Friday, April 30, 2004

"Going back to where they came from"
By Pat Buchanan
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38206

This is an interesting article on the neo-cons written by Pat Buchanan - the whole neo-con/conservative/libertarian/republican/socialist dynamic is so interesting. This article is certainly a good read if you are following this important saga.

Wednesday, April 14, 2004

Another attack on free enterprise: Banning Google’s Gmail


Gmail, the planned free e-mail service from Google, could be facing strong legal opposition in California. Another over-zealous, headline groping politician, Liz Figueroa of Freemont, California, apparently has a problem with Google and is taking a pot-shot at a company that owns the most popular internet property of all time. Google has the potential to be the next Microsoft, but not if people like Figueroa have anything to say about it.

In a brilliant move, Google has announced a free email service dubbed Gmail, offering users more storage space than they can possibly imagine using; 200 times as much as Yahoo!’s service – a full gigabyte of space! The catch is that Gmail’s computers will scan emails for keywords and place targeted advertising next to the message. This same strategy saved search engines from financial doom when Google (mimicking GoTo.com’s revolutionary concept) started placing targeted advertising next to search results, based on search keywords.

Senator Figueroa may not like the sound of a computer scanning her email for keywords and pushing back ads based on certain algorithms, but there are millions of people who understand there is nothing to fear and are eagerly awaiting this service. For this woman to push a law banning this service is beyond ignorance – it exposes her hatred of an amazingly successful private enterprise.

IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT – DON’T USE IT! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BAN OTHERS FROM USING GMAIL!

Tell Senator Figueroa to keep her ignorant laws out of cyberspace. Email her at Senator.Figueroa@sen.ca.gov.



Liz Figueroa
California State Senate
D-Fremont (District 10)
Hates Freedom

Monday, April 05, 2004

Kerry is only for free trade where his fortune is concerned

The most disturbing political attacks spewing from the droopy mouth of John Kerry are not the expected jibes over national security policy, but rather his stated disdain for free trade. Kerry’s economic ignorance aside, his anti-outsourcing routine is almost comical in light of the fact that his family’s lifeblood, Heinz Corporation, has outsourced 57 of their 79 factories to places like China, India, Singapore, Indonesia, and other such nations that Kerry exploits for political gain when decrying the loss of American jobs.

Expect Bush, Nader, and any other politicians with an interest in highlighting Kerry’s continuous string of hypocrisies to bring this embarrassing issue to light over the summer, even though there is nothing wrong with such business decisions.

The Heinz Corporation’s decision to open factories overseas is a perfect example of how a business can benefit from strategic placement of jobs where a competitive advantage exists. When more can be produced with fewer resources, everyone benefits. Putting government controls over trade will certainly benefit particular interest groups (and the pull-pusher politicians who pander to them), while hurting everyone else with higher prices. Tariffs are simply a tax on consuming international goods, while the dividends of that tax go to the protected group.

Consider this debate locally. Florida orange growers are in a constant battle with California orange growers. Both factions produce high quality oranges and typically compete on price. If free-trade amongst the American states were not protected under the US Constitution, it would be in the interest of California orange growers to advocate tariffs in other states against Florida oranges. Forced to charge higher prices for Florida oranges, consumers would quickly turn to California’s, certainly benefiting their industry, at the expense of the Florida industry and every consumer of oranges.

In 2001, the US government levied tariffs against Canadian softwood lumber imports. Immediately, certain mills in the USA came back online, and many in Canada were forced to shut down. The price of softwood lumber in the United States immediately went up by the same percentage as the tariff, hurting other industries reliant on softwood lumber (e.g. home construction). Ultimately, it was the consumer who paid the price – all to placate American labor lobbies and a handful of wealthy mill owners.

Kerry’s attacks on free trade are not only hypocritical, as he is a direct benefactor of open trade policies, but potentially dangerous if put into practice. One should feel bad for Heinz Corporation and the families employed by that institution as they are going to be unnecessarily scrutinized over the coming months for successfully meeting their moral obligation to protect shareholder wealth.