Christianomics: A blog on economics, politics, and law

  Spoken like someone who has never managed the costs of running a business. Profit = price - costs Costs include but are not limited to: employees, certifications, facility mortgages, materials, gas, electricity, and taxes. Profit is becoming a demonized word, but the reality is if a company cannot make a profit then it cannot provide employment opportunities and it cannot provide goods and services to people in the local community. Most companies in the US. only make 8% profit. (1) With such a slim margin, if any of the above costs go up, then the average company has no choice but to raise prices just to stay afloat. It is absurd that the administration does not get such basic economics 1. https://wordsandnumbers.libsyn.com/you-just-hate-the-poor...

  The President in 2050: and so to curb the pandemic of obesity I will be signing these executive orders that will require OSHA to require all businesses to require their employees to take this new anti-obesity vaccine that is guaranteed to drop your BMI. Press: Mr. President what is the threshold for obesity? President: The threshold is a BMI above 30. Press: Will there be any medical or religious exceptions provided? President: Sadly no. Press: What about people who are obese but able to drop their BMIs by other methods? President: They will still be required. I’ve been patient with them but now my patience has worn thin. Press: Lastly, what about people who are already under the BMI for obesity or even those who are considered underweight. If they aren’t part of the problem will they be required to take this vaccine as well? President: Yes of course they will. I’ve already said we each have to do our part. Think of our kids.

  A lot of babies were killed yesterday. I've talked with a number of limited government/libertarian people who are pro-choice yet believe that abortion kills a human being. Their logic is simple - making an act illegal does not stop it from happening.  Prohibitionists saw their efforts fail when they outlawed drinking in the 20s. Those seeking to decriminalize marijuana today apply this same logic. Now I believe on a moral level that it is good to criminalize acts like murder and manslaughter. Laws are sometimes about prevention and sometimes about punishment. I believe abortion is at minimum, the equivalent of manslaughter and should therefore also be criminalized and punished as such.  But that doesn't remove the unintended consequences of Texas' new policy. It has been reported that abortion clinics in Texas were overwhelmed with women wanting an abortion before the law took effect.(1) Simply and sadly put, the supply was very limited and so the demand sky rocketed....

Economics studies how and why people allocate and use their limited resources. Everyone regardless of age, wealth, or ethnicity has 2 basic resources: money and time. Opportunity cost is the cost of choosing one decision over another. Money: I got a call the other day from Alliance Defending Freedom asking for financial support for their many ongoing legal battles (1). As someone interested in politics and the constitution these battles are very important to me. But then Glenn Beck called, asking for donations for the Nazarene Fund to evacuate as many Christians as possible from the trouble brewing in Afghanistan (2). Meanwhile Samaritan’s Purse was also pleading for supplies and personnel for Haiti following their 7.2 earthquake (3). I only have a limited amount of money and I cannot support every request though they are all important to me. By choosing to support one organization I am simultaneously choosing to not support another. Time: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as ...

  Seeing the tragedies in Afghanistan I am reminded why I bother to write these essays: Elections of politicians and their policy decisions have very real consequences for everyday people. Sometimes those consequences can be helpful and sometimes they can be lethal. Understanding economics, politics, and human nature are tools God has given us to achieve the former while avoiding the latter.

  Now that we are talking about mandatory Covid vaccinations Does the Constitution no longer say "My body my choice?" Asking for 60,764,800 unborn friends Source of the graph: https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2017/01/18/the-abortion-rate-in-america-falls-to-its-lowest-level-since-roe-v-wade

John Doe: I think I'm okay with the idea of a government vaccine mandate. If you're teetering on the edge of the cliff then you obviously should make every effort to get away from the cliff [and take the vaccine]. Me: But I've already survived covid, so from my view I'm not on the edge of the cliff and therefore don’t need to take the shot. John: Well you should still want to take it just in case. Me: But I don't. John: But you should. Me: Okay, make me. John: What? Me: Make me want to take it. Offer me a bribe. Give me $10,000 and I’ll get the shot. John: No! Me: Okay so what, $1,000? $500? John: No and no. Me: ...You aren't doing a very good job of offering me any incentive. Come on, you've been telling me this is really important. So how important is this? What would you be willing to give me? John: 50 cents. That's as high as I would go. Me: Really? 50 cents...Not even enough to buy something off the McDonald's dollar menu. Our country is suppose...