Today’s Links: January 23, 2012
OPINION
BILL CLINTON: “Charity Needs Capitalism to Solve the World’s Problems”
“Charity alone will not solve the world’s problems. Capitalism can help and at the same time put people back to work. There has always been a gap between what the government can provide and what the private sector can produce, a gap charities have long helped to fill. But as our world and economies evolve, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to reconsider how to fill this gap – to rethink the relationship between economic and social challenges, so that benefits and opportunities are available to more people.”
NEW YORK POST EDITORIAL: “A Pipeline Gift to China”
“Thousands of potential new American jobs went forfeit, as Canada immediately turned elsewhere for oil customers. To, notably, China. That’s no surprise. In November, after a previous delay, Canadian lawmakers began hearings on a proposal to construct a pipeline from the oilfields to the British Columbia coast, for the eventual shipment of oil to Asian markets. This, after Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper indicated to Chinese President Hu Jintao that Canada was ready to make some deals.”
JULIAN SANCHEZ: “SOPA, Internet Regulation, and the Economics of Piracy”
“I remain a bit amazed that it’s become an indisputable premise in Washington that there’s an enormous piracy problem, that it’s having a devastating impact on US content industries, and that some kind of aggressive new legislation is needed tout suite to stanch the bleeding. Despite the fact that the Government Accountability Office recently concluded that it is “difficult, if not impossible, to quantify the net effect of counterfeiting and piracy on the economy as a whole,” our legislative class has somehow determined that—among all the dire challenges now facing the United States—this is an urgent priority. Obviously, there’s quite a lot of copyrighted material circulating on the Internet without authorization, and other things equal, one would like to see less of it. But does the best available evidence show that this is inflicting such catastrophic economic harm—that it is depressing so much output, and destroying so many jobs—that Congress has no option but to Do Something immediately?”
NEWS
NUCLEAR – Vermont Can’t Shut Down Nuclear Plant
“A federal judge on Thursday blocked Vermont from forcing the Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor to shut down when its license expires in March, saying that the state is trying to regulate nuclear safety, which only the federal government can do.”
LEGAL – Supreme Court Says Search Warrants Needed When Police Use GPS Devices to Track Suspects
“The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that police must get a search warrant before using GPS technology to track criminal suspects. The GPS device helped authorities link Washington, D.C., nightclub owner Antoine Jones to a suburban house used to stash money and drugs. He was sentenced to life in prison before the appeals court overturned the conviction.”
HOLLYWOOD – Consumer Group Accuses Hollywood of ‘Threatening Politicians’
“Consumer group Public Knowledge on Friday accused the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and its head, former Sen. Chris Dodd, of trying to intimidate lawmakers into supporting a pair of controversial anti-piracy bills.”