Miscellaneous
3/4/2021 - In this episode, we go through some recent articles that are related to unintended consequences of policy. We start from the controversial premise that the coronavirus regulations in the United States have been overbearing and unjust. Then, we go through articles that show economic consequences of coronavirus regulations and fears that would likely not be present in a free market system. If you don't agree with that premise, this is still an exercise in evaluating second and third order consequences of policies - something that governments fail to do effectively. First, we look at Greg Ip's piece about how third world countries have been hit hard economically. He breaks down how first world policies have hurt third world economies indirectly and why they might not be able to bounce back as strong as first world economies. Then, we look at an article about debit and credit transaction fees during the COVID-19 pandemic. People have used less cash, more business has been online. This affects the fees merchants pay. Unintended consequence of keeping people in their house! Lastly, we talk about education. An essay by Jon Hilsenrath explains the potential long-term consequences of the current schooling issues in the United States. This could lead to trillions of dollars in reduced future output. *** Twitter @TheObeyPodcast @MatthewTKeck Also, check out "Beyond Talking Points"! Two people with very different political ideologies talk policy and philosophy!