THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 11, 2010
9
politicians in Wo n d e R l a n d
just pulling numbers out such as growing unem- think their customers are the dots to explain why
of thin air. However, being ployment, despite all the willing to pay those par- unemployment hits some
more skilled at creating jobs being “created.” ticular costs for those groups much harder than
illusions, the president Whatever position peo- particular coverages. others.
does it with more of an air ple take on health care It costs politicians noth- Yet unusually high un-
of certainty, as if he has reform, there seems to be ing to mandate more in- employment rates among
gone around and counted a bipartisan consensus-- surance coverage for more young people is not some-
the new jobs himself. usually a sign of mushy people. But that doesn’t thing new or even some-
The big question that thinking-- that it is a good mean that the costs van- thing peculiar to the Unit-
by thomas sowell
seldom-- if ever-- gets idea for the government ish into thin air. It simply ed States. Even before the
Syndicated Columnist
asked in the mainstream to force insurance com- means that both buyers current worldwide reces-
media is whether these panies to insure people and sellers of insurance sion, unemployment rates
There was a recent flap are a net increase in jobs. whom politicians want are forced to pay costs that were 20 percent or more
because three different Since the only resources them to insure, and to in- neither of them wants to among workers under 25
members of the Obama that the government has sure them for things that pay. But, because soaring years of age in a num-
administration, on three are the resources it takes politicians think should political rhetoric leaves ber of Western European
different Sunday televi- from the private sector, be insured. out such grubby things countries.
sion talk shows, gave three using those resources to Contrary to what politi- as costs, it sounds like a The young have less ex-
widely differing estimates create jobs means reduc- cians expect us to do, let’s great deal. perience to offer and are
of how many jobs the ing the resources avail- stop and think. It is not just costs that therefore less in demand.
president has created. able to create jobs in the Why aren’t insurance are left out. It is conse- Before politicians stepped
That should not have private sector. companies already insur- quences in general. in, that just meant that
been surprising, except So long as most people ing the people and the With all the laments younger workers were
as a sign of political slop- do not look beyond super- conditions that they are in the media about sky- paid less. But this is not
piness in not getting their ficial appearances, politi- now going to be forced rocketing unemployment a permanent situation
stories together before- cians can get away with to cover? Because that among young people, and because youth itself is not
hand. They were simply playing Santa Claus on all means additional costs-- especially minority young permanent, and pay rises
doing what Barack Obama sorts of issues, while leav- and because the insur- people, few media pun- with experience.
himself does -- namely, ing havoc in their wake-- ance companies don’t dits even try to connect
See sOwell on 15
cH i n e s e sH a d o W s
Guidelines published by Beijing has countered to the plush carpeted the past, and to bring a
Beijing state that cinemas with its own home pro- halls of the United Na- relevance to the current
“strictly abide by the rule duced mega features. tions; soon after the PRC communist rulers. Prof.
that screening time of do- Currently, “Confucius,” delegation was admitted Willy Lam of the Chinese
mestic movies should be the story of the ancient into the UN in 1972, Bei- University of Hong Kong,
no less than two-thirds Chinese philosophical jing’s diplomats demand- cites the Beijing lead-
of the annual total.” The sage, has been the state- ed that a framed Confu- ership’s embrace of the
guidelines written in 2002 sanctioned “competition” cian Quotation on a wall sage as a move to ensure
by John J. metzler
have been surpassed by a to “Avatar.” This is genu- of the Assembly building “paternalism” and sees it
Syndicated Columnist
swirl of competition and inely ironic given that in be removed. It was, and as a “adulterated form of
audience demand from the early 1970’s the very apparently still is boxed Confucianism to assure
UNITED NATIONS—The high American blockbusters same People’s Republic of in storage in the depths of stability.”
tech movie extravaganza such as “Avatar.” China was trying to purge the UN basement. In fact the “rehabilita-
“Avatar” has broken box According to a report the legacy and the lessons During these dark years, tion” of Confucius started
office records, making the in the official China Dai- of Confucianism from Chi- the Republic of China in the 1980’s in the early
American sci-fi tale the ly, “Last year, imported nese life. These anti-Con- on Taiwan kept the phil- stages of China’s eco-
most popular film in cine- films accounted for forty- fucius campaigns, during osophical and political nomic reform era. At that
mas across China. In fact five percent of the total the twilight of the Maoist flame of Confucianism time the sage was seen as
American movies nearly box office takings.” The era, tried to airbrush out alive. Yet in recent years, a moral paragon. Today it
dominate box office hits top films were “Ice Age,” a philosophical precept of Beijing communists have appears the Beijing rulers
across the Chinese Main- “Dawn of the Dinosaurs,” Chinese history. “rehabilitated” the an- are looking towards using
land, despite attempts by “Transformers; Revenge The Belgian diplomat cient sage for political Confucius as a form of so-
the Beijing government of the Fallen,” “Harry Pot- Simon Leys in his riv- and indeed commercial cio/political legitimacy.
to restrict the number of ter and the Half Blooded eting account “Chinese reasons. An article in the Chi-
foreign films being shown. Prince,” and “2012.” But Shadows” described these Over the last decade, na Youth Daily candidly
The control has as much despite having a large barbaric practices dur- the PRC delegation have admits that “Confucius
to do with politics as it domestic film industry, ing the ironically labeled often quoted the sage Name is Used to Make
does with the bare-knuck- China as with many other “Cultural Revolution.” Confucius in General As- Money.”
led competition between countries such as France, Anti-Confucian propa- sembly speeches echoing So here we return to
Hollywood and the PRC’s has seen audience pref- ganda campaigns extend- moves by official China contemporary China, a
state-subsidized film in- erences leaning towards ed from the political chaos to embrace the historic land of stirring contradic-
dustry. American movies. of the Chinese Mainland and revered elements of
See metzleR on 34
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