Republicans have negative PR shock. Nation yawns.

I am not sure why this is particularly newsworthy given that such activities presumably go on pretty much all the time with major donors of both parties.

I understand that such things are of interest to the beltway insider types more concerned with keeping score - our talking points beat your talking points! - than with substance but otherwise who cares? Did anyone really not know about this stuff?

Inquisitive readers may, of course, want to know more about the club featured in the story. You can find its (comically pretentious) mission statement here and its floorplan here.

It's a school and a nightclub.

Why isn't this place getting praise for being green by using the same building for two different functions at different days and times?

Oh, yes, there is alcohol. That means policy discussions must be conducted with brains off.

George Johnson, RIP

My emeritus colleague George Johnson passed on last night.

We only overlapped only a little bit here at Michigan so we did not interact very much, but he had a very large influence on the place, particularly the labor group.

Addendum: some nice thoughts from the Hammer at the Freakonomics blog.

Reading the Koran

The Boston Globe describes what sounds like a fascinating project on the historical development of the Koran and its links to other major religious traditions.

I have two quibbles. First, I think the article overstates the idea that Christians no longer think of the Bible as the literal word of God. I suspect that, globally at least, a majority still do, and certainly a large minority do in the United States. This, of course, does not solve the problem of differing interpretations, as the large number of different denominations that hold to this view attests. Second, I think the article underestimates the potential for rapid change within Islam away from the view that the Koranic text is literally the word of God. Several Islamic countries are quite well educated, such as Iran. When the Iranian government finally changes, as I expect it will soon, it would seem ripe for theological change as well.

Hat tip: marginal revolution

Iceland government makes it harder to get warm

My casual impression has always been that regulation of the sex industry tends to be pro-cyclical, with laxer regulation in bad times, perhaps because the general public has more sympathy with people who will take "any job" when there are fewer jobs to be had in general.

Iceland provides some evidence against this theory, as they have just banned strip clubs, despite being in a fairly dire economic situation. Matt Yglesias has some comments, with which I largely agree.

I still find it odd that anyone would think it feminist to either deny female sexuality or to put women out of work. This is just good old fashioned puritanism, dressed up in secular clothes. In my view, a serious feminism aims to empower women, not treat them as metaphorical little girls who need the protection of the state.

Interview with Gary Becker

A fine interview with Gary Becker. I agree with his cautious optimism.

The ending bits:

My last question involves a little story. Not long before Milton Friedman's death in 2006, I tell Mr. Becker, I had a conversation with Friedman. He had just reviewed the growth of spending that was then taking place under the Bush administration, and he was not happy. After a pause during the Reagan years, Friedman had explained, government spending had once again begun to rise. "The challenge for my generation," Friedman had told me, "was to provide an intellectual defense of liberty." Then Friedman had looked at me. "The challenge for your generation is to keep it."

What was the prospect, I asked Mr. Becker, that this generation would indeed keep its liberty? "It could go either way," he replies. "Milton was right about that."

Mr. Becker recites some figures. For years, federal spending remained level at about 20% of GDP. Now federal spending has risen to 25% of GDP. On current projections, federal spending would soon rise to 28%. "That concerns me," Mr. Becker says. "It concerns me a great deal.

"But when Milton was starting out," he continues, "people really believed a state-run economy was the most efficient way of promoting growth. Today nobody believes that, except maybe in North Korea. You go to China, India, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, even Western Europe. Most of the economists under 50 have a free-market orientation. Now, there are differences of emphasis and opinion among them. But they're oriented toward the markets. That's a very, very important intellectual victory. Will this victory have an effect on policy? Yes. It already has. And in years to come, I believe it will have an even greater impact."

The sky outside his window has begun to darken. Mr. Becker stands, places some papers into his briefcase, then puts on a tweed jacket and cap. "When I think of my children and grandchildren," he says, "yes, they'll have to fight. Liberty can't be had on the cheap. But it's not a hopeless fight. It's not a hopeless fight by any means. I remain basically an optimist."

Hat tip: marginal revolution

Husky spring football

Some optimism around Husky spring football from Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times.

Meanwhile, more unhappiness from South Campus in Ann Arbor. Boy oh boy did Washington get a better deal.