Today’s Links: March 7, 2012

OPINION

TYLER COWEN: “Matt Yglesias’ New Book”
“If people were the size of ants, without encountering any absurdities of physics or biology, how would the ‘public choice’ of urban building change?  Would urban centers be equally exclusionary? How much space do we need to live? If zoning stays too tight, are there (second best) general negative externalities from storage? I don’t recall Matt calling for the widespread privatization of government-owned land, but would he agree this is the logical next step?”

ANDREW COHEN: “Pat Robertson is Right About Prison Reform”
“Pat Robertson’s position on the wisdom of decriminalizing marijuana possession — evidently he is in favor of it — is no longer news. My former colleague Chris Good was writing about the television evangelist’s surprising views on pot back in December 2010. But what does now seem new to Robertson’s on-air repertoire is his pitch for legalizing marijuana as part of a bigger pitch for serious and substantial reforms to the nation’s criminal justice systems.”

JOSEPH SABIA: “Pay Workers More, Feel Economics Pain”
“Advocates for wage increases like these have historically focused on their potential to fight poverty and reduce income inequality. Perhaps because minimum wages have been ineffective in achieving these ends, proponents have moved on to a new pledge: Higher minimum wages will provide a macroeconomic stimulus. But evidence suggests steadily increasing the minimum wage does more harm than good to the broader economy.”

NEWS

AFGHANISTAN – Afghan President Backs Strict Guidelines for Women
“Afghanistan’s president on Tuesday endorsed a ‘code of conduct’ issued by an influential council of clerics that activists say represents a giant step backward for women’s rights in the country.”

CYBERSECURITY – Civil Libertarians Slam McCain Cybersecurity Bill
“A cybersecurity bill introduced by Republican Senator John McCain could dramatically expand the domestic reach of U.S. intelligence agencies and potentially give them massive troves of emails, civil liberties advocates said.”

JOBS – Oil, Gas Industry Created 9 Percent of New Jobs in 2011
“A booming U.S. oil and gas sector was responsible for generating some 9 percent of all new jobs last year, with three indirect jobs for every one directly involved in the industry, a study released on Wednesday found.”