Archive for the ‘Economics’ Category
Best Links of the Week
Great fake travel posters made by artist Ali Xenos. There are some great ones of Rivendell, Tatooine, Dagobah, and Winterfell.
Kevin DeYoung on the New-Calvinism
‘Gravity’ Spinoff: Watch the Other Side of Sandra Bullock’s Distress Call – Jonas Cuaron’s seven-minute companion short, filmed in Greenland and featuring Bullock’s voice
Brutal personal piece on about one young man’s battle with our present culture of death – “I Lost My Daughter to the Culture of Death”
Modalimy – Co-parenting for those that want children but not a relationship or marriage. You really cannot make this stuff up.
“Nelson Mandela: A Candid Assessment” – from Catholic site Crisis Magazine
Interesting piece from personal finance blog Mr. Money Mustache entitled, “Get Rich With: The Position of Strength.” Makes some salient points.
Woofmaker.com – just click on it, especially if you are a Home Alone fan.
Interesting piece in the Atlantic dealing with Clickbait and UpWorthy’s game changing headlines
A Reply to “Wealth Inequality in America” YouTube Video
Interesting video. I love infographics. However, there are a few notable problems with this video:
1. The difference between earned income and net worth
I think the common man has a hard time understanding when the narrator speaks of wealth – he means net worth. There is a big difference between net worth and earned income.
Many of those folks in the top 10% of that video earned a janitors wage during their lifetime, but they lived well below their means, delayed gratification and invested wisely. We would not want to dis-incentivize saving or demonize such people.
If we want to speak of inequality, I don’t think that net worth is a good econometric. Once one has amassed a significant amount of wealth, it becomes significantly easier to multiply that wealth. Somewhere along the way there is a tipping point. This is why Universities seek to be endowed and why Harvard is a glorified Hedge Fund (read here). The most basic tenet of capitalism is compounding money likes to compound more. Further, some of those top 1% folks have had money compounding for generations – think Vanderbilt’s, Carnegie’s, and Walton’s. Most of this wealth is from investment income which has nothing to do with differentials in wage.
We’ve got at least 237 years of capitalism (if we date its age by Adam Smith’s, The Wealth of Nations). That is a lot of time for wealthy families to grow their net worth’s through investment – so this serves to muddy the waters on “economic inequality.”
2. The law of diminishing returns – Michael Jordan vs. Kurt Rambis
I would posit that one is not paid for “time.” We often measure our pay by the unit of time, but the reality is we are not paying people for “time.” What we really pay people is for “value.” Consider Michael Jordan and Kurt Rambis:
When we consider the law of diminishing returns – say Michael Jordan (30.1ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.3 apg, 2.4 spg, .8 bpg) and Kurt Rambis (10.2 ppg, 11 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.7 spg, 1 bpg). Rambis had more blocks and rebounds per game than Jordan, but Jordan had 3x the points and more steals and assists. At best, we can say from a “time” standpoint that Michael Jordan (1985-1998; 2001-2003) was 3x as valuable per unit of “time” than Kurt Rambis (1985-1994).
Kurt Rambis made $5,300,000 in his career – an average of $662,500/yr. Michael Jordan made $90,235,000 – an average of $6,941,154/yr. At Rambis’ height he earned $1.1 million/yr and Jordan $33.1 million/yr. I don’t think anyone would have questioned the value that Jordan added and that he “earned” every bit of his 30x multiplier of Rambis’ salary. Consider that Jerry Reinsdorf (and the rest of a syndicate) purchased the Chicago Bulls in 1985 for $16 million. The franchise today is valued between $500 and 800 million.
Now Michael Jordan’s net worth is estimated between $500-650 million because of his other income from endorsements and investments. I don’t think anyone would argue that Michael Jordan earned every bit of his half billion net worth and justified his wage differential and his net worth differential versus Kurt Rambis. Three times the production over the same time period is significant – significant enough to justify substantial wage increases.
3. Every field has its Michael Jordan’s
The late Steve Jobs was brilliant to say the least. His ideas, attention to detail, simplicity and intuitive design have enriched millions of people’s lives. His track record at Pixar and Apple are legendary. We can go on down the line – Warren Buffett, Dale Carnegie, Sam Walton…
All of these people took risks, substantial risks, to become business owners. For better or for worse the world runs on incentive. For these folks they took the risk of business ownership onto their own shoulders and built something great. Why would we want to turn their success stories into an example of injustice. Many of these folks have made huge philanthropic contributions to humanity and society – arguably having a far greater impact per dollar than the government programs that would have redistributed said wealth.
4. We all need a market that rewards risk taking… especially all us little people (janitors, laborers… etc.)
There must be enough incentive in a system for people with business ideas to take on the risk of business ownership. If the potential for upside is not there, people will not take entrepreneurial risk. Not everyone is wired to take on this kind of risk. That said, all of us wage earners owe a bit of gratitude that someone took on the risk of starting the company you work for.
I would posit that a worker’s wage is worth whatever an employer will pay. Wage is subject to scarcity in the same way that precious metals, spices, real estate or many other categories. In the workforce not everyone has the same skills and not everyone adds the same value. Some people add exponentially more value and have far greater scarcity in their skill set. The market tends to reflect this in wage’s within a business or organization.
5. The (potential) myth of the middle ground
I can’t support with graphs and hard data the claims of this point. I would posit that there is precious little middle ground between socialism and capitalism. I presume that the narrator’s solution is wealth redistribution through taxation in order to create a more robust middle and lower class. Cutting half the upside of the top 20% would have a devastating effect on employment. The effect would almost assuredly be monotonic – ie. cut the upside by half and half as many entrepreneurs attempt to start their business ideas. The narrator is talking about taking a much larger cut out of top 20% and huge upside out of the top 1%.
Why would we want to take money out of the hands of people who have a proven track record of creating jobs and multiplying wealth?
I just am not sure if the ideal or even perceptive views are even logically possible in reality. I am not sure there is enough upside for the top 20% to cause them to take their risks in the U.S. markets. They would move into other markets that have a much better risk/reward quotient.
Conclusion
I think I get the sentiment of something like this video: Why such huge differences in net worth? It offends people’s sense of fairness. I get the whole objections of people that add little value, do bad/evil things and get rewarded handsomely for behaving badly. The abuses of Wall Street, large banks and other institutions that have put our financial system at serious risk.
Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. It’s good to know that tremendous upside exists at all. It makes me want to acquire new skills, more scarce skills and to keep thinking about new entrepreneurial ideas. It also makes me want to help the lower 40% grow in their skills, how they see themselves, and develop the value that they can add in a business.
Best Links of the Week
Thorough article analyzing “Why the Arabic World Turned Away from Science” (HT: Nancy Pearcey)
50 pictures of some pretty crazy church architectures (HT: HG)
Christian-ese that should be put to rest
Scathing anecdotal piece of UCC minister complaining about all the conversations with people who are “spiritual but not religious”
Thank you for sharing, spiritual but not religious sunset person. You are now comfortably in the norm for self-centered American culture, right smack in the bland majority of people who find ancient religions dull but find themselves uniquely fascinating.
Sad but true comic: “The Evolution of Intellectual Freedom” (HT: BL)
I always look forward to 9Marks eJournals, this one entitled, “How Much Should You Pay Your Pastors?” was particularly good.
NYTimes article, “One Size Fits Nobody” on the crazy world of (women’s) clothing sizes
Thrice new single, “Promises”
ps. Sorry it has been forever since posting… for the handful of you that find these posts interesting
Best Links of the Week
The End of Church Planting? Interesting article that isn’t as provocative as the title. Definitely worth a read and a place at the table for missiological theory of church planting, challenging the dominant paradigm of the entrepreneurial paid pastor/planter.
How to use rewards/frequent-flyer credit cards to create a self-fulfilling profit loop (buy certain gold coins, get rewards/miles, deposit gold in bank, pay off credit card with gold deposited into bank).
Third Millennium Ministries has its own iPhone and Android apps. The content of ThirdMill is truly top shelf. I am of the opinion that Third Mill is probably one of the most important ministries of our time and all on a shoestring budget. If you care at all about the Gospel and the future of the church you ought to donate to them. I am thankful that there are actually some forward thinking strategists that are creating excellent scalable content capable of penetrating that glaring lack of theological training of pastors worldwide.
The Decline of the Nuclear Family. Some pretty staggering statistics and commentary on the status of family in the U.S.
Mayim Bialik (Blossom, Amy Farrah Fowler) of Big Bang Theory is actually a PhD and published in Neuroscience (HT: BL)
Mortgage companies are still ‘robo-signing’
Centrist Tom Coburn has an interesting debt proposal – I was definitely not expecting a proposal from one of the ‘Gang of Six’
77 year old Congressman confronts gun wielding intruder
An interesting piece giving some provocative thoughts regarding the Cosmological Argument
There are several layers of awesome to this Pepsi ad (coming from a staunch Coca-Cola fan):
Best Links of the Week
Russell Moore has an interesting piece on the parallels between what Romance Novels do for women and what Pornography does for men.
Here is a nice rebuttal of Harold Camping and the whole world ending on 5/21/2011. Also a man spent his life savings putting up those billboards everywhere. This highlights the need for doing theology in community. Doing theology on islands doesn’t turn out well. Also, the ministry has an estimated worth of $72 million, although this may be a bit misleading as the lionshare of this is in FCC licenses.
Reportedly on 60 Minutes this evening, George Hincapie weighs in on Lance Armstrong and the use of PEDs. This is interesting because unlike Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton, Hincapie actually has credibility and is probably the cyclist closest to Armstrong. Would be pretty sad if true.
Ray Lewis says one unintended consequence of the NFL Lockout will be a rise in crime. I think I am actually inclined to agree with Lewis and am wondering if he read Freakonomics recently.
N.T. Wright weighs in on Stephen Hawking’s comments about heaven
Tim Challies annual, “Where & Why We Buy Books”
Medvedev warns of new Cold War over missile defense shield
Egyptian Saif al-Adel now acting leader of al Qaeda
Iran reportedly building rocket bases in Venezuala
Dark Tower trilogy of movies and two tv series may be nixed. For those who don’t know this is some of Stephen King’s best work and was a very seminal body of work for the television show LOST.
San Francisco man reportedly “cured” of AIDS
Several Hedge Fund managers buying up massive amounts of farmland
Some Wikileaks documents of Gitmo files shed light on enhanced interrogation techniques and unintentionally bolster their effectiveness
Shallow Small Groups:
Really well produced and themed time lapse:
Best Links of the Week
Ireland is raiding private pension funds to help get out of their debt mess… scary stuff and should serve as a caution to those in the U.S. And in somewhat related news…
PIMCO ups their ante against government debt
Fannie Mae asks for 8.5 billion from taxpayers
The AP makes an interesting case for releasing the Bin Laden photo(s)
Cell phones are potentially at the center of the mysterious decline in U.S. bee population
28% of U.S. homes are underwater
WSJ Article, “The Coming Postal Bailout”
Treasury auctions will break U.S. debt ceiling
NASA Gravity probe confirms Einstein’s theories
Al Jazeera article on Pakistan PM’s addressing of the Bin Laden mess
40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes (HT: Lisi):
Pretty incredible frisbee trick shots:
Best Links of the Week
Love, Forgiveness and Basketball – some backstory on Chris Paul and his relationship with his grandfather
How Taxpayers Subsidize March Madness – pretty fascinating article
Dissension growing between Putin and Medvedev as Medvedev wants to stay on as President in Russia. This is a more important story than meets the eye. Most Americans think Russia is irrelevant but they really ought to pay attention to what is going on there. In my estimation, Russia is making a major comeback and is completely flying underneath the radar in the shadow of India, China, and the usual Mid East drama.
Kevin DeYoung has a nice piece on, Money and Possessions in Proverbs
21 Disturbing Statistics Regarding Student Loans
Seth Godin on the difference between hard work and long work – definitely a helpful distinction
WSJ Article, 1 in 7 americans on food stamps
Feds suing more anti-abortion activists
Osama Bin Laden articles:
Gave rabbits to 12 year old neighbor (kinda creepy and reminds me a bit of Benjamin Linus)
Some breakdown of the compound and some more here
Probably the best write-up of the raid I’ve seen yet is from NPR
Bin Laden compound gets bad reviews on Google Places
Part Two of the Keynes vs. Hayek Rap Videos:
Purdue’s record setting Rude Goldberg machine:
Best Links of the Week
Forbes, of all places, has a really interesting piece entitled, “The Seminary Bubble,” which points out some real weaknesses to the seminary model of ministerial preparation.
IMF forecast shows Chinese economy eclipsing the U.S. economy in 2016
Cold War era abandoned monuments in Yugoslavia – some pretty incredible photos of some fascinating pieces
Trevin Wax deconstructs a good number of widely promulgated but fictitious/dubious sermon illustrations/factoids – of note: Gehenna as a burning trash dump outside of Jerusalem, the high priest rope around the ankle bit, NASA accounting for the missing day
Kevin DeYoung has a real nice piece on Business (Profit, Product, People, Principles)
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones weighs in on video preaching (in a way) – there is a certain metaphysics of presence that I think Lloyd-Jones is onto here – it may be empirically difficult to state what is lost, but there is certainly an opportunity cost worth weighing
California has over 100,000 illegal immigrants in it’s prison system at a cost of $34,000 per year per person (Texas spends an average of $12,000 per inmate)
Waiting times at a three year high in England for healthcare – still want a government 14 trillion in debt becoming your health insurance company and provider? Diseconomy of scale!
Some beginning to call for Uncle Sam to raid your Roth IRAs for more tax revenue
Durham, NC man who sold fake “gluten free” products sentenced to eleven years in prison
David Brooks has a nice op-ed in NYT entitled “Creed or Chaos” giving some nice analysis to Africa
William Buckley interview of Hugh Heffner on Judeo-Christian Sexual Ethics (1966):
(HT: 22 Words)
Pretty intense video of Tuscaloosa tornado as it goes over University Mall:
Best Links of the Week
Click picture for higher resolution image (HT: JT)
Parents, Don’t Dress Your Daughters Like Tramps
Front Porch Hack – Brilliant idea about turning your garage into your front porch for the purpose of creating intentional Gospel inroads into your neighborhood (HT: JT)
Tax compliance costs $.30 on every taxpayer $1
In order to balance our current budget we would have to tax at the following rates: Corporate 88%, Highest Income 88%, Middle Bracket 63%, and Lowest 25%. Some of our precious entitlements have to go, this is insanity. The sad part is that this would only balance the budget for this year and not even touch the $14,000,000,000,000.00 debt and trillion in compounding annual interest.
S+P says 33% chance they will downgrade U.S. debt from AAA
Mubarak has a heart attack during questioning
Wisconsin man finds live bomb in the wall of his own home
Best University ROI – Glad to see University of Florida yielded a 14.6% ROI.
U.S. Navy tests laser weapon on boat
iPhone keeps log of everywhere you go
You couldn’t pay me enough to do this job:
RC Car powered by soda can rings:
Modern Pensées 