Do They Owe Us A Living?

Roderick Long has a characteristically insightful and provocative post on the labor law brouhaha in France. Here’s the money quote: “…in general a removal of restrictions on an entity doesn’t count as a move toward liberty if the entity is still a substantial recipient of government privilege or subsidy.” In other words, before free market types get misty over this very modest bit of liberalization, shed some tears over the corporate welfare that’s keeping the bosses in business.

Who's gonna mow your grass?

Buck Owens, the honky-tonk king of Bakersfield, California, died on Saturday at age 76. The pioneer (along with the great Merle Haggard) of the “Bakersfield sound,” a raw, electric guitar-driven style that combines the best of hardcore country and rockabilly, Owens scored 20 #1 hits, including the jukebox classics “Act Naturally,” “Together Again,” and “Waitin’ in Your Welfare Line.” A major influence on acts ranging from Dwight Yoakam to The Beatles, Owens was perhaps best known for his gig co-hosting the cracker variety show Hee-Haw. Be sure to crank “Streets of Bakersfield” some night soon and drink a few for Buck and his Buckeroos. RIP.