The Economist's Writers Need a Refresher in Bastiat
27 August 2006
The Editor, The Economist
25 St James's Street
London SW1A 1HG
United Kingdom
SIR:
I'm surprised that you, among all publications, declare that a "silver lining" around hurricane Katrina is that it has created jobs ("New Orleans: One year on," August 26). Were all, or even most, of the workers now rebuilding New Orleans idle before the storm hit? Unlikely.
Describing the jobs made necessary by its massive destruction as a "silver lining" around a hurricane is like describing the jobs created by high tariffs as a "silver lining" around protectionism.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
The Editor, The Economist
25 St James's Street
London SW1A 1HG
United Kingdom
SIR:
I'm surprised that you, among all publications, declare that a "silver lining" around hurricane Katrina is that it has created jobs ("New Orleans: One year on," August 26). Were all, or even most, of the workers now rebuilding New Orleans idle before the storm hit? Unlikely.
Describing the jobs made necessary by its massive destruction as a "silver lining" around a hurricane is like describing the jobs created by high tariffs as a "silver lining" around protectionism.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
Posted by Don Boudreaux on
Monday May 14, 2007 at 6:22pm