Matt has what is undoubtedly the best takedown I've yet seen of the spectacular failure that is Paul Wolfowitz. Take a look.
Boo hoo indeed.
UPDATE: Did someone declare today "boo hoo" day and forget to send me the memo? Hilzoy on immigration reform:
The argument for this is what the Washington Post in its wisdom describes as the "annual flow of 400,000 to 600,000 low-skilled workers needed to satisfy the demand for labor." When I read things like this, I ask myself, why are these workers "needed"? Have we run out of unemployed people? Sadly, no. Are none of those people "low-skilled"? Again: no. Besides, I had always imagined that we had a market economy, in which, when there is a shortage of something, the price rises until someone steps in to fill that shortage. If people can't find enough workers, I think they must just not be paying enough.
Sometimes this argument continues: oh, but people who employ farmworkers couldn't hire people who are here legally, at the wages they'd have to offer to attract such people, without going out of business! I have never seen the force of this argument. I could probably come up with all sorts of business plans that would be successful if only I could pay people as little as I wanted. So what? If I can't actually get people to work for me at a price that would allow my business plan to succeed, that shows that I don't have a successful business plan, not that the government should distort its immigration policy to prevent me from failing.I honestly don't see how this argument is any different from saying: oh, I can't compete unless I am allowed to steal the things I plan to sell, so the government has an obligation to repeal the laws against theft! To which the appropriate answer is: well, boo hoo hoo. Go find a line of work you can actually succeed at.
I realize this has nothing to do with Wolfowitz. Your complaints have been noted. Boo hoo.
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