« Malum in se; malum prohibitum | Main | Will the So-Called "Reality-Based" Community Condemn this Affront to Reality?» Don Boudreaux
May 23, 2007
The Study America Act
Don Boudreaux
Here's a letter that I sent today to Tom Davis, the politician who is currently elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the district I live in:
Dear Rep. Davis:
I am employed by George Mason University. My fellow faculty members and I today were reminded by a University administrator of the requirements of the "Fly America Act." I confess that I'd never before heard of this statute. As explained by the GMU administrator, this Act "requires Federal employees and their dependents, consultants, contractors, grantees, and others performing United States Government financed foreign air travel to travel by U.S. flag air carriers." Because college professors often receive research grants from Uncle Sam, it's good that administrators at my school warned us not to commit a federal offense unwittingly by using, say, NSF grant funds to pay for air travel on the likes of Lufthansa or Taca.
I applaud your brilliant scheme! Even if it costs taxpayers more money, obviously this Act helps to protect American carriers from the nefarious competition of foreign airlines.
But why stop there? I propose a "Study America Act." The Congressional wisdom and spirit behind the Fly America Act, I submit, requires also that "Federal employees and their dependents, consultants, contractors, grantees, and others performing United States Government financed research to buy books, journals, articles, magazines, data sets, and all other scholarly materials produced only by U.S. scholars" (such as myself).
Why must hard-working, high-wage American researchers compete against foreign researchers - a competition that undoubtedly jeopardizes our nation's defense? Why, for example, should researchers at the Centers for Disease Control use American tax dollars to pay for subscriptions to the British medical journal The Lancet? Doing so shrinks the market for American medical research and thereby hurts America's health-care industry and, ultimately, America's children. Or why should federally funded social-science researchers use tax dollars to buy books on international trade written by foreigners when my own book on globalization will soon be out? My book, I assure you, is as good a product as any rival tome penned by a foreign scholar.
I look forward to your consideration and response.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman and Professor
Department of Economics
George Mason University
Posted by Don Boudreaux in Politics, Trade | Permalink
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Comments
The danger with sarcasm is that I am not sure how many Congresspeople will see it as such. The result may be just such a ban on using US funds to buy subscriptions to foreign journals.
Posted by: Acad Ronin | May 23, 2007 8:07:20 PM
Acad,
I was just about to say the same thing! Unfortunately, I don't think he'll get the sarcasm. But Don's book should start selling pretty well when it hits the marketplace.
I'll start taking wagers that some [lefty, kruggie, do-gooder] will see this post a few weeks or months down the road and then post comments in this blog calling Don a hypocrite. Start placing your bets.
Posted by: colson | May 23, 2007 8:17:13 PM
I was thinking the same thing. What are you going to do if he follows your logic and instead of realising the fly america act is a problem, seeks instead to make other things consistent with the original act.
Posted by: The Sci Phi Show | May 23, 2007 8:24:46 PM
Mr. Boudreaux,
I'm glad that you've finally seen the light. Of course, I hope that you will realize the full implications of being "100% American" and dispense with promoting the teachings of foreigners like Hayek and Adam Smith.
Posted by: David P. Graf | May 23, 2007 8:35:14 PM
A good point David, but I think we can make make an argument for "grandfathering" Smith under a provision that recognizes the prior union with great Britian. We should allow Hayek's work completed in this country, as he undoubtedly contained some "domestic" components including office rents, graduate students, electricity, paper, typwriters, etc.
There would be one very big upside to this: No Karl Marx!
Posted by: The Albatross | May 23, 2007 9:10:07 PM
Don,
I see that everyone else had the same immediate response I did--this congressman is unlikely to recognize the sarcasm. Fortunately, the flow of money between me and the government is only one way, and I won't have to follow their silly rules. (Did I say fortunately? You know what I mean.)
Posted by: M. Hodak | May 23, 2007 9:46:19 PM
Don,
I am afraid that politicians at the House of Representatives may actually think that you are serious... and that it is actually a good idea.
OK, I see now that I am not the first one to thinks the same.
Now what about the places which U.S. carriers do not operate? Take for example the poor New Yorkers. Instead of taking a direct flight to Prague, Czech Republic with Czech Airlines, they first have to fly to Atlanta to get on a flight with Delta - since this is the only connection to Prague operated by a U.S. airline.
Posted by: pinus | May 23, 2007 10:48:41 PM
Sarcasm, like parables, are great because the people that understand will be edified, and those that don't become more confused.
I can never get enough sarcasm. It is a great human resource that needs to be tapped into more fully. In general, the Chinese don't use/understand sarcasm, and this reason above all others is why I am not afraid of the current trade situation.
Posted by: Python | May 23, 2007 11:04:51 PM
Don, this politician may end up citing you as an authority in support of his cause! If he does, find a good PR guy to get you on Larry King for a debate. I reckon the media would love a story like that.
Posted by: ben | May 23, 2007 11:10:25 PM
What is that they say about not attributing to stupidity which can be more easily explained by malevolence? I'm sure this joker will get the sarcasm and not like it. Perhaps he'll write back saying that the law was needed because people like Prof. Boudreaux don't voluntarily think about using American flagged carriers. At least then, you have to give him points for honesty .
But seriously, if the same logic would complicate Prius worship, I'd vote for it.
Posted by: Brad Hutchings | May 24, 2007 12:18:42 AM
That some delicious snark, Don. I agree with all of the above commenters: It will likely be wasted on politicos.
Posted by: skh.pcola | May 24, 2007 2:08:45 AM
What you should have done is suggest that elected officials be forbidden from using their tax-payer funded salaries to purchase foreign goods. No Mercedes, Gucci, or Sony for you! Then he might have gotten an inkling that something was amiss.
Posted by: Adam | May 24, 2007 7:26:44 AM
Hopefully this doesn't apply to the President...or at least when he flies on Marine 1. Now they are made by a...wait for it...French company...GASP!
Posted by: Matt C. | May 24, 2007 8:48:13 AM
@ Adam:
So you're saying that all politicians with money will be relegated to Lincoln, Cadilac, and Corvettes in the way of nice cars? Ew. LOL
Mr. Boudreaux,
Witty piece of commentary, I appreciate it greatly.
Posted by: Jon | May 24, 2007 10:04:01 AM
Don,
While I'll agree that almost anything Congress does is idiotic....you're not far behind them on this one. You're rapidly approaching the title of most anti-American jackass on the face of the planet.
Is there ANYTHING that goes on in this nation that doesn't make you whine like a four year old? You don't like flying on an American-flag carrier...FINE. Pay the bill out of your own pocket, fly on AirIraq and kwitcherbitchin.
If you don't like the conditions that come with someone else's money (even if it's ill-gotten booty from the government) then don't take any. It's awfully simple. Frankly, I'm fed up with your "You Owe Me Whatever I Want" perspective. Grow a pair and deal.
Of course, the last time one of you ivory tower intellectuals had to actually .... *GASP* .... work for a dollar was waaaaaaay back in undergrad. Not everyone has (or should have) the luxury of supping at the public trough.
It's wonderful to have an open mind, but not so open your brains fall out. Don't bend over....yours will.
Posted by: nunya | May 24, 2007 10:25:25 AM
@nunya
Stop being a jerk dude.
His point is well taken and eloquently made. You flagwaving "America OWNS You" People have alot to learn. Hell if you actually read the writings of the founding fathers, they would be appalled at what we've become (namely a bloated socialist Autocracy).
So pull your head out of your ass.
Thank you and enjoy another day brought to you by capitalism and globalization.
Posted by: Jon | May 24, 2007 1:25:58 PM
What rich, dripping sarcasm. I love it. Let us know if you're taken seriously.
Jon, has anyone told you that you're an asshole? If not, allow me to be the first.
Posted by: Trevor | May 24, 2007 1:30:33 PM
Trevor:
Oh no good sir, you're not the first, nor do I think you will be the last.
Forgive me but the way I see it, if people are allowed to think as they want and say make fun of them when people say illogical and dumb things. *shrugs*
Posted by: Jon | May 24, 2007 2:50:50 PM
whoah ... yeah I think something got deleted, that is suppsed to read:
Forgive me but the way I see it, if people are allowed to think as they want and say what they say illogical and dumb things. *shrugs*
Posted by: Jon | May 24, 2007 2:53:30 PM
ARG! what the hell? *sigh* i should try and type responses in the midst of work ...
If someone says something stupid I should be allowed to mock them for it.
That was the general gist of it.
Posted by: Jon | May 24, 2007 3:06:52 PM
agree with the first comment and others...you may have made a huge mistake by suggesting this idea to Rep Davis! (who, btw, is a white-flag waving moron)
Posted by: anon | May 24, 2007 11:14:21 PM
(Golly, Jon, please tell us what you REALLY think!)
Fly American; Study American; Think American - It's pretty easy to see where we're going down THIS road. Is this what we pay our officials to do for (or to) us?
(Interesting anecdotal trivia: Thomas Edison was American-born, and advocated DC electrical power distribution. Nicolai Tesla was born in Belgrade, IIRC, but advocated AC power distribution. Edison finally admitted Tesla was right!)
Posted by: True_liberal | May 25, 2007 9:42:23 AM
My fear is that you'll give Cong. Davis and idea...
Posted by: Greg | May 25, 2007 5:37:39 PM
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