The search seedlings are sprouting nicely, so it is time for a second episode of "Virtually Unregulated" Watch, the continuing effort to see what's haunting the regulatory mindscape. (In case you missed it, and you probably did, Episode 1 is here.)
"Virtually Unregulated" search at Google News--December 16, 2010--found the following subjects on the minds of virtual regulators:
1. Retailer restocking fees. "[Sen. Chuck Schumer]...wants the FTC to determine if failing to disclose the restocking fee is a deceptive practice and to require retailers to prominently display that the fee will be charged."
2. Elder-care mediation (a voluntary service). "'Just about anyone can hang out a shingle and say they're an elder mediator,' said Penny Hommel, co-director of the nonprofit Center for Social Gerontology in Ann Arbor, Mich."
3. Long Island Power Authority. "LIPA operates virtually unregulated. The board of trustees is appointed by the governor and state legislative leaders, and the Public Service Commission has limited jurisdiction."
4. "AIG and other insurance companies" -- from a commenter on a brief story about Ben Bernanke
5. Hedge funds. But, no call to arms here. Clearly bucking the trend in usage of the phrase.
6. Advertising of "ultra-processed foods and drinks." Article by "nutrition and public policy expert Marion Nestle" (no relation?) and brought to you by Cookie Crisp® cereal. Just kidding about that last part.
7. Fishing catches (looking back to a 1967 column as representing "the virtually unregulated days")
8. Agricultural Labor in Southern Florida. "In the world of agricultural industry, a world sustained by virtually unregulated labor, it is large corporations that decide both prices and working conditions."
9. "Credit companies"--again from a commenter. Article is about record debt-to-income ratio among Canadians.
10. "...the sprawling derivatives market, hedge funds and private equity, all dimly lit corners of the financial world..." Never fear: "Proposed rules issued by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission showed regulators stepping cautiously as they implement hundreds of new regulations mandated in July by Congress."
That's it for VUW #2. Watch this space for future snapshots of how this panic-inducing phrase is being bandied about. Or, heck, run your own search. It's a virtually freeish country.
a non-aggression project
Showing posts with label regulation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label regulation. Show all posts
16 December, 2010
10 October, 2010
"Virtually Unregulated" Watch
A new feature here at Vox Politico...
The origin is straightforward: the past few years (at least) I have noticed that the phrase "virtually unregulated" has become a standard rhetorical alarm, often triggered while calling for--of course--new regulations on whatever realm of activity the speaker has targeted.
Research for this feature is also straightforward, but it's not because I'm lazy (not that I'm not lazy). No, the idea is to take an ether sample by which to assay the ambitions of bureaucrats, legislators, would-be politicians and, especially, cheerleaders for ever more government regulation.
Thus, the method for VUW will be to examine the top Google News results for the phrase "virtually unregulated"and report here the breakdown of topics and any other aspects that stand out. (Using Google News because plain vanilla Google results included some rather dated articles.) So, here we go.
"Virtually Unregulated" search at Google
October 15, 2010 results:
1. casualisation (I'd never heard of it either)
2. fishing and hunting...100+ years ago
3. communications (This one seems to use the key phrase in a non-fear-mongering way.)
4. tax sales (Another strange one.)
5. "rise of poker machines"
6. independent caregivers (in Mesa County, CO)
7. the service sector -- "Across the country, the service sector employs millions at shopping corridors, stadiums and tourist zones, locations that go virtually unregulated by labor laws or include special exemptions like the restaurant industry tip credit." [more]
8. immigration...in Sweden
It's an odd collection, yet one can glean from even this quick view of the data an interest in controlling how people earn a living, where they live and how they entertain themselves. No big surprises there, but we shall see what future samples of the Net add to this.
The origin is straightforward: the past few years (at least) I have noticed that the phrase "virtually unregulated" has become a standard rhetorical alarm, often triggered while calling for--of course--new regulations on whatever realm of activity the speaker has targeted.
Research for this feature is also straightforward, but it's not because I'm lazy (not that I'm not lazy). No, the idea is to take an ether sample by which to assay the ambitions of bureaucrats, legislators, would-be politicians and, especially, cheerleaders for ever more government regulation.
Thus, the method for VUW will be to examine the top Google News results for the phrase "virtually unregulated"and report here the breakdown of topics and any other aspects that stand out. (Using Google News because plain vanilla Google results included some rather dated articles.) So, here we go.
"Virtually Unregulated" search at Google
October 15, 2010 results:
1. casualisation (I'd never heard of it either)
2. fishing and hunting...100+ years ago
3. communications (This one seems to use the key phrase in a non-fear-mongering way.)
4. tax sales (Another strange one.)
5. "rise of poker machines"
6. independent caregivers (in Mesa County, CO)
7. the service sector -- "Across the country, the service sector employs millions at shopping corridors, stadiums and tourist zones, locations that go virtually unregulated by labor laws or include special exemptions like the restaurant industry tip credit." [more]
8. immigration...in Sweden
It's an odd collection, yet one can glean from even this quick view of the data an interest in controlling how people earn a living, where they live and how they entertain themselves. No big surprises there, but we shall see what future samples of the Net add to this.
22 April, 2010
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