Today’s Links: December 16, 2011

OPINION

JORDAN WEISSMAN: “The Dark Side of America’s Growing Social Safety Net”
“By now, we’ve all gotten used to the fights on Capitol Hill about extending unemployment benefits. Each time they’re about to expire, Democrats line up to renew them. Meanwhile, at least a few Republicans rise up to object. Their argument: By writing checks to the jobless, we’re making it less likely that they’ll go out and find work. ”

BJORN LOMBORG: “Going to Extremes”
“Global warming activists like to cite extreme weather as one of the main reasons that we must take firm action on global warming. No hurricane or heat wave passes without a politician or activist claiming it as evidence of the need for a global climate deal, like the one that just got postponed until the end of the decade in Durban, South Africa.”

KIMBERLY STRASSEL: “Why Ron Paul Can’t Win”
“Ron Paul is, in many ways, the ideal candidate for a conservative electorate hungry for a principled GOP nominee. Ron Paul will never be the GOP nominee. For this, Mr. Paul has himself to blame.”

NEWS

TECHNOLOGY – Google Granted Patent for Driverless Car ‘Landing Strip’
“The age of driverless cars may still be years in the future, but to those playing a long game, that just means that work now will pay off even more later. Google is getting into the business of tracking and managing driverless cars, and while the technology actually steering and perceiving the cars’ surroundings will be undergoing lots of changes, some fundamentals of their interactions with the world can actually be explored today.”

NUCLEAR – Japan PM Says Fukushima Nuclear Site Finally Stabilised
“The crippled nuclear reactors at Japan’s Fukushima power plant have finally been stabilised, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has announced. An earthquake and tsunami in March knocked out vital cooling systems, triggering radiation leaks and forcing the evacuation of thousands of people.”