instead rig the system in their favour. One way of doing this is known as gerrymandering and was widespread in Northern Ireland for decades (and one was one of the causes of the Troubles) and is common in America to this day (where it is surprisingly accepted as a political fact of life). Gerrymandering essentially is rigging the system so that you win the most seats (and therefore power) even if your opponent wins more votes. A good example is Derry (or Londonderry depending on your political views) during the Stormont era in Northern Ireland (1922-72). Derry is … Continue reading “How To Steal An Election – A Guide To Gerrymandering”

June 2, 2015Politics2012, America, Democrat, Election 2012, Gerrymander, Northern Ireland, Obama, Politics, Republican, Result, Stormont Leave a comment

Misunderstanding Hayek And The Road To Serfdom

“The Road To Serfdom” by Fredrick Hayek is a disappointing book. Conservative bloggers often race about it claiming it has great insights into modern politics. While I disagree with the Austrian school of economics I read it to here the other point of view. I found it a boring, out dated book that didn’t have anything particularly original or insightful to say. It’s mainly concerned with saying a totalitarian state where the government controls everything doesn’t work (you don’t say). The book might have been relevant when it was published, but I am at a loss to see its use today. I think to a large extent Hayek has been misunderstood. I have regularly heard people use Hayek to criticize … Continue reading “Misunderstanding Hayek And The Road To Serfdom”

September 24, 2012BooksBooks, Central Planning, Communism, Conservative, Economics, Government, Government Spending, Hayek, Libertarian, Masters Of Money, Obama, Opinion, Political Theory, Politics, Road To Serfdom, Socialism, Tags Austrian Leave a comment

The Mythical Laffer Curve

Conservatives everywhere condemn the use of tax increases for fear of the Laffer Curve. This is the idea that if taxes are too high, people will lose the incentive to work and therefore revenue will actually decrease. It is most famous for its counter-intuitive argument that a tax cut could increase revenue. Unfortunately there is little or no evidence to support this claim. History clearly shows that cutting taxes does not increase revenue. The Laffer curve is a political idea used to justify tax cuts for the rich. It is not based on sound economics. Most economists know the Laffer Curve isn’t true. An IGM survey of economists found that not a single one of them agreed that a tax … Continue reading “The Mythical Laffer Curve”

September 7, 2012The othersDemocrats, Disincentive To Work, Economic Theory, Economics, Economy, Election 2012, Entrepreneurs, Free Market, Incentive, Laffer Curve, Myth, Obama, Opinion, Politics, Punish Job Creators, Reaganomics, Republicans, Supply Side, taxes, Taxes Penalise Rich, Taxes Too High, Wrong Leave a comment