August 29, 2016
by Moshe
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Here is highly recommended article written by Jeff Jacoby on punishment deterrence capacity and his link on excellent collection of scientific articles on the issue.
Classical paper by Isaak Ehrlich (1975) must be added to the above mentioned list of papers.
BTW, both, dead felons and dead terrorists can’t kill.
July 27, 2016
by Moshe
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More and more people publicly share their concern about incentives caused by US military aid for Israel. The problem we had discussed since 2011 (Yanovskiy Moshe, US Aid for Israel – A Historical Overview (version on March 3, 2014).
Ex-ambassador Yoram Ettinger presented his reasons why Israel shouldn’t accept U.S. aid? Previously he insisted. Ettinger had explained previously, that ‘Israel Must Be Defiant; ‘US Doesn’t Want a Wimp Ally‘ so US Aid harms both sides.
Former Israeli general (Maj. Gen. (Res) Gershon Hacohen, former commander of the IDF’s Northern Command and head of the army’s war colleges): US military aid harms Israel. General is focused on conditionalities of the programs mainly.
Unfortunately, government of Israel being fully aware of the problem follows the course predicted by Mancur Olson theory of special interests groups – asking for more and more ‘generous’ US Aid programs.
General references on Rashi:
“According to Rashi, who was one of the most important pillars of Jewish thought, this story teaches us that liberty has a price; that it’s better to have a bitter leaf taken directly from the hand of God than to be given something sweet as honey by mortal men, … The lesson here is that the bitter taste of things we accomplish on our own is preferable to the sweet privileges than can imprison us.”
May 29, 2016
by Moshe
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Fourteen months has passed since the day of elections and more than one year since Government 34 of Israel has been sworn in 14 May, 2015 – long enough for the various political parties to demonstrate their readiness to live up to pre-election promises. Comparing practical action taken in this time with pre-elections platforms provides a fair notion of the dynamics and choices made by party leaders: whether scrupulously to follow the line as previously defined and refined, or to try new approaches.
The paper, just presented (uploaded at SSRN) explores the leading Israeli parties’ positions (the right-wing mainly) on the key issues. The set of “key issues” is our choice and contains Judicial (legal system) reform, Judea and Samaria status, 2nd amendment right and self-defense, other security issues, economic policies. The paper is focused primarily on the most important issues like Kfar Duma arson case (investigation was accompanied by grave violation of suspected persons’ rights), terror wave, Gas deal, new legislation weakening real estate owner’s rights for the developers’ benefit and more.
The principal issue of the paper is the parties’ commitments to their pre-election promises and informal mandates.
May 22, 2016
by Moshe
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Sergei Zhavoronkov and Kirill Rodionov have presented the report “Nanny State: few notes on origin and political machine” at Prague Conference on Political Economy. The paper develops and upgrades previous researches: Universal Suffrage: Undeclared Conflict of Interest and The Puzzle of Selectivity in Fighting Discrimination: A Public Choice Approach.
The main concern of discussant turned to be the issue authors had addressed to the final section of the report: political feasibility of the Taxpayers’ Democracy restoration.
Besides the report, we have addressed the same question previously at the chapter “Rebuilding the Democracy of Taxpayer” of our book How the Import of Modern Western Institutions Suppresses Economic Growth: 1990-ties East-West and West-East Transition.
March 21, 2016
by Moshe
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The new paper is uploaded at SSRN: To Kill Hope? In Search of a Reliable Strategy to Fight Terrorism
Nor does history of Israel suggest any reasonable expectation that terrorists will be appeased by concessions of any kind, whether transfer of funds or relinquishing territory to terrorist control. Neither statistical analysis nor the study of particular cases support such a hypothesis.
The immediate and most obvious criterion of success for belligerent is the control of new territory and its population, which allows terrorists freedom of movement and opportunities to try new terrorist technologies and take the initiative in dynamic situations. Loss of land and population, humiliating defeat, or ostentatious display of triumph by the enemy, in contrast, discourage both terrorist leaders and perpetrators, who would lose the posthumous reward typically promised them in the guise of prestige and income for their families.
Factual instances and statistical data provide evidence to support the hypothesis that terrorism is best put down by force. When opting for such a strategy, it is of critical importance that military personnel be provided with appropriate legal protection.
Few additional stories available in Supplemental materials.
The paper contains three stories. The 1st – Israel legal system take its position at war. Since Israel court system choose to become politicized and sided Left parties in their political struggle. Judges’ decisions regarding security problems experienced pretty specific shift to the position, presented below. The 2nd covers issue of competing claims for murder, proving rational approach of terrorists gangs leaders in their fundraising. The 3rd story brings rational interpretation for Israel mainstream (leftist) mass Medias’ coverage of terrorism in support of “peace process” solution.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu just endorsed our paper 🙂
February 1, 2016
by Moshe
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Euro-bureaucrats had invited millions savages from Middle East and North Africa. It turned to be new “Europeans” destined by Brussels to vote for Big Unlimited Government, say, not obsessed by their children fate. Now it turned to be 10000 children missed and they even not care… They hate us more than love their children, as Golda Meir once has said.
Pay attention, no “official” feminists cry for the missed children, no one child-caring bureaucrat has been detected working hard to prevent massive disappearance. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) of September 2, 1990 prepared and adopted mainly as an judicial instrument to take a child from the family “in the best interests of the child” (see article 9) – it is not about missing 10000 children. Leftist Guardian already preparing to blame “white christian European men” for sex exploitation of poor cute creatures in the Hungary and in Germany.
So, unfortunately, our worst expectations on real intentions of governmental intervention in intra-family relations of law-abiding people of the West and, specifically regarding government which belongs in nursery come true.
January 31, 2016
by Moshe
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Washington Post have published just before November 2014 Elections short Manual on “where to commit electoral fraud”. The fraud masters from Democratic party supporting Unions got the signal and interpreted it quite clearly and rationally (the fact they failed generally that time doesn’t means fraud is tolerable). Situation have being improved a little bit since November, 2014 (see current photo-ID legislation state-by-state).
The most disturbing news is the fact the courts having struck down the laws in some states adopting legislation requirement to bring photo ID for to vote (!).
I’m afraid, in Long Run Republican will need badly to adopt old southern democrat’s experience (see citation below, how Universal Suffrage caused disenfranchising, corruption and Welfare state). In 1870-ties electoral fraud was broadly used by republicans (radical, “progressive”) to retain control in southern (Dixie) states. During 1870-ties southern democrats fired back with their own fraud experience: they paid the black for to vote Democratic party and recovered (restored their power) in the South till 1964.
I’m sure, this sort of counter fraud will be morally legitimate at list in the states, infected by liberal court’s activism.
The root of the problem is Universal Suffrage. The only reliable cure for this disease is taxpayers’ democracy restoration (census suffrage).
1866 pre-history: “Again coercion and force became the order of the day. Declaring the state governments created under Johnson nonexistent, the Radicals divided ten Southern states into five military districts and put them under the rule of major generals and an army of occupation. Frankly revolutionary in mood, Thaddeus Stevens and his followers overrode constitutional restraints right and left. They created a new electorate of more than 700,000 Negroes and pared down the white voters by disfranchisement to a total of some 627,000. The Radicals displaced six governors and supplanted thousands of lesser officials with their own men; they purged three legislatures of conservative members, threw out laws that displeased them, suppressed or ignored civil courts, denied the right to trial by jury, and violated freedom of press and speech. All this was done, of course, in the name of democracy. And in truth history does not record a more drastic application of the democratic dogma. In addition to the sudden creation of the new Negro electorate, the Radicals set up new state constitutions that were several leaps ahead of the old ones in a progressive direction. They reformed judicial procedure, court organization, and county organization, and established, on paper at least, a broad conception of the government’s responsibility for the people’s welfare that was new to the South. Woodward, C. Vann (1991-03-28). Reunion and Reaction: The Compromise of 1877 and the End of Reconstruction (pp. 14-15). Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition.
1877 history: Treasury, testified before a House committee that Governor J. Madison Wells had commissioned him to come to Washington and put the votes of Louisiana up for sale. “He said he wanted at least 200,000 apiece for himself and Anderson and a smaller amount for the niggers,” testified Maddox.13 Even Republican papers admitted that these developments threw “a terrible suspicion over the action of the Louisiana Returning Board, and seriously involved a number of men whom the country has tried hard to think well of.”14 Woodward, C. Vann (1991-03-28). Reunion and Reaction: The Compromise of 1877 and the End of Reconstruction (p. 155). Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition.
January 27, 2016
by Moshe
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The people asked after the event: “Where were German Policemen December, 31”? The smart journalist is asking the more general question on Cologne: “Where were the German men?”
The journalist’s own answer: “Postmodern cultural totalitarianism has changed the very nature of man” and this new branch of totalitarianism is to blame.
The best (IMHO) comment’s author (Jon David Natan) blames nanny state: “When society has been corrupted by what we call false doctrines (political correctness), and a nanny state is expected to supply all, yet refuses to protect those who would be protectors in the general population, animals will rule the streets. Survival instincts would tell those who would stand up, that it is futile and pointless to place themselves in harms’ way.”
The both are right. The both remind us on our papers.
When men start to believe that women defense is the only Policemen responsibility (or Policewomen’s) no men, no Policemen are ready to charge, to fight rapists back. The choice highlighted by Wilhelm von Humboldt: “A State, then, has one of two ends in view; it designs either to promote happiness, or simply to prevent evil”. When the state, the government tries to promote happiness it claim monopoly for all kind of initiative: “monopoly on legitimate violence” leads to failure to protect, to provide this very violence in necessary place in time. (BTW, see how this very monopoly works to protect rapists).
When man is not a king even in his own home he go on strike and cease to exist as a real man. Family and marriage crowded out by nanny state, the Family natural breadwinner and protector
Nanny state “responsible” for everything = not responsible for a thing. Big Government is natural consequence of modern left electoral power. The latter is outcome of establishment Universal Suffrage “Social” Democracy, cementing nanny state institutions.
Nanny state civil bureaucrats badly need to reinforce electoral support. The unadaptable, heavily dependent on budget immigrants are fit perfectly as a manpower for “Big Left – Big Government” voting.
Universal Suffrage turned to be a principal component of Disease. The taxpayers’ Democracy restoration is necessary condition of cure and recovery.
January 4, 2016
by Moshe
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The leading Russian Social science interdisciplinary Journal “Obshestvennye nauki i sovremennost” (ONS, Social Sciences and Contemporary World) kindly provided us the Journal’s 2015 Content.
Among the key issues covered by the Journal’s articles’ authors – discussion on Social Liberalism, Russian society challenges, Institution history and modern state, Public opinion and more.
The file contain articles titles and short annotations.
You could find full texts of the ONS Journal Articles’ 1991-2013 here, at the Journal page (Higher School of Economics’ web -site) – in Russian only.
December 27, 2015
by Moshe
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Our new paper just uploaded at SSRN: “Political Factors of the Cuts and Surges in Government Spending: The Effects on Old Market Democracies and Post-Communist Countries“.
Based on the comparative analysis of the experiences of both old and new market democracies, this paper emphasizes key factors that have triggered changes in government spending routine, measured in terms of each nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). By analyzing the history of the last several decades, the authors of this paper outline the factors (such as territorial separatism, the domination of the left- and right-wing parties or the long one-party domination) that affect governments’ abilities to balance the budget. Much attention is paid to the phenomenon of universal suffrage, which led to the contemporary left-wing parties and strong interest groups within the bureaucracy.
This paper reaches the following conclusions: First, most political factors are time sensitive—they only last for so long—and they differ from country to country; however, those factors that depend on universal suffrage consistent throughout all periods and countries. Second, a severe crisis usually opens the window of opportunity that is necessary to cut public expenditure, while the favorable economic conditions stimulate spikes in government spending. Third, the most effective way to curb the instability of public finance is to form a political coalition of nationalists and free market supporters.