The article argues that the Federal Reserve's recent rate hike decision, while justifiable on inflation grounds, highlights a critical lack of an underlying, transparent policy framework. The core problem is that the Fed's decisions appear discretionary, leading to market uncertainty because the committee's judgment, rather than clear data, dictates policy shifts. The author proposes that the Fed adopt a formal monetary policy rule—an algebraic formula linking the target rate to indicators like inflation and unemployment—to replace subjective guidance. Implementing such a rule would provide market predictability, enhance transparency, and shield the Fed from political attacks by making deviations from the standard easily quantifiable.
FCC Threats and the Fog of War: The Government Cannot Be the Arbiter of Truth
English Summary
The article argues that the FCC's threat to revoke broadcast licenses over allegedly inaccurate war reporting represents a dangerous government overreach into content regulation and free expression. Drawing on the FCC chairman's warning to broadcasters during the Iran conflict, CATO traces how outdated Supreme Court precedents (NBC v. United States, Red Lion) grant the FCC unusually broad authority to police broadcast content under a 'public interest' standard, effectively giving broadcasters 'junior varsity' First Amendment rights. The piece contends that truth emerges through open debate in the media marketplace, not government diktat, and that wartime conditions have historically been exploited to suppress dissent—from the 1798 Sedition Act to Cold War-era broadcast suppression. CATO recommends abolishing the FCC's public interest licensing framework entirely and moving to spectrum auctions, which would eliminate the legal basis for government content regulation of broadcasters.
中文摘要
本文主張，聯邦通訊委員會（FCC）以戰爭報導allegedly不實為由威脅撤銷廣播執照，代表政府對內容監管與言論自由的危險越權。文章援引FCC主席在伊朗衝突期間對廣播業者的警告，追溯過時的最高法院判例（NBC訴美國案、紅獅案）如何賦予FCC在「公共利益」標準下異常廣泛的廣播內容管制權限，實質上使廣播業者僅享有「次等」的第一修正案權利。文章認為，真相應透過媒體市場中的公開辯論而非政府命令來呈現，而戰時環境歷來被用於壓制異見——從1798年的《煽動法》到冷戰時期的廣播審查皆然。CATO建議徹底廢除FCC的公共利益執照框架，改採頻譜拍賣制度，從根本上消除政府對廣播業者進行內容監管的法律依據。
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