Shomron Center for Economic Policy Research

Anti – parent bill “Parents and their Kids”  (see M.Feiglin’s comments on the bill) was defeated today in Knesset 41:42.

The bill adoption’s main consequence would be aggravated enforcement in Israel so called Convention on the Rights of the Child (hereafter, CRC). The  CRC prescribes the only “Right” for the child – to be separated by force from his (her) parents “in his ) her best interest” – see Article 9 – the only clause with real sense in this document. The core idea of the bill is to cancel the acting legislation’s’ assumption of parental rights. These rights are already reduced to the “guardian” / “custodian” level. The bill establish so-called “parental responsibility for the children’s good” instead the parental Rights. This small terminological change would cause great change in enforcement. It would be more than enough for Israel activist Court system to use the new Law to secure courts’ unrestricted power to intervene in private family relations, to rule, to control the family institution in the country.

The bill sponsored by equality (!) minister Gila Gamlieli and Member of Knesset Yoav Kish (both, Likud) in attempt to broaden support for the bill included in it the section which would have canceled the so called Tender Years Presumption in the current Family Legislation, which says that in divorce, children under six will be in their mothers’ custody on default (automatically).

Most of coalition members (Likud, Jewish Home) voted in favor the bill.  Vocal leftist extremist opposition speaker – Zahava Gal’on claimed mother’s need to use their children as a weapon in her war on man during divorce (famous feminist mantra “to empower women” by any price). She blasted the Bill sponsors for their “betrayal” of mother’s rights. All numerous Knesset feminists from opposition factions (Labor, Meretz, Yesh Atid) and even from coalition member “Kulanu” faction were conscripted against the bill (for short review on parties currently represented in the Knesset see our short report).

Even so-called “orthodox” Shas party objected against the clause which actually fits Halacha (Jewish traditional Law) not against clear attempt of the Bill to challenge 5th Commandment: “Honour thy Farther and Mother that thy days may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” void and introduce instead something like “.

The attempt to declare 5th Commandment void in the Knesset of Israel failed this time. But we haven’t got any reason for optimism regarding new Big Government’s attempts to wage Jihad against the family institution. We addressed  this danger in our reports previously (gender role of Government;  Limits of Governmental intervention…) and we are full of resolution to advance further ideas of strong family institution, priority of parental power and responsibility free from Big Government “care” and interventions .

Syrian “refugees invasion actualizes problems we addressed in our book.
First and foremost it is an issue of corruption of incentives by welfare state. Politicians encouraged to “import” voters, bureaucrats to “import” new clients, supportive to their claim for more generous budget. These very incentives, powered European’s elite lack of vision and responsibility, inspired by taxpayers’ paid microphone of Public Media. These Public Media are left biased, they distort coverage of the events, they abuse dissenting opinions an join unholy alliance with politicians   (the sort of politician which is formally defined as “leftist”) and civilian bureaucrats to open the gates to impressive deterioration of social and political environment in the old EU countries.
Finally, welfare programs create adverse selection incentives machinery, attracting worst people instead of the best, poor educated and intolerant instead of well educated and ready to accept western values and identity of the country of their adoption. No any doubts,  huge majority of “refugees” will prefer lasting welfare to hard work and social adaptation in the European countries.

P.S. Dr. Guy Bechor had explained European infiltrators’ crisis by Iran Deal. I believe, this explanation contributes better understanding of the crisis. Bechor’s version looks as at least one (I guess minor, but important) additional reason for rise of incentives of middle-eastern males to invade the Europe. Dr Bechore wrote: “The millions of refugees in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan had some vague hope that
Syrian President Bashar Assad would fall one day, that the Islamic State would disappear one day, that one day all this might end. As soon as they saw that the nuclear deal had been signed, and that Iran would receive $150 billion and an end to the sanctions, they realized that what is happening in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon is not going to end in our lifetime.”

“A Chinese mining tycoon (Liu Han) linked to former security tsar Zhou Yongkang has been executed, according to state media.”

Officially, Liu Han, 48, “was found guilty of 13 charges – including murder, organising casinos, running a mafia-style gang and illegally selling firearms”. Incentives to run “mafia-style gang and illegally selling firearms” for successful businessman look pretty weak.

Reasonable version – continuing large scale property and power redistribution in PRC and fall of businessman’s protector – mighty chief of China communist security service Zhou Yongkang caused attack on businesses, left unprotected. “Word of honor” of Chinese communist leaders was highly valued 10-20 years ago. Wide – spread corruption was predictable, obligations of bribe-takers were revered and respectable, their promises – reliably kept.

Intensification of intra-elite conflict broken this “golden age” of Chinese industrial prosperity, curtailing influx of foreign direct private investments, gradually and not so successfully substituted by governmental investments.

Executions of Chinese businessmen and continuation of intra-elite conflict rises the question about prospects of Chinese economic growth and the quality of the latter. We discussed this issue in our book and papers and, unfortunately, our forecasts going to be true.

There is old, reliable  well tested way to keep voter well informed. To enfranchise taxpayer only and his incentives to keep government accountable will make him well informed soon.

Our Canadian colleagues is searching a way to inform well “first nation” voters heavily depended on budget finance (“Aboriginal issues and spending per First Nations person in Canada rose more than 880 per cent over the past 60 years. In comparison spending per person on all Canadians rose by 387 per cent.”). They pointed out the cases of misuse of governmental money by the bands’ chiefs.  The author of the post – Ravina Bains expresses hope one could introduce new transparency standard for the First Nations which would deliver information about the spending to the bands of Indians, etc preventing Chief’s waste of federal money and more than generous salaries for these budget – extorting activities.

The problem is, the principal incentives of the band is the same as the band’s chief: to extort more money from the Government. The Chief, efficiently leading his band in this rent-extortion would be supported irrespective of his spending quality till the band gets “it fair share”.

Just stop waste federal money, create encouraging taxation and leave people (“First” and all the rest) alone – they will earn money. Provide taxation – representation legal framework, make Chief depended on local taxpayers funded budget, natural incentives would make voter well informed and the chiefs – accountable.