Reason.tv - Rough Cut Video Blog

Should You Need the Government's Permission to Work?

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

License to Work: A National Study of Burdens from Occupational Licensing is the first national study to measure how burdensome occupational licensing laws are for lower-income workers and aspiring entrepreneurs.

The report documents the license requirements for 102 low- and moderate-income occupations—such as barber, massage therapist and preschool teacher—across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It finds that occupational licensing is not only widespread, but also overly burdensome and frequently irrational.

On average, these licenses force aspiring workers to spend nine months in education or training, pass one exam and pay more than $200 in fees. One third of the licenses take more than a year to earn. At least one exam is required for 79 of the occupations.

Barriers like these make it harder for people to find jobs and build new businesses that create jobs, particularly minorities, those of lesser means and those with less education.

License to Work recommends reducing or removing needless licensing barriers. The report's rankings of states and occupations by severity of licensure burdens make it easy to compare laws and identify those most in need of reform.

Mao Yushi: Recipient of the 2012 Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

by catoinstitutevideo

http://www.cato.org/special/friedman/yushi/index.html
http://www.cato.org/multimedia/daily-podcast/securing-liberty-china
http://www.cato.org/pressroom.php?display=news&id=208
http://www.cato.org/friedmanprize
http://www.libertarianism.org/people/mao-yushi
http://www.libertarianism.org/publications/essays/paradox-morality

Mao Yushi is founder and chairman of the Unirule Institute, based in Beijing, China. He is the author of several books and many scholarly and popular articles, has taught economics at a number of universities, established some of the very first non-state charities and independent self-help organizations in China, and is well known as a courageous champion of liberty. In the 1950s he was punished through forced labor, exile, "re-education," and near starvation for saying, "If we have nowhere to buy pork, then pork prices should rise," and "If Chairman Mao wants to meet a scientist, who should visit whom?" And in 2011, at the age of 82, he wrote a public essay that was published in Caixin online called "Returning Mao Zedong to Human Form" (把毛泽东还原成人). That essay earned him numerous death threats and a greater reputation as a voice of honesty and justice. Mao Yushi is one of the great libertarian figures in the contemporary world and has worked tirelessly to bring libertarian ideas and the experience of freedom to the people of China and the wider world.

Stuff Cronies Say

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

by CronyChronicles

http://cronychronicles.org/

What are #CronyProblems? #CronyProblems are special interests that jeopardize prosperity and the American Dream. Fight back against cronyism and learn more at CronyChronicles.org.

Is Price Gouging Immoral? Should It Be Illegal?

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

by LearnLiberty

Students, get a full week of this at a summer seminar: http://lrnlbty.co/Hvopp9

Check out Matt Zwolinski's blog: http://bleedingheartlibertarians.com/

If the power goes out during a hurricane, who should be able to get an emergency generator? If sellers knew the motives of each buyer, they could sell a generator to the customer who needs it to keep life-saving medication from spoiling instead of the customer who wants to watch TV. But sellers aren't mind readers. One way generators can be allocated efficiently is by allowing the sellers to increase prices in an emergency situation. If the generators that are available cost more than they normally would, the people who would be willing to pay a premium to get one may do so because their need is greater. Many people would say increasing prices on certain goods during such an emergency is "price gouging." Philosophy professor Matt Zwolinski argues that far from being immoral, price gouging may be the best way to allocate scarce resources in an emergency.

Will Higher Tax Rates Balance the Budget?

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

by LearnLiberty

Students, get a full week of this at a summer seminar: http://lrnlbty.co/Hvopp9

As the U.S. debt and deficit grows, some politicians and economist have called for higher tax rates in order to balance the budget. The question becomes: when the government raises taxes, does it actually collect a larger portion of the US economy?

Professor Antony Davies examines 50 years of economic data and finds that regardless of tax rates, the percentage of GDP that the government collects has remained relatively constant. In other words, no matter how high government sets tax rates, the government gets about the same portion. According to Davies, if we're concerned about balancing the budget, we should worry less about raising tax revenue and more about growing the economy. The recipe for growth? Lower tax rates and a simplified tax code.

Health Care Bill: Double Counting Doubles the Crisis

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

by MercatusCenter on Apr 6, 2012

The health care bill of 2010 was said to provide two major benefits. First, the bill promised to find savings in the government's biggest health insurance program, Medicare, and use those savings to reduce the deficit. Second, the bill promised to expand health care coverage to uninsured Americans. Sounds pretty good, right? But how does the government propose to pay for both?

Here's where the math becomes fuzzy. Research from "The Fiscal
Consequences of the Affordable Care Act" shows how this just doesn't add up. Find out more here http://mercatus.org/publication/fiscal-consequences-affordable-care-act/

Forgotten Rebellion: Black Seminoles and the Largest Slave Revolt in U.S. History

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

by LearnLiberty on Mar 23, 2012
Watch more videos: http://lrnlbty.co/GHkG7f

The story of John Horse and the Black Seminoles has been largely untold, but they deserve to be remembered for a number of reasons:

- They created the largest haven in the U.S. South for runaway slaves.
- They led the largest slave revolt in U.S. history.
- They secured the only emancipation of rebellious slaves prior to the U.S. Civil War.
- The formed the largest mass exodus of slaves across the United States and, ultimately, to Mexico.

Learn more about this remarkable story that has been overlooked by Hollywood, popular culture, and even historians. This group of freedom fighters—who ultimately found peace, liberty, and prosperity—is worth remembering.

Read Amy Strurgis' Reason article "Florida's Forgotten Rebels" here.

IRS Protectionism: New Licensing Scheme Challenged in Major Federal Lawsuit

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

by InstituteForJustice on Mar 12, 2012

For more visit http://www.ij.org/IRS

Congress never gave the IRS the authority to license tax preparers, and the IRS can't give itself that power.

But last year the IRS imposed a sweeping new licensing scheme that forces tax preparers to get IRS permission before they can work. This is an unlawful power grab that exceeds the authority granted to the IRS by Congress.

The burden of compliance will fall most heavily on independent tax return preparers and small businesses. Unsurprisingly, big firms such as H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt support the licensing scheme. As The Wall Street Journal explained: "Cheering the new regulations are big tax preparers like H&R Block, who are only too happy to see the feds swoop in to put their mom-and-pop seasonal competitors out of business."

These regulations are typical government protectionism. They benefit powerful industry insiders and at the expense of entrepreneurs and consumers, who will likely have fewer options and face higher prices. But tax preparers have a right to earn an honest living without getting permission from the IRS. And taxpayers—not the IRS—should be the ones who decide who prepares their taxes.

That is why on March 13, 2012, three independent tax preparers joined the Institute for Justice in filing suit against the IRS in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. This lawsuit challenges the IRS's statutory authority to impose this licensing scheme, and seeks to overturn regulations that would affect an estimated 350,000 tax return preparers, forcing many of them to stop working in the occupation of their choice.

Stuff Libertarians Say

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EST

Terra0Arret on Mar 3, 2012

What you hear young libertarians say.

Public Pension Crisis: The Solution

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EST

EconFree on Mar 1, 2012

With a public pension crisis looming, what should we do? Tweaking isn't enough: it's time for reform.

In our previous video, Scott Beaulier explained the dire situation public pensions are now facing with a spending gap of $6-7 trillion. Watch as he delves further into the crisis and explains how we can reform the system.

"So, where do we go from here, what do we do? I think the answer is pretty clear: more of these pension plans across the states need to be shifted out of defined benefit and into defined contribution models... The appeal of defined contribution is that you own your own investment account. But in addition to that, it's predictable, it's not based on rising health care costs, it's not based on people living longer, it's just a promise that you make to pay a certain amount per month into these plans. It's simple math." -- Scott Beaulier

Check out http://www.economicfreedom.org/vidoes to see the rest of our videos!

Competition or Cartel Control? An Entrepreneur's Fight for Fairness

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EST

by illinoispolicy on Feb 24, 2012

Artist, veteran, and entrepreneur Julie Crowe wishes to provide a female-friendly vehicle-for-hire service for students in the Bloomington-Normal community, but her attempts are thwarted by city officials who insist students have no need for her services. With the help of the Liberty Justice Center, Ms. Crowe fights back.

The Constitutional Case for Marriage Equality

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

catoinstitutevideo on Jun 7, 2011

Vote up on Reddit: http://bit.ly/mlum7D

On June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down bans on interracial marriage in more than a dozen states in the case of Loving v. Virginia. Today, the highest court in the United States may soon take on the issue of marriage equality for gay and lesbian relationships. Attorneys David Boies and Theodore B. Olson are hoping the case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger will further establish marriage as a fundamental right of citizenship. Also featured are John Podesta, President of the Center for American Progress, Cato Institute Chairman Robert A. Levy and Cato Executive Vice President David Boaz.

Video produced by Caleb O. Brown and Austin Bragg. Event footage shot by Evan Banks.

Story of Business: Fighting for Jobs

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

BankruptingAmerica on Feb 6, 2012

http://www.bankruptingamerica.org

The Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to change the definition of "vented hearth heater" to include hearth products that were previously classified as merely decorative . This change means that a portion of the industry will now be subject to an entirely different set of regulations. At a time when small businesses are struggling to survive in the economy, the last thing they need are burdensome regulations.

(Recording The Police is a Dangerous but Necessary Thing to Do) If You See Something, Film

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Uploaded by itzDeaMan on Feb 7, 2012

This video was created as an example of the importance of filming the police. Video provides transparency, accountability, and an accurate account of incidents that occur. It is no secret that the United States has a serious problem with police abuse, brutality, and corruption. It is essential for civilians to document their encounters with police officers to ensure transparency, accountability, and safety to all of those involved.

Police departments have, for too long, tried to bully, intimidate, threaten, arrest, or otherwise harass law abiding citizens from recording the activities of law enforcement in public. Enough is enough! It is time for all of us to take a stand and expose police brutality when we witness it. Even if the officers behavior is correct, and justifiable, we still encourage the recording of the police activities for the transparency and accountability that is desperately needed in many departments.

If you see something, film something, the freedom of press begins with you!'

Directors Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/gramrastag

More information about the clips in order of appearance:

ORIGINAL FOOTAGE Suspect with Crowbar Shot Outside Carls Jr Monterey Park
http://youtu.be/bY5ioBvrYIg

New Footage of Oscar Grant Shooting (with sound)
http://youtu.be/S0P8TSP2YJU

Cops on Camera (multiple segments)
http://youtu.be/tE8Xom38Rd8

Citizen attacks Baltimore Police -- caught on tape
http://youtu.be/mFFsWF3FoLI

Houston Police BEATING Teen Suspect Chad Holley
http://youtu.be/Lvy976QKuS4

Police Brutality: NYPD Beat Man's Legs w/ Baton For Not Getting Up!
http://youtu.be/j5I_lwQyxNI

FREEDOM WATCH WITH JUDGE NAPOLITANO
http://youtu.be/GUHgagrnfIc

MSNBC on NYPD Police Brutality during Occupy Wall Street Lawrence O'Donnell with "The Last Word"
http://youtu.be/Zgr3DiqWYCI

Raw Video: Police Beating Caught on Tape
http://youtu.be/uHjpOsGYxMo

Paris Texas Police Officer Throws Teen on Car
http://youtu.be/4LSrBDhjJ58

Raw Video: Deputy Shown Kicking Teen Girl
http://youtu.be/ipb_PeXOdT4

#OWSwest #J20 #SFPD Attacks Innocent Protesters; Officer M. Ali #619 Breaks My Cam
http://youtu.be/oGju4u7yVRA

Raw Video: Ala. Officers Fired After Beating Man
http://youtu.be/uN41h0GEmys

Cop Punching Handcuffed Man Video Now Has Sound
http://youtu.be/D1KJcnNShW0

Surveillance video: Iraq War veteran beaten
http://youtu.be/D2IWFaI-poM

Sante Fe cop caught beating handcuffed teen; fired, rehired!
http://youtu.be/Q6MKuKJ9Kws

officer beating 66-year-old man suffering from dementia
http://youtu.be/2FAbUZd3zoM

Female Cop Tirelessly Beats Man with her Baton
http://youtu.be/X3JiilljhOQ

Police Brutality: Dog Walker w/ Camera Beaten By Cops!
http://youtu.be/wBlvSMd_D7w

ABC Reporter Arrested in Denver Taking Pictures of Senators
http://youtu.be/m7F49dUaZMw

Know Your Rights with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, The Gregory Brothers and the ACLU!

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

hitrecord on Feb 6, 2012

THE CAN'T TURN THE LIGHTS OFF NOW - ep. 2
Know your rights as a photographer this election season!
Produced in collaboration with the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida http://aclufl.org/
Original Concept by Teafaerie
Music and Lyrics by The Gregory Brothers http://www.thegregorybrothers.com/
For more information about your rights, visit:
http://www.aclu.org/photorights
http://www.aclufl.org/pdfs/PhotographersRights.pdf

SUPER PACs: Occupy the Courts, Colbert & the Fight for Free Speech

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

SpeechNow.org case page: http://www.ij.org/1219

IJ Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/instituteforjustice

IJ on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/IJ

State of the Union 2012

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

catoinstitutevideo on Jan 25, 2012

Cato Institute scholars Malou Innocent, Chris Edwards, Neal McCluskey, Ilya Shapiro, Jerry Taylor, Dan Mitchell and Dan Ikenson respond to President Obama's 2012 State of the Union Address, which focused largely on economic equ

Video produced by Caleb O. Brown, Austin Bragg and Lester Romero.

Can the Government Make Entrepreneurs Do Useless Things For No Reason?

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

InstituteForJustice on Jan 18, 2012
http://www.ij.org/Verlin

Verlin Stoll is a 27-year-old entrepreneurial dynamo who owns Crescent Tide funeral home in Saint Paul, Minn. Verlin has built a successful business because he offers low-cost funerals while providing high-quality service. His business is also one of the only funeral homes that benefits low-income families who cannot afford the high prices of the big funeral-home companies.

Verlin wants to expand his business, hire new employees and continue to offer the lowest prices in the Twin Cities, but Minnesota refuses to let Verlin build a second funeral home unless he builds a $30,000 embalming room that he will never use.

Minnesota's law is irrational. Embalming is never required just because someone passes away and the state does not even require funeral homes to do their own embalming. In fact, it is perfectly legal to outsource embalming to a third-party embalmer. Minnesota's largest funeral chain has 17 locations with 17 embalming rooms, but actually uses only one of those rooms.

Why is Minnesota forcing Verlin to waste $30,000 on a useless embalming room as a condition of expanding his thriving business?

So that the big, full-amenity funeral-home businesses can benefit from a law that drives up prices for consumers and operating expenses for competitors such as Verlin. Verlin's basic services fee is only $250, which is about 90 percent lower than the $2,500 that the average Twin Cities' funeral home charges. Verlin's business model is built on minimizing fixed costs, which is why he does not have a hearse or chapel, and this law—to the advantage of his competitors—stands in the way of him expanding his low-cost, high-quality approach.

The government should not force Minnesotans to do useless things. That is why on January 19, 2012, Verlin and the Institute for Justice challenged the law in state court.

The Minnesota Constitution protects every Minnesotan's economic liberty, which means that it protects entrepreneurs from being burdened by legal requirements that are either useless or designed to suppress honest competition.

A victory here will not only free Verlin from an unconstitutional restraint on his economic liberty, but protect entrepreneurs across the state from pointless laws and bureaucracy.

Channeling Self-Interest for Good

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

by EconFree on Dec 5, 2011

Can self-interest be channeled for good?

Watch as economist Don Boudreaux explains why we should not look to constant human traits such as self-interest as the cause of the financial crisis, but instead look to the types of systems in which self-interest is channeled toward destructive ends through the exploitation of government power rather than towards the productive uses generated in a free market.

The Story of Broke Response

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

LearnLiberty on Jan 13, 2012

Prof. Art Carden responds to "The Story of Broke" (http://bit.ly/LLStoryOfBroke), a recent video by the creators of "The Story of Stuff." In "The Story of Broke," Annie Leonard claims that the government isn't actually broke. Rather, the government just wastes resources on the wrong things like subsidies to the dinosaur economy and war. She claims that the government should change its ways, and instead, subsidize firms that will bring us the future we really want.

Art Carden agrees with Leonard that war and subsidies are wasteful, but is skeptical of notion that there is one unified vision for the future. To Carden, everyone has a different vision for the future. Our path to the future, he argues, is determined by the interactions of billions of unique individuals pursuing their own objectives.

Additionally, Carden questions Leonard's distinction between bad subsidies and good subsidies. Every subsidy, deemed good or bad, must be allocated through the political process. Lobbyists and special interests exert a large degree of influence on political decisions, and they use this power to direct subsidies in their own favor at everyone else's expense.

Carden concludes that government spending won't buy a brighter future. A brighter future will emerge when people are allowed to spend money on things they care about. Put another way, positive change will come from billions of people cooperating freely and voluntarily with one another, not from pushing trillions of dollars through a broken political process.

If you like this video, check out our website: http://bit.ly/ApphlG

Sh*t Lazy Economists Say

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

raf365247 on Jan 7, 2012

An internet meme officially jumps the shark.

No Child Left Behind: A Decade of Failure

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

catoinstitutevideo on Jan 6, 2012

http://youtu.be/Q0WUqNO0qo4

The No Child Left Behind Act was meant to compel states to adopt high standards and rapidly improve K-12 education in public schools. It is now clear that NCLB has been a failure and has set the stage for even greater federal control over curriculum. The solution, contrary to what many advocates claim, is to get the federal government out of America's classrooms. Neal McCluskey, associate director of the Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom, comments on NCLB's decade of failure.

Video produced by Caleb O. Brown and Austin Bragg.

Supply & Demand Rap: WE GOT IT 4 CHEAP

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

by DORIANELECTRA on Dec 12, 2011

This song was created to enter the Supply and Demand Video Contest sponsored by Fayetteville State University's Hackley Endowment. We are students at Shimer College and Northwestern University.
Made by:
Dorian Electra & Neil Lokken
Music by:
Matt Kawahara
Special Thanks: Lynn Hong, Bryan Maddox, Robin Babb, Allison Savage, Allon Libermann, Rachel Davison.

LYRICS:

Yo. We got it 4 cheap
And we're tryin to be supplyin
So we got to compete. OH.
And we try to understand
The laws we all cant help but follow called:
SUPPLY AND DEMAND

If I'm sellin somethin
Here's what I got to know
To ensure my sales be bumpin
If we raise the price, fewer people be buyin
If we push that price down low, customers be multiplyin

It's not to simple just to sell it for cheap
You got to cover your costs
Ya tryna make ends meet
Say we were forced to keep our price way down. LOW
Our goods become more scarce become the talk of the town. OH

If the law won't let us respond in turn by raising our money PRICE
Then our lovely customers will have to pay the price in non-
monetary costs such as waitin in line

On day when you could be HUSTLIN and now you wastin yo time
So when the prices are fixed costs remain, don't fall for tricks
That extra cost don't disappear
It just shift from here to here

You got dem long long lines? Wait a sec, shorty, that ain't right

UHM. SHORTY DAT LOOK LIKE A SHORTAGE
SHORTY, SHORTY DAT LOOK LIKE A SHORTAGE

Ooo. When dat price so low
So they be rushin to da store tramplin one another to DA FLOOR uh

Ya get it? It's about supply and demand. Ya get it?

Yyeeaaaaaaaaahhhhh

Yes sir, sir yes, what about a surplus?
Yes sir, sir yes, what about a surplus?

When you got leftover GOODS on your HANDS
Cos the quantity supplied exceeds the quantity demanded

Yo. We got it 4 cheap
And we're tryin to be supplyin
So we got to compete. OH
And we try to understand
The laws we all cant help but follow called:
SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Constitutional Principles: The Rule of Law

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

BillofRightsInst on Dec 13, 2011

Do you understand why the rule of law is important for maintaining free society? The Bill of Rights Institute has created a short, engaging video for Bill of Rights Day on the constitutional principle of the rule of law. Exciting visuals from current events, an engaging historical narrative, brief scholar interviews, and memorable quotes will make this 8-minute video perfect for use on Bill of Rights Day, and every day! A short viewing guide is also available to guide you through the content.

Supply & Demand: A Thug Story

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:00:00 EST

Uploaded by AThugStory on Dec 12, 2011

"Supply & Demand: A Thug Story" This song was created to enter the Supply and Demand Video Contest sponsored by Fayetteville State University's Hackley Endowment.

Supply and Demand: You probably hated it in school, but that's because you never heard it like this before.

Yo, let me tell you about supply and demand//
Yeah, it's something that can't be centrally planned//
As individuals pursue their own values and lives//
Spontaneity is how society survives//

You see the market process tends toward equilibrium//
Even in a world where decisions swing like pendulums//
Order out of chaos leads toward our end goal//
Achieving coordination for the economy as a whole//

So join us, let's go for a ride//
Into a world where supply & demand preside//
Consumers expressin' preferences without exhausts//
Producers calculatin' opportunity costs//

Let's say you wanna go buy some jewelry//
You better come with dough and without that foolery//
'Cuz, prices will fall, prices will rise//
To signal scarcity that we compromise//

But, what if the price of that chain is too high?//
Do we implement ceilings so that everyone can buy?//
Conversely, at a lower cost everyone will demand//
Somethin' the producers are just unwilling to hand//

See, if you don't allow rent prices to increase//
Coordination is destroyed and we're left without peace//
Applications & fees will soar in their prices//
Rationing leads to usin' non-monetary devices//
For example discrimination, long lines//
Hah, y'all know how black market alternatives shine//

Short-term solutions can be attractive for a while//
But when things get outta whack, fixin' them can beguile//

And when the price is set at infinity and infinity//

Executive, judicial, & legislative...you know, the holy trinity//
Tries to remove as factors, all of the market actors//
Leading to production of defective goods from various manufacturers//
Prohibition creates black markets//
Crips and bloods, thugs, the po' get hit the hardest//
Violence amongst factions for territory and action//
Disputes ain't settled in courts but with white chalk on the sidewalk//

So don't blame the market when things go wrong//
Instead, you oughtta think back to the words of this song//
Look first to see if there's government interference//
Ceilings and floors for prices, prohibition or planned adherence//
All of these destroy coordination and incentives//
This is Econ 101 for my knowledge seeking brethren//