-
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: St. Paul Rent, Arizona Alt Fuel, GA Ballot Access (Vol. 8)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
https://reason.com/video/2022/07/15/great-moments-in-unintended-consequences-vol-8/
-------
Part One: Housing Costs
The year: 2021
The problem: Rent is expensive in St. Paul, Minnesota!
The solution: Limit residential rent increases to 3 percent a year, even if there is a change in occupancy.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
The initiative did not account for inflation. And unlike most rent control initiatives, the new law also applies to new apartment buildings, discouraging housing construction and investment. Which is why multi-family building permits are down over 80 percent in St. Pau...
published: 15 Jul 2022
-
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences (Vol. 2)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
------------------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ReasonTV?sub_confirmation=1
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason
Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.
----------------
A luxury yacht tax to alleviate government debt? A war on grain-eating sparrows? An overcomplicated, burdensome COVID vaccine rollout procedure?
Why those sound like great ideas, with the best of intentions. Wh...
published: 09 Feb 2021
-
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Streisand Effect, Sesame Labeling, Golden Goals (Vol. 10)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
https://reason.com/video/2023/01/13/great-moments-in-unintended-consequences-vol-10/
______
Part One: See Shores
The year: 2003
The problem: There's a photo of Barbra Streisand's house on the internet!
The solution: Sue the photographer for $50 million, and demand the photo be removed.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out that when you try and hide something, people get interested. The aerial image—part of a larger project to document coastal erosion—had only been downloaded six times before Streisand got upset. But in the month following the lawsuit, over 400,000 people clicked ...
published: 13 Jan 2023
-
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Doordash, Google AI, French Wikipedia (Vol. 16)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lUrH4Sbgh8&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK&index=1
Do you know a great moment in unintended consequences? Leave a comment or email us at [email protected].
Want to know more about the Pierre-sur-Haute military radio station controversy?
Here you go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-sur-Haute_military_radio_station
-----
Part One: We Knead Dough
The Year: 2019
The Problem: Restaurants aren't signing up for DoorDash.
The Solution: Prove its value by adding restaurants for free—without notification or permission. Once presented with the sales data, restaurants will sign up in droves!
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Turns out, people...
published: 12 Jul 2024
-
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences (Vol. 6)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
------------------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ReasonTV?sub_confirmation=1
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason
Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.
----------------
"Great moments in unintended consequences"—when something that sounds like a great idea goes horribly wrong.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAyPWcqiwzY&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh...
published: 09 Mar 2022
-
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Price Controls, Hearth Tax, Cash for Clunkers (Vol. 9)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oztz17JUpr0&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK&index=1&t=0s
Part One: Antwerps
The year: 1585
The problem: The Spanish army is besieging Antwerp, shelling approaching merchant ships and causing food prices inside the city to rise.
The solution: Enact strict price controls on food!
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out merchants don't like risking their lives, ships, and cargo—especially when their goods fetch the same prices at ports without incoming cannon fire. Artificially low prices also fueled demand, causing food supplies inside the city to plummet.
It wasn't long before Antwerp surrendered, given that the city government ...
published: 18 Nov 2022
-
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences (Vol. 7)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oztz17JUpr0&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
https://reason.com/video/2022/05/04/great-moments-in-unintended-consequences-vol-7/
-------
Part 1: Road Kill
The year: 2012.
The problem: Driving fatalities on Texas roads!
The solution: Implement a simple, cost-effective awareness campaign by displaying crash death totals on highway message boards.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions, what could possibly go wrong?
In order to read these messages, passing motorists must look away from the road.
Accidents along roads with new displays increased by 4.5 percent within 10 km of the sign, according to one study—amounting to an additional 2,600 crashes and 16 deaths per year in...
published: 04 May 2022
-
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Bird Nets, CA Prop 65, & Carbon Credit Loophole (Vol. 12)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lUrH4Sbgh8&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK&index=1
Do you know a great moment in unintended consequences? Leave a comment or email us at [email protected].
-----
Part One: Net Benefits
The year: 2012
The problem: Birds are congregating on the Texas Medical Center campus and doing…bird things.
The solution: Attach nets to the large oak trees on campus, forcing birds to take their business elsewhere.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Turns out, birds eat bugs. With the birds gone, the trees became a haven for cute furry-looking critters that happen to be North America's most venomous caterpillar. Contact with these toxic misery tribbles ca...
published: 14 Jul 2023
-
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences (Vol. 3)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
------------------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ReasonTV?sub_confirmation=1
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason
Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.
----------------
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WRDwCep25k&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
Window Wealth
The Year: 1696
The Problem: Britain needs money.
The Solution: Tax windows! A res...
published: 07 May 2021
-
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences (Vol. 5)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
------------------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ReasonTV?sub_confirmation=1
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason
Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.
----------------
Here are even more of Reason's "great moments in unintended consequences"—stories of when something that sounds like a terrific idea goes horribly wrong.
Part 1: The Transcontinental Tango
The year: 1862.
Th...
published: 14 Jan 2022
2:33
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: St. Paul Rent, Arizona Alt Fuel, GA Ballot Access (Vol. 8)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
https://reason....
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
https://reason.com/video/2022/07/15/great-moments-in-unintended-consequences-vol-8/
-------
Part One: Housing Costs
The year: 2021
The problem: Rent is expensive in St. Paul, Minnesota!
The solution: Limit residential rent increases to 3 percent a year, even if there is a change in occupancy.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
The initiative did not account for inflation. And unlike most rent control initiatives, the new law also applies to new apartment buildings, discouraging housing construction and investment. Which is why multi-family building permits are down over 80 percent in St. Paul, while ramping up in the rest of the state.
Which explains why St. Paul is the patron saint of tent makers.
Part Two: Arizona Alt Fuel
The year: 2000
The problem: Not enough alternative fuel is being used in Arizona.
The solution: Generous tax credits for new vehicles to incentivize buyers to add an alternative fuel tank.
The subsidy allowed tens of thousands to buy fully loaded luxury SUVs at a nearly 50 percent discount, as long as they were converted to add a secondary one-gallon alternative fuel tank that would likely never be filled up. The plan wound up costing the state hundreds of millions and actually increased gasoline consumption.
Tanks for nothing!
Part Three: Georgia Ballot Access
The year: 1940
The problem: Communists.
The solution: Bar communists from appearing on ballots.
Sounds…pretty unconstitutional, with questionable intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Restrictive ballot access measures were codified in 1943, requiring signatures from 5 percent of a congressional district's voters. Later, more requirements were added, including forcing signatures to be notarized and the imposition of qualifying fees. It's now been over 60 years since a third-party candidate has muscled through the restrictions to appear on the ballot for any congressional race in Georgia.
Written and produced by Meredith and Austin Bragg; narrated by Austin Bragg
https://wn.com/Great_Moments_In_Unintended_Consequences_St._Paul_Rent,_Arizona_Alt_Fuel,_Ga_Ballot_Access_(Vol._8)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
https://reason.com/video/2022/07/15/great-moments-in-unintended-consequences-vol-8/
-------
Part One: Housing Costs
The year: 2021
The problem: Rent is expensive in St. Paul, Minnesota!
The solution: Limit residential rent increases to 3 percent a year, even if there is a change in occupancy.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
The initiative did not account for inflation. And unlike most rent control initiatives, the new law also applies to new apartment buildings, discouraging housing construction and investment. Which is why multi-family building permits are down over 80 percent in St. Paul, while ramping up in the rest of the state.
Which explains why St. Paul is the patron saint of tent makers.
Part Two: Arizona Alt Fuel
The year: 2000
The problem: Not enough alternative fuel is being used in Arizona.
The solution: Generous tax credits for new vehicles to incentivize buyers to add an alternative fuel tank.
The subsidy allowed tens of thousands to buy fully loaded luxury SUVs at a nearly 50 percent discount, as long as they were converted to add a secondary one-gallon alternative fuel tank that would likely never be filled up. The plan wound up costing the state hundreds of millions and actually increased gasoline consumption.
Tanks for nothing!
Part Three: Georgia Ballot Access
The year: 1940
The problem: Communists.
The solution: Bar communists from appearing on ballots.
Sounds…pretty unconstitutional, with questionable intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Restrictive ballot access measures were codified in 1943, requiring signatures from 5 percent of a congressional district's voters. Later, more requirements were added, including forcing signatures to be notarized and the imposition of qualifying fees. It's now been over 60 years since a third-party candidate has muscled through the restrictions to appear on the ballot for any congressional race in Georgia.
Written and produced by Meredith and Austin Bragg; narrated by Austin Bragg
- published: 15 Jul 2022
- views: 347907
2:35
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences (Vol. 2)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
---------------...
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
------------------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ReasonTV?sub_confirmation=1
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason
Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.
----------------
A luxury yacht tax to alleviate government debt? A war on grain-eating sparrows? An overcomplicated, burdensome COVID vaccine rollout procedure?
Why those sound like great ideas, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Written and produced by Meredith and Austin Bragg. Narrated by Austin Bragg.
Watch Volume 1 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSwMEtuL-GQ
Photo Credits: chutima kuanamon/Newscom; Album / Fine Art Images/Newscom; World History Archive/Newscom; Album / Florilegius/Newscom
https://wn.com/Great_Moments_In_Unintended_Consequences_(Vol._2)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
------------------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ReasonTV?sub_confirmation=1
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason
Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.
----------------
A luxury yacht tax to alleviate government debt? A war on grain-eating sparrows? An overcomplicated, burdensome COVID vaccine rollout procedure?
Why those sound like great ideas, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Written and produced by Meredith and Austin Bragg. Narrated by Austin Bragg.
Watch Volume 1 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSwMEtuL-GQ
Photo Credits: chutima kuanamon/Newscom; Album / Fine Art Images/Newscom; World History Archive/Newscom; Album / Florilegius/Newscom
- published: 09 Feb 2021
- views: 401655
3:21
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Streisand Effect, Sesame Labeling, Golden Goals (Vol. 10)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
https://reason....
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
https://reason.com/video/2023/01/13/great-moments-in-unintended-consequences-vol-10/
______
Part One: See Shores
The year: 2003
The problem: There's a photo of Barbra Streisand's house on the internet!
The solution: Sue the photographer for $50 million, and demand the photo be removed.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out that when you try and hide something, people get interested. The aerial image—part of a larger project to document coastal erosion—had only been downloaded six times before Streisand got upset. But in the month following the lawsuit, over 400,000 people clicked on the image of Streisand's house. Babs lost her case and was forced to pay $177,000 in legal fees, and the Streisand Effect is now shorthand for bringing unwanted attention to the very thing being suppressed.
Maybe next time, don't mansion it!
Part Two: Open Sesame
The year: 2022
The problem: Over a million Americans are allergic to sesame seeds!
The solution: Add them to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s major allergens list, which requires food manufacturers and restaurants to disclose if products either contain or might have come into contact with the seeds.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Turns out sesame seeds are small and a bit hard to keep track of, making it frustrating and expensive to guarantee seeds will not cross-contaminate other foods. Under the stringent FDA rules, it's not good enough to simply state that a food "may contain" or is "produced in a facility" that uses sesame, so rather than go through the cost and hassle of assuring there are none in their product, companies simply added small amounts of sesame to their products and included it in the lists of ingredients.
Presto! Problem solved! Unless, you know, you're allergic.
Part Three: Golden Goals
The year: 1994
The problem: Ties in soccer are boring!
The solution: Organizers of the Caribbean Cup made game-winning overtime goals count double, pushing teams to play aggressively in extra time!
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Turns out… math!
In the last group game of the tournament, Barbados needed to beat Grenada by two goals to reach the final. Otherwise, Grenada would advance.
With only minutes left in the match, Barbados found themselves up by only a single goal. Realizing their predicament, Barbados scored on themselves. So long as they could keep the game tied during regular play, Barbados could win by two with a single score in overtime.
What followed was one of the most bizarre five minutes in the history of the game, with Barbados defending both goals while Grenada tried to score on either end of the field.
Grenada failed, Barbados scored in overtime, and the rule was dropped. And then it rolled around on the pitch for a while, grabbing its knee, looking for a penalty.
Goooooooo reevaluate your priors.
Great moments in unintended consequences: good intentions, bad results.
Written and produced by Meredith and Austin Bragg; narrated by Austin Bragg
Photo credits: Nancy Rivera/ACE Pictures/Newscom; John Nacion / Splash News/Newscommalibu; Jonathan Alcorn/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom
https://wn.com/Great_Moments_In_Unintended_Consequences_Streisand_Effect,_Sesame_Labeling,_Golden_Goals_(Vol._10)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
https://reason.com/video/2023/01/13/great-moments-in-unintended-consequences-vol-10/
______
Part One: See Shores
The year: 2003
The problem: There's a photo of Barbra Streisand's house on the internet!
The solution: Sue the photographer for $50 million, and demand the photo be removed.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out that when you try and hide something, people get interested. The aerial image—part of a larger project to document coastal erosion—had only been downloaded six times before Streisand got upset. But in the month following the lawsuit, over 400,000 people clicked on the image of Streisand's house. Babs lost her case and was forced to pay $177,000 in legal fees, and the Streisand Effect is now shorthand for bringing unwanted attention to the very thing being suppressed.
Maybe next time, don't mansion it!
Part Two: Open Sesame
The year: 2022
The problem: Over a million Americans are allergic to sesame seeds!
The solution: Add them to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s major allergens list, which requires food manufacturers and restaurants to disclose if products either contain or might have come into contact with the seeds.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Turns out sesame seeds are small and a bit hard to keep track of, making it frustrating and expensive to guarantee seeds will not cross-contaminate other foods. Under the stringent FDA rules, it's not good enough to simply state that a food "may contain" or is "produced in a facility" that uses sesame, so rather than go through the cost and hassle of assuring there are none in their product, companies simply added small amounts of sesame to their products and included it in the lists of ingredients.
Presto! Problem solved! Unless, you know, you're allergic.
Part Three: Golden Goals
The year: 1994
The problem: Ties in soccer are boring!
The solution: Organizers of the Caribbean Cup made game-winning overtime goals count double, pushing teams to play aggressively in extra time!
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Turns out… math!
In the last group game of the tournament, Barbados needed to beat Grenada by two goals to reach the final. Otherwise, Grenada would advance.
With only minutes left in the match, Barbados found themselves up by only a single goal. Realizing their predicament, Barbados scored on themselves. So long as they could keep the game tied during regular play, Barbados could win by two with a single score in overtime.
What followed was one of the most bizarre five minutes in the history of the game, with Barbados defending both goals while Grenada tried to score on either end of the field.
Grenada failed, Barbados scored in overtime, and the rule was dropped. And then it rolled around on the pitch for a while, grabbing its knee, looking for a penalty.
Goooooooo reevaluate your priors.
Great moments in unintended consequences: good intentions, bad results.
Written and produced by Meredith and Austin Bragg; narrated by Austin Bragg
Photo credits: Nancy Rivera/ACE Pictures/Newscom; John Nacion / Splash News/Newscommalibu; Jonathan Alcorn/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom
- published: 13 Jan 2023
- views: 468390
3:00
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Doordash, Google AI, French Wikipedia (Vol. 16)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lUrH4Sbgh8&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK&index=1
Do you know...
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lUrH4Sbgh8&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK&index=1
Do you know a great moment in unintended consequences? Leave a comment or email us at
[email protected].
Want to know more about the Pierre-sur-Haute military radio station controversy?
Here you go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-sur-Haute_military_radio_station
-----
Part One: We Knead Dough
The Year: 2019
The Problem: Restaurants aren't signing up for DoorDash.
The Solution: Prove its value by adding restaurants for free—without notification or permission. Once presented with the sales data, restaurants will sign up in droves!
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Turns out, people don't like it when you mess with their business. Restaurants that never offered delivery were suddenly getting complaints and bad reviews about orders arriving cold. The owner of AJ's Pizzeria in Kansas was surprised to find his restaurant on the app, and that his $26 specialty pizza was being sold for just $16. So he ordered some. A lot, in fact. He even filled boxes with plain dough to increase his profit on each transaction (unlike DoorDash, which lost $668 million dollars in 2019).
Like most jokes, it's all in the delivery.
Part Two: Prompt Replies
The Year: 2024
The Problem: Google's search dominance is being challenged by ChatGPT.
The Solution: Develop an AI to provide helpful summaries and answers to Google queries.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Turns out, the internet is…well, the internet. The AI began to parrot facts and tips from sites like The Onion and Reddit—insisting that former President Barack Obama was Muslim, that gasoline can be used in cooking, and recommending eating rocks as a vital source of vitamins and minerals. It even suggested adding glue to pizza, a tip internet sleuths tracked down to a decade-old Reddit post by a user named "Fucksmith."
But that does lend credibility to its assertion that parrots can cook.
Part Three: Wikipedi-duh
The Year: 2013
The Problem: There's a Wikipedia article about a classified French military radio installation!
The Solution: Demand Wikipedia delete the page.
Sounds like they've never heard of the Streisand effect! What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out, that's not how Wikipedia works. Since facts in the article were sourced from a publicly available interview with an Air Force Major stationed there. Wikipedia balked at the idea that the page contained classified data and refused to delete it without further clarification. At which point French authorities said, "Oh, that makes sense, never mind."
Just kidding.
They summoned the president of Wikimedia France and threatened him with arrest and imprisonment. He deleted the entry but made sure to alert others that reposting the page would be a crime. The next day a Swiss contributor restored it—and the ensuing controversy briefly made it the most-read page on French Wikipedia, which is now available in 38 different languages.
And yeah, we added a link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-sur-Haute_military_radio_station
Great moments in unintended consequences: good intentions, bad results.
Do you know a great moment in unintended consequences? Email us at
[email protected].
https://wn.com/Great_Moments_In_Unintended_Consequences_Doordash,_Google_Ai,_French_Wikipedia_(Vol._16)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lUrH4Sbgh8&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK&index=1
Do you know a great moment in unintended consequences? Leave a comment or email us at
[email protected].
Want to know more about the Pierre-sur-Haute military radio station controversy?
Here you go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-sur-Haute_military_radio_station
-----
Part One: We Knead Dough
The Year: 2019
The Problem: Restaurants aren't signing up for DoorDash.
The Solution: Prove its value by adding restaurants for free—without notification or permission. Once presented with the sales data, restaurants will sign up in droves!
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Turns out, people don't like it when you mess with their business. Restaurants that never offered delivery were suddenly getting complaints and bad reviews about orders arriving cold. The owner of AJ's Pizzeria in Kansas was surprised to find his restaurant on the app, and that his $26 specialty pizza was being sold for just $16. So he ordered some. A lot, in fact. He even filled boxes with plain dough to increase his profit on each transaction (unlike DoorDash, which lost $668 million dollars in 2019).
Like most jokes, it's all in the delivery.
Part Two: Prompt Replies
The Year: 2024
The Problem: Google's search dominance is being challenged by ChatGPT.
The Solution: Develop an AI to provide helpful summaries and answers to Google queries.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Turns out, the internet is…well, the internet. The AI began to parrot facts and tips from sites like The Onion and Reddit—insisting that former President Barack Obama was Muslim, that gasoline can be used in cooking, and recommending eating rocks as a vital source of vitamins and minerals. It even suggested adding glue to pizza, a tip internet sleuths tracked down to a decade-old Reddit post by a user named "Fucksmith."
But that does lend credibility to its assertion that parrots can cook.
Part Three: Wikipedi-duh
The Year: 2013
The Problem: There's a Wikipedia article about a classified French military radio installation!
The Solution: Demand Wikipedia delete the page.
Sounds like they've never heard of the Streisand effect! What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out, that's not how Wikipedia works. Since facts in the article were sourced from a publicly available interview with an Air Force Major stationed there. Wikipedia balked at the idea that the page contained classified data and refused to delete it without further clarification. At which point French authorities said, "Oh, that makes sense, never mind."
Just kidding.
They summoned the president of Wikimedia France and threatened him with arrest and imprisonment. He deleted the entry but made sure to alert others that reposting the page would be a crime. The next day a Swiss contributor restored it—and the ensuing controversy briefly made it the most-read page on French Wikipedia, which is now available in 38 different languages.
And yeah, we added a link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-sur-Haute_military_radio_station
Great moments in unintended consequences: good intentions, bad results.
Do you know a great moment in unintended consequences? Email us at
[email protected].
- published: 12 Jul 2024
- views: 243847
2:39
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences (Vol. 6)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
--------------...
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
------------------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ReasonTV?sub_confirmation=1
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine/
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Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.
----------------
"Great moments in unintended consequences"—when something that sounds like a great idea goes horribly wrong.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAyPWcqiwzY&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
Part 1: Driving Days
The year: 1989.
The problem: Terrible air quality in Mexico City!
The Solution: Keep traffic down and improve air quality by prohibiting one out of five cars from driving each weekday, based on their license plate numbers.
Sounds like a great idea with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Citizens got around the ban by buying a second car—often a cheaper, older, and less efficient car. Having more, crappier cars in circulation failed to fix the problem and, according to a number of studies, air pollution actually increased after the restrictions were imposed.
But not to worry, politicians saw the error of their ways and in 2008….expanded the program to include Saturdays.
Part 2: Boat Taxes
The Year: 1773.
The problem: Britain needs money!
The solution: Collect port and lighthouse fees on merchant ships based on their length and width.
Sounds like a great idea with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out people don't like paying taxes. Since ships were charged by width and length but not depth, shipbuilders maximized cargo capacity while minimizing taxes by building deep, sluggish, flat-bottomed, flat-sided vessels—a recipe for instability. While Britain's Navy was ruling the sea, their unsightly and unmanageable merchant ships were a laughingstock.
On the plus side, the taxman can't reach you on the bottom of the sea.
Part 3: Airplanes Fly Empty
The year: 2020.
The problem: A global pandemic straining the American airline industry.
The solution: A $60 billion bailout to rescue airlines and maintain continuity of service.
Sounds like a great idea with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
With concerns over COVID, air passenger rates plummeted as much as 95 percent. But since airlines were mandated to maintain a minimum level of service to qualify for the emergency government funding, airlines were forced to continue flying planes…even if there was no one on board. Voila! American skies were quickly filled with "ghost flights"—nearly empty planes crisscrossing the country so the industry could qualify for billions of taxpayer funds.
Written and produced by Meredith and Austin Bragg; additional research by Natalie Dowzicky; narrated by Austin Bragg.
https://wn.com/Great_Moments_In_Unintended_Consequences_(Vol._6)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
------------------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ReasonTV?sub_confirmation=1
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason
Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.
----------------
"Great moments in unintended consequences"—when something that sounds like a great idea goes horribly wrong.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAyPWcqiwzY&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
Part 1: Driving Days
The year: 1989.
The problem: Terrible air quality in Mexico City!
The Solution: Keep traffic down and improve air quality by prohibiting one out of five cars from driving each weekday, based on their license plate numbers.
Sounds like a great idea with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Citizens got around the ban by buying a second car—often a cheaper, older, and less efficient car. Having more, crappier cars in circulation failed to fix the problem and, according to a number of studies, air pollution actually increased after the restrictions were imposed.
But not to worry, politicians saw the error of their ways and in 2008….expanded the program to include Saturdays.
Part 2: Boat Taxes
The Year: 1773.
The problem: Britain needs money!
The solution: Collect port and lighthouse fees on merchant ships based on their length and width.
Sounds like a great idea with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out people don't like paying taxes. Since ships were charged by width and length but not depth, shipbuilders maximized cargo capacity while minimizing taxes by building deep, sluggish, flat-bottomed, flat-sided vessels—a recipe for instability. While Britain's Navy was ruling the sea, their unsightly and unmanageable merchant ships were a laughingstock.
On the plus side, the taxman can't reach you on the bottom of the sea.
Part 3: Airplanes Fly Empty
The year: 2020.
The problem: A global pandemic straining the American airline industry.
The solution: A $60 billion bailout to rescue airlines and maintain continuity of service.
Sounds like a great idea with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
With concerns over COVID, air passenger rates plummeted as much as 95 percent. But since airlines were mandated to maintain a minimum level of service to qualify for the emergency government funding, airlines were forced to continue flying planes…even if there was no one on board. Voila! American skies were quickly filled with "ghost flights"—nearly empty planes crisscrossing the country so the industry could qualify for billions of taxpayer funds.
Written and produced by Meredith and Austin Bragg; additional research by Natalie Dowzicky; narrated by Austin Bragg.
- published: 09 Mar 2022
- views: 312330
3:37
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Price Controls, Hearth Tax, Cash for Clunkers (Vol. 9)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oztz17JUpr0&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK&index=1&t=0s
Pa...
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oztz17JUpr0&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK&index=1&t=0s
Part One: Antwerps
The year: 1585
The problem: The Spanish army is besieging Antwerp, shelling approaching merchant ships and causing food prices inside the city to rise.
The solution: Enact strict price controls on food!
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out merchants don't like risking their lives, ships, and cargo—especially when their goods fetch the same prices at ports without incoming cannon fire. Artificially low prices also fueled demand, causing food supplies inside the city to plummet.
It wasn't long before Antwerp surrendered, given that the city government blockaded itself far better than any army ever could.
Food for thought? Well, it's the thought that counts.
Part Two: Change of Hearth
The year: 1662
The problem: King Charles II needs more money!
The solution: a hearth tax! Since the number of fireplaces in a building is considered a proxy for wealth, this progressive property tax scheme was sure to be a hit.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out people don't like paying taxes! They also don't like petty constables and subcontractors entering their homes to count stoves. Many stopped up their chimneys to avoid the taxes. One intrepid baker even knocked through the wall from her oven to access her neighbor's chimney—causing a fire that destroyed 20 homes and killed four people.
And since the revenue generated was less than expected, it wasn't long before the hearth tax also went up in smoke.
Part Three: Clunk and Disorderly
The year: 2009
The problem: a recession! And we need to save the environment! And domestic manufacturing! Plus, something about economic inequality! And, you know, maybe juice the reelection campaign. All that. All that was the problem.
The solution: Give away $1 billion in incentives to U.S. residents who destroy their old cars for more fuel-efficient new ones!
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out people like free money! The program blew through the original allocation in less than a month. So Congress approved an additional $2 billion. The next month, that money was gone too.
Turns out the boost in vehicle sales was fully offset by a falloff once the program ended. Same for the boost to gross domestic product.
The government spent $1.4 million on the program for every job created.
And apparently destroying an entire generation of used cars causes remaining used car prices to rise. But hey, those are just the kind of vehicles less affluent people buy. The kind donated to charities or sold to poor countries where they replace even older, less fuel-efficient vehicles.
What about helping U.S. car manufacturers? Nope.
Only two of the top 10 models sold as part of the program were domestic brands.
As for the environmental impact?
The program did increase average fuel economy in the United States by…err…0.65 miles per gallon. But people like using new cars way more than old ones. New vehicles are driven as much as three to five times more than genuine clunkers.
And about that reelection campaign? Ehhh…
Great moments in unintended consequences: good intentions, bad results.
Written and produced by Meredith and Austin Bragg; narrated by Austin Bragg
https://wn.com/Great_Moments_In_Unintended_Consequences_Price_Controls,_Hearth_Tax,_Cash_For_Clunkers_(Vol._9)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oztz17JUpr0&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK&index=1&t=0s
Part One: Antwerps
The year: 1585
The problem: The Spanish army is besieging Antwerp, shelling approaching merchant ships and causing food prices inside the city to rise.
The solution: Enact strict price controls on food!
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out merchants don't like risking their lives, ships, and cargo—especially when their goods fetch the same prices at ports without incoming cannon fire. Artificially low prices also fueled demand, causing food supplies inside the city to plummet.
It wasn't long before Antwerp surrendered, given that the city government blockaded itself far better than any army ever could.
Food for thought? Well, it's the thought that counts.
Part Two: Change of Hearth
The year: 1662
The problem: King Charles II needs more money!
The solution: a hearth tax! Since the number of fireplaces in a building is considered a proxy for wealth, this progressive property tax scheme was sure to be a hit.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out people don't like paying taxes! They also don't like petty constables and subcontractors entering their homes to count stoves. Many stopped up their chimneys to avoid the taxes. One intrepid baker even knocked through the wall from her oven to access her neighbor's chimney—causing a fire that destroyed 20 homes and killed four people.
And since the revenue generated was less than expected, it wasn't long before the hearth tax also went up in smoke.
Part Three: Clunk and Disorderly
The year: 2009
The problem: a recession! And we need to save the environment! And domestic manufacturing! Plus, something about economic inequality! And, you know, maybe juice the reelection campaign. All that. All that was the problem.
The solution: Give away $1 billion in incentives to U.S. residents who destroy their old cars for more fuel-efficient new ones!
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out people like free money! The program blew through the original allocation in less than a month. So Congress approved an additional $2 billion. The next month, that money was gone too.
Turns out the boost in vehicle sales was fully offset by a falloff once the program ended. Same for the boost to gross domestic product.
The government spent $1.4 million on the program for every job created.
And apparently destroying an entire generation of used cars causes remaining used car prices to rise. But hey, those are just the kind of vehicles less affluent people buy. The kind donated to charities or sold to poor countries where they replace even older, less fuel-efficient vehicles.
What about helping U.S. car manufacturers? Nope.
Only two of the top 10 models sold as part of the program were domestic brands.
As for the environmental impact?
The program did increase average fuel economy in the United States by…err…0.65 miles per gallon. But people like using new cars way more than old ones. New vehicles are driven as much as three to five times more than genuine clunkers.
And about that reelection campaign? Ehhh…
Great moments in unintended consequences: good intentions, bad results.
Written and produced by Meredith and Austin Bragg; narrated by Austin Bragg
- published: 18 Nov 2022
- views: 322389
2:33
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences (Vol. 7)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oztz17JUpr0&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
https://reason....
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oztz17JUpr0&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
https://reason.com/video/2022/05/04/great-moments-in-unintended-consequences-vol-7/
-------
Part 1: Road Kill
The year: 2012.
The problem: Driving fatalities on Texas roads!
The solution: Implement a simple, cost-effective awareness campaign by displaying crash death totals on highway message boards.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions, what could possibly go wrong?
In order to read these messages, passing motorists must look away from the road.
Accidents along roads with new displays increased by 4.5 percent within 10 km of the sign, according to one study—amounting to an additional 2,600 crashes and 16 deaths per year in Texas.
Not good news, considering more than half of states in the nation have deployed these signs on their roadways.
Part 2: Bottle Throttle
The year: 2013
The problem: Bottled water consumption at the University of Vermont creating waste!
The solution: Eliminate single-use bottled water from campus vending machines, give away reusable containers, and spend $100,000 to add filling stations around campus.
Sounds like a great idea with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Students don't always remember things, like their reusable water bottles. Faced with limited choices, a study revealed the demand for sugary drinks on campus surged 25 percent and plastic bottle use per capita had increased by 6 percent.
Some ideas shouldn't be recycled.
Part 3: No Way, Fiancé
The year: 1900
The problem: Argentine bachelors sucking up valuable resources without producing more citizens.
The solution: A bachelor tax! A strangely popular feature of the time, but with a special waiver for those gentlemen whose proposals were turned down. No need to pour salt in that wound come tax day.
Sounds like a bizarrely antiquated idea, with the best of intentions, what could possibly go wrong?
The tax exemption gave rise to an entirely new vocation: professional rejectors! These entrepreneurial ladies would swear to authorities that a gentleman tried—and failed—to win their hand. And all for a fraction of the cost of the tax itself.
Proving the old adage: you can't buy love, but rejection is on sale.
Written and produced by Meredith and Austin Bragg; narrated by Austin Bragg.
https://wn.com/Great_Moments_In_Unintended_Consequences_(Vol._7)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oztz17JUpr0&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
https://reason.com/video/2022/05/04/great-moments-in-unintended-consequences-vol-7/
-------
Part 1: Road Kill
The year: 2012.
The problem: Driving fatalities on Texas roads!
The solution: Implement a simple, cost-effective awareness campaign by displaying crash death totals on highway message boards.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions, what could possibly go wrong?
In order to read these messages, passing motorists must look away from the road.
Accidents along roads with new displays increased by 4.5 percent within 10 km of the sign, according to one study—amounting to an additional 2,600 crashes and 16 deaths per year in Texas.
Not good news, considering more than half of states in the nation have deployed these signs on their roadways.
Part 2: Bottle Throttle
The year: 2013
The problem: Bottled water consumption at the University of Vermont creating waste!
The solution: Eliminate single-use bottled water from campus vending machines, give away reusable containers, and spend $100,000 to add filling stations around campus.
Sounds like a great idea with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Students don't always remember things, like their reusable water bottles. Faced with limited choices, a study revealed the demand for sugary drinks on campus surged 25 percent and plastic bottle use per capita had increased by 6 percent.
Some ideas shouldn't be recycled.
Part 3: No Way, Fiancé
The year: 1900
The problem: Argentine bachelors sucking up valuable resources without producing more citizens.
The solution: A bachelor tax! A strangely popular feature of the time, but with a special waiver for those gentlemen whose proposals were turned down. No need to pour salt in that wound come tax day.
Sounds like a bizarrely antiquated idea, with the best of intentions, what could possibly go wrong?
The tax exemption gave rise to an entirely new vocation: professional rejectors! These entrepreneurial ladies would swear to authorities that a gentleman tried—and failed—to win their hand. And all for a fraction of the cost of the tax itself.
Proving the old adage: you can't buy love, but rejection is on sale.
Written and produced by Meredith and Austin Bragg; narrated by Austin Bragg.
- published: 04 May 2022
- views: 303300
4:20
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Bird Nets, CA Prop 65, & Carbon Credit Loophole (Vol. 12)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lUrH4Sbgh8&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK&index=1
Do you know...
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lUrH4Sbgh8&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK&index=1
Do you know a great moment in unintended consequences? Leave a comment or email us at
[email protected].
-----
Part One: Net Benefits
The year: 2012
The problem: Birds are congregating on the Texas Medical Center campus and doing…bird things.
The solution: Attach nets to the large oak trees on campus, forcing birds to take their business elsewhere.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Turns out, birds eat bugs. With the birds gone, the trees became a haven for cute furry-looking critters that happen to be North America's most venomous caterpillar. Contact with these toxic misery tribbles can cause intense radiating pain, vomiting, fever, convulsions, paralysis, and even death. With nets up and apex predators gone, researchers determined the population of these comb-over pain merchants increased by a whopping 7,300 percent. Bad news for anyone, but especially a vulnerable population seeking health care at, say, oh, I don't know, a medical center campus.
You know what they say: Flock around and find out.
Part Two: Prop Comedy
The year: 1986
The problem: toxins in California!
The solution: Proposition 65! A ballot initiative that included a provision making it illegal for businesses to "expose individuals to chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity without first giving clear and reasonable warning."
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
When the warning requirements were established in 1988, 235 chemicals made the cut. Today there are over 900 compounds on the Proposition 65 list, including alcoholic drinks, Chinese-style salted fish, and wood dust. Even cocaine is on the list, so if your eight ball doesn't have a warning label, your dealer is breaking the law.
With penalties for noncompliance including fines of up to $2,500 per violation per day and overzealous litigators looking for their cut, business owners came to the rational conclusion that the cost of a label was less than the cost of litigation. The result? Warning labels everywhere regardless of the severity of risk or degree of exposure. In bars, restaurants, hotels, spas, ski resorts, schools, and Disneyland. On golf clubs, lamps, toasters, kids toys, sunglasses, potato chips, pancakes, pumpkin puree, and even trees. These signs have become so common that one study found Californians have learned simply to ignore them.
But, we don't wanna get sued either, so…
Warning: This video contains information on Prop. 65, known to the state of California to cause ambiguity between things that are dangerous and things that are harmless. For more information, go to holycrapthisisreallynotworkingoutthewaywehadplanned.ca.gov
Part Three: Cold Hard Cash
The year: 2005
The problem: Greenhouse gases are destroying the planet!
The solution: A system devised by the United Nations (U.N.) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change rewards companies disposing polluting gasses with carbon credits, which can later be turned into cash. The more harmful the gas being disposed, the more credits are awarded.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Hydrofluorocarbon-23 (HFC-23), a manufacturing byproduct of the common coolant hydrochlorofluorocarbon-22 (HCFC-22), was seen as particularly harmful, allowing a large number of credits when destroyed. So manufacturers—predominantly in India and China—ramped up production of the coolant, creating more of the dangerous byproduct, which they immediately destroyed. The system netted the manufacturers tens of millions of dollars a year. Some producers made twice as much from the tax credit than from sales of the actual refrigerant.
Increased manufacturing of the coolant, itself a contributor to global warming, kept the market price competitively low, discouraging air conditioning and refrigeration companies from switching to less harmful alternatives.
When the U.N. announced a plan to stop the scheme, Chinese producers threatened to vent their huge stockpile of the gas directly into the atmosphere—what some activists labeled environmental extortion.
Nice climate you got there.
Great moments in unintended consequences: good intentions, bad results.
Do you know a great moment in unintended consequences? Email us at
[email protected].
Photo credit: Carterhawk/Wikimedia; Judy Gallagher/Flickr
https://wn.com/Great_Moments_In_Unintended_Consequences_Bird_Nets,_Ca_Prop_65,_Carbon_Credit_Loophole_(Vol._12)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lUrH4Sbgh8&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK&index=1
Do you know a great moment in unintended consequences? Leave a comment or email us at
[email protected].
-----
Part One: Net Benefits
The year: 2012
The problem: Birds are congregating on the Texas Medical Center campus and doing…bird things.
The solution: Attach nets to the large oak trees on campus, forcing birds to take their business elsewhere.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Turns out, birds eat bugs. With the birds gone, the trees became a haven for cute furry-looking critters that happen to be North America's most venomous caterpillar. Contact with these toxic misery tribbles can cause intense radiating pain, vomiting, fever, convulsions, paralysis, and even death. With nets up and apex predators gone, researchers determined the population of these comb-over pain merchants increased by a whopping 7,300 percent. Bad news for anyone, but especially a vulnerable population seeking health care at, say, oh, I don't know, a medical center campus.
You know what they say: Flock around and find out.
Part Two: Prop Comedy
The year: 1986
The problem: toxins in California!
The solution: Proposition 65! A ballot initiative that included a provision making it illegal for businesses to "expose individuals to chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity without first giving clear and reasonable warning."
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
When the warning requirements were established in 1988, 235 chemicals made the cut. Today there are over 900 compounds on the Proposition 65 list, including alcoholic drinks, Chinese-style salted fish, and wood dust. Even cocaine is on the list, so if your eight ball doesn't have a warning label, your dealer is breaking the law.
With penalties for noncompliance including fines of up to $2,500 per violation per day and overzealous litigators looking for their cut, business owners came to the rational conclusion that the cost of a label was less than the cost of litigation. The result? Warning labels everywhere regardless of the severity of risk or degree of exposure. In bars, restaurants, hotels, spas, ski resorts, schools, and Disneyland. On golf clubs, lamps, toasters, kids toys, sunglasses, potato chips, pancakes, pumpkin puree, and even trees. These signs have become so common that one study found Californians have learned simply to ignore them.
But, we don't wanna get sued either, so…
Warning: This video contains information on Prop. 65, known to the state of California to cause ambiguity between things that are dangerous and things that are harmless. For more information, go to holycrapthisisreallynotworkingoutthewaywehadplanned.ca.gov
Part Three: Cold Hard Cash
The year: 2005
The problem: Greenhouse gases are destroying the planet!
The solution: A system devised by the United Nations (U.N.) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change rewards companies disposing polluting gasses with carbon credits, which can later be turned into cash. The more harmful the gas being disposed, the more credits are awarded.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Hydrofluorocarbon-23 (HFC-23), a manufacturing byproduct of the common coolant hydrochlorofluorocarbon-22 (HCFC-22), was seen as particularly harmful, allowing a large number of credits when destroyed. So manufacturers—predominantly in India and China—ramped up production of the coolant, creating more of the dangerous byproduct, which they immediately destroyed. The system netted the manufacturers tens of millions of dollars a year. Some producers made twice as much from the tax credit than from sales of the actual refrigerant.
Increased manufacturing of the coolant, itself a contributor to global warming, kept the market price competitively low, discouraging air conditioning and refrigeration companies from switching to less harmful alternatives.
When the U.N. announced a plan to stop the scheme, Chinese producers threatened to vent their huge stockpile of the gas directly into the atmosphere—what some activists labeled environmental extortion.
Nice climate you got there.
Great moments in unintended consequences: good intentions, bad results.
Do you know a great moment in unintended consequences? Email us at
[email protected].
Photo credit: Carterhawk/Wikimedia; Judy Gallagher/Flickr
- published: 14 Jul 2023
- views: 411762
2:33
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences (Vol. 3)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
--------------...
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
------------------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ReasonTV?sub_confirmation=1
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason
Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.
----------------
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WRDwCep25k&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
Window Wealth
The Year: 1696
The Problem: Britain needs money.
The Solution: Tax windows! A residence's number of windows increases with relative wealth and is easily observed and verified from afar. A perfect revenue generator is born!
Sounds like a great idea! With the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
To avoid higher taxes, houses were built with fewer windows, and existing windows were bricked up. Tenements were charged as single dwellings, putting them in a higher tax bracket, which then led to rising rents or windowless apartments. The lack of ventilation and sunlight led to greater disease prevalence, stunted growth, and one rather irate Charles Dickens.
It took more than 150 years for politicians to see the error of their ways—perhaps because their view was blocked by bricks.
Loonie Ladies
The Year: 1992
The Problem: Nude dancing is degrading to women and ruining the moral fabric of
Alberta, Canada.
The Solution: Establish a one-meter buffer zone between patrons and dancers.
Sounds like total buzzkill! With puritanical intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out that dancers earn most of their money in the form of tips, and dollar bills don't fly through the air very well. Thus, the measure designed to protect dancers from degrading treatment resulted in "the loonie toss"—a creepy ritual where naked women are pelted with Canadian one-dollar coins, which are known as loonies.
Way to make the ladies feel special, Alberta.
Gallant Grocers
The Year: 2021
The Problem: Local bureaucrats need to look like they care.
The Solution: Mandate that grocery stores provide "hero pay" to their workers.
Sounds like a great idea! With the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Besides the fact that these ordinances may preempt federal labor and equal protection laws, a 28 percent pay raise for employees can be catastrophic to grocery stores that traditionally operate on razor-thin margins. As a result, many underperforming stores closed, resulting in a "hero pay" of sudden unemployment.
Don't spend it all in one place!
Written and produced by Meredith and Austin Bragg; narrated by Austin Bragg
https://wn.com/Great_Moments_In_Unintended_Consequences_(Vol._3)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
------------------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ReasonTV?sub_confirmation=1
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason
Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.
----------------
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WRDwCep25k&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
Window Wealth
The Year: 1696
The Problem: Britain needs money.
The Solution: Tax windows! A residence's number of windows increases with relative wealth and is easily observed and verified from afar. A perfect revenue generator is born!
Sounds like a great idea! With the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
To avoid higher taxes, houses were built with fewer windows, and existing windows were bricked up. Tenements were charged as single dwellings, putting them in a higher tax bracket, which then led to rising rents or windowless apartments. The lack of ventilation and sunlight led to greater disease prevalence, stunted growth, and one rather irate Charles Dickens.
It took more than 150 years for politicians to see the error of their ways—perhaps because their view was blocked by bricks.
Loonie Ladies
The Year: 1992
The Problem: Nude dancing is degrading to women and ruining the moral fabric of
Alberta, Canada.
The Solution: Establish a one-meter buffer zone between patrons and dancers.
Sounds like total buzzkill! With puritanical intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out that dancers earn most of their money in the form of tips, and dollar bills don't fly through the air very well. Thus, the measure designed to protect dancers from degrading treatment resulted in "the loonie toss"—a creepy ritual where naked women are pelted with Canadian one-dollar coins, which are known as loonies.
Way to make the ladies feel special, Alberta.
Gallant Grocers
The Year: 2021
The Problem: Local bureaucrats need to look like they care.
The Solution: Mandate that grocery stores provide "hero pay" to their workers.
Sounds like a great idea! With the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Besides the fact that these ordinances may preempt federal labor and equal protection laws, a 28 percent pay raise for employees can be catastrophic to grocery stores that traditionally operate on razor-thin margins. As a result, many underperforming stores closed, resulting in a "hero pay" of sudden unemployment.
Don't spend it all in one place!
Written and produced by Meredith and Austin Bragg; narrated by Austin Bragg
- published: 07 May 2021
- views: 375093
3:43
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences (Vol. 5)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
---------------...
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
------------------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ReasonTV?sub_confirmation=1
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason
Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.
----------------
Here are even more of Reason's "great moments in unintended consequences"—stories of when something that sounds like a terrific idea goes horribly wrong.
Part 1: The Transcontinental Tango
The year: 1862.
The problem: There's no railroad connecting coastal elites!
The solution: Pay rail companies for each mile of track laid for a brand new transcontinental railroad.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
While Congress has never been great at keeping an eye on spending, it's even worse at it during a Civil War. With no one looking, the Union Pacific unnecessarily lengthened the route, adding miles of track and pocketing almost half a million dollars.
After two and a half years of construction, the Union Pacific laid track all the way from Omaha to…40 miles outside of Omaha.
I choo-choo-choose to screw taxpayers.
Part 2: Burning Cash
The year: 2012.
The problem: An over-reliance on fossil fuels in Northern Ireland.
The solution: A subsidy for heat generated from renewable sources.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, it turns out the rate paid by the subsidy was greater than the cost of the fuel being used—so the more wood pellets you burned, the greater your profit. Voila: the "Cash for Ash" program, with farmers heating empty buildings just to collect a paycheck.
In the fallout, Northern Ireland's first minister refused to stand aside during any inquiry, the deputy first minister resigned in protest, the Northern Ireland Assembly dissolved, and the executive branch collapsed for almost three full years.
Not to mention a whole lot of taxpayer dollars up in smoke.
Part 3. All right, fine. We'll do the cobra thing.
The year: Uhhh…some time in the 19th century? Maybe? Not sure. Might not even be true. Who knows?
The problem: The English colonial city of Delhi is infested with venomous cobras.
The solution: Give money to anyone who brings in a dead cobra.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
It didn't take long for folks to realize that the bounty paid for a dead cobra was greater than the cost of raising a cobra. Once city officials got wind of lucrative snake breeding farms, they repealed the bounty—leading cobra farmers to release their now worthless snakes into the wild. Net result: more cobras than ever, a lot of wasted cash, and a book by a German guy with a title that sounds like it's straight out of G.I. Joe.
While the veracity of the cobra story is hard to pin down, a similar story was documented in Hanoi under French colonial rule—only this time the issue was rats, with a bounty paid for every rat tail brought to the authorities. It wasn't long before officials began to notice rats without tails, having been set free by rat catchers with a basic understanding of economics.
But don't worry, we learned our lesson and it never happened ag—
In Fort Benning, Georgia, where the feral pig population was out of control, the bounty—for some forehead slapping reason—was pig tails, which once again…blah, blah, blah…more pigs.
They eventually discontinued the bounty, so don't worry, everything is swine now.
Great moments in unintended consequences. Good intentions, bad results.
Written and produced by Meredith and Austin Bragg; narrated by Austin Bragg.
https://wn.com/Great_Moments_In_Unintended_Consequences_(Vol._5)
Good intentions, bad results.
Watch the whole series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hwuRkJMo_4&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9XhnH7vVh_7C65wJbaBECK
------------------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ReasonTV?sub_confirmation=1
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason
Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.
----------------
Here are even more of Reason's "great moments in unintended consequences"—stories of when something that sounds like a terrific idea goes horribly wrong.
Part 1: The Transcontinental Tango
The year: 1862.
The problem: There's no railroad connecting coastal elites!
The solution: Pay rail companies for each mile of track laid for a brand new transcontinental railroad.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
While Congress has never been great at keeping an eye on spending, it's even worse at it during a Civil War. With no one looking, the Union Pacific unnecessarily lengthened the route, adding miles of track and pocketing almost half a million dollars.
After two and a half years of construction, the Union Pacific laid track all the way from Omaha to…40 miles outside of Omaha.
I choo-choo-choose to screw taxpayers.
Part 2: Burning Cash
The year: 2012.
The problem: An over-reliance on fossil fuels in Northern Ireland.
The solution: A subsidy for heat generated from renewable sources.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, it turns out the rate paid by the subsidy was greater than the cost of the fuel being used—so the more wood pellets you burned, the greater your profit. Voila: the "Cash for Ash" program, with farmers heating empty buildings just to collect a paycheck.
In the fallout, Northern Ireland's first minister refused to stand aside during any inquiry, the deputy first minister resigned in protest, the Northern Ireland Assembly dissolved, and the executive branch collapsed for almost three full years.
Not to mention a whole lot of taxpayer dollars up in smoke.
Part 3. All right, fine. We'll do the cobra thing.
The year: Uhhh…some time in the 19th century? Maybe? Not sure. Might not even be true. Who knows?
The problem: The English colonial city of Delhi is infested with venomous cobras.
The solution: Give money to anyone who brings in a dead cobra.
Sounds like a great idea, with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong?
It didn't take long for folks to realize that the bounty paid for a dead cobra was greater than the cost of raising a cobra. Once city officials got wind of lucrative snake breeding farms, they repealed the bounty—leading cobra farmers to release their now worthless snakes into the wild. Net result: more cobras than ever, a lot of wasted cash, and a book by a German guy with a title that sounds like it's straight out of G.I. Joe.
While the veracity of the cobra story is hard to pin down, a similar story was documented in Hanoi under French colonial rule—only this time the issue was rats, with a bounty paid for every rat tail brought to the authorities. It wasn't long before officials began to notice rats without tails, having been set free by rat catchers with a basic understanding of economics.
But don't worry, we learned our lesson and it never happened ag—
In Fort Benning, Georgia, where the feral pig population was out of control, the bounty—for some forehead slapping reason—was pig tails, which once again…blah, blah, blah…more pigs.
They eventually discontinued the bounty, so don't worry, everything is swine now.
Great moments in unintended consequences. Good intentions, bad results.
Written and produced by Meredith and Austin Bragg; narrated by Austin Bragg.
- published: 14 Jan 2022
- views: 417438