From: Michael Lorrey (retroman@tpk.net)
Date: Fri Jan 31 1997 - 17:13:19 MST
Eric Watt Forste wrote:
>
> What Jim Legg doesn't understand is that money is a communications
> medium. And it's a far more *honest* communications medium than
> talk. If the human population of Gaia functions like a big brain
> (and I don't think it does: people are not neurons), *most* of the
> computational information flow is in the price signals. If you
> destroy that, then you can kiss your Overmind goodbye.
>
> Goddamn constructivist-rationalists are always running around
> thinking that individual cells should decide how a metazoan's body
> is to be run.
>
> --
> Eric Watt Forste ++ arkuat@pobox.com ++ http://www.pobox.com/~arkuat/
Right on.
Here's some info for Jim on examples of mercantilism, and is NOT
capitalism.
-----------------------------------------
NEWS FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY
2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100
Washington DC 20037
-----------------------------------------
For release: January 31, 1997
-----------------------------------------
For additional information:
Bill Winter, Director of Communications
(202) 333-0008 Ext. 226
Internet: 73163.3063@CompuServe.com
-----------------------------------------
Libertarians urge: End corporate welfare
for Ronald McDonald and his rich friends
WASHINGTON, DC -- Ronald McDonald is a welfare cheat.
Despite billions in profits last year, the fast-food chain
represented by the popular clown mascot pocketed $1.6 million in
taxpayers' money in 1996, the Libertarian Party noted today.
"There's been a lot of talk about welfare for individuals, but
not much about the billions in taxpayers' money raked in by wealthy
corporations," said the party's chairman, Steve Dasbach. "Thanks to
Republican and Democratic politicians, corporate welfare is alive and
well-financed in America."
In Ronald McDonald's case, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Market Access Program funneled $1.6 million in tax money to help the
multibillion-dollar corporation advertise its Big Macs and other
fast-food products to Europeans.
"Anyone with a McNugget of common sense should be outraged by
programs like these," Dasbach said.
But the tide may be turning. A number of groups say they are
committed to ending the subsidies, which total at least $30 billion a
year. At a news conference this week, at least a dozen such programs
were targeted for termination.
"It's about time," said Dasbach. "Libertarians have been urging
Congress for 25 years to end these subsidies."
A bill sponsored by Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Russell
Feingold (D-WI) would set up a nine-member study commission to target
corporate welfare programs, and Congress would have four months to
approve or reject the recommendations.
"But what's to study?" Dasbach asked. "Average Americans
shouldn't be forced to fork over their hard-earned money to business
executives. Let's topple these corporate fat cats from the welfare
wagon right now."
Dasbach suggested some targets for immediate action:
* Mickey Mouse behavior: The Walt Disney Corporation received
$300,000 in 1995 to "help perfect its fireworks displays," according to
research by Common Cause.
* Boondoggle for billionaires: The Archer-Daniels Midland food
company -- which earned $13 billion last year -- has socked taxpayers
with a bill for $6 billion in ethanol subsidies over the last decade.
* The whine industry: After Gallo and other California wine
makers poured $750,000 into Democratic and Republican congressional
campaigns, politicians returned the favor: Gallo uncorked $7 million in
federal subsidies in 1994. The funding went to boost Gallo wine sales
in Asia and Latin America under an "export promotion program," which
has paid California wineries over $50 million in the last 10 years.
* Putting the squeeze on taxpayers: Sunkist Corporation has
received $78 million from the Agriculture Department since 1976 to
promote its oranges in Asia.
* A little log rolling: The Forest Service has handed lumber
companies $3 billion over five years in taxpayer-financed roads to pave
the way for logging projects.
* What's mined is yours: Exploiting the Department of
Interior's Mining Law of 1872, gold and silver companies purchased
public land last year containing $15.3 billion in resources for a
paltry $9,400.
"Every taxpayer who learns about these programs wants them
eliminated immediately," Dasbach said. "But politicians and their rich,
corporate friends have fought to protect them. It's time to protect
taxpayers instead -- and shut the corporate welfare checkbook."
--
TANSTAAFL!!!
Michael Lorrey
------------------------------------------------------------
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#!/usr/local/bin/perl-0777---export-a-crypto-system-sig-RC4-3-lines-PERL
@k=unpack('C*',pack('H*',shift));for(@t=@s=0..255){$y=($k[$_%@k]+$s[$x=$_
]+$y)%256;&S}$x=$y=0;for(unpack('C*',<>)){$x++;$y=($s[$x%=256]+$y)%256;
&S;print pack(C,$_^=$s[($s[$x]+$s[$y])%256])}sub S{@s[$x,$y]=@s[$y,$x]}
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