America's ethanol subsidy, which has led to a huge rise in production, rocketing maize prices and consequent rioting in Mexico, is the sharpest example of why government should not pick winners: once the fertiliser and fuel used in corn production are taken into account, ethanol is probably not much greener than petrol.
It is the losers, not the winners who write this particular version of history.
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The presidential candidates have promised to concede defeat if they are not declared winners.
Oh well, Americans are nothing if not ambitious winners, and because they are, a lack of real growth to them was unnatural.
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If people would only cooperate not to bid asset prices above their fundamental values, then there would not be winners and losers when prices spike and crash.
The newspapers predicted he would lift the economic gloom by guiding the national team to glory in the World Cup - not as winners, of course, but certainly as qualifiers for the second round.
Second, governments should not pick winners or give out extensive subsidies. (Translation: Ethanol is a bad idea, and other existing "renewables, " such as wind power, are unlikely to ever be more than a niche source.) Better to have a small carbon tax to place a price floor for competing technologies, and offer large cash prizes, similar to the X-Prize for private space flight, for specified energy breakthroughs.
When designed well, a results-based finance program does not try to pick winners, does not distort markets, and achieves a very high social return per dollar invested.
Winners are not judged, especially when the judges are appointed by the winners.
The team championship was introduced in 1958, which is why Alfa Romeo (winners of the 1950 title with Alberto Ascari) and Mercedes-Benz (winners in 1954 with Juan Manuel Fangio) are not classed as debut winners.
Governments should not pick business winners and losers according to former Massachusetts Governor, W. Mitt Romney.
Stocks failed to extend early gains Tuesday, but the listless session was not without its winners and losers.
The session was not without its winners, few more so than Generac Holdings.
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Everyone should have those folks at their fingertips, not just lottery winners.
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It is not just the winners of the competition that will be off to Dortmund in Germany in June for the official Robot World Cup.
The film festival is now being run by new artistic director, Chris Fujiwara, who will make a shortlist for the awards but will not pick the winners.
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They argue that we should not be extending credit at a time when we are broke, we should not be picking winners and losers, and that these sorts of transactions amount to crony capitalism and favor big businesses.
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Importantly, the losers did not experience an increase in truancy compared to otherwise similar students who did not participate in the lottery, meaning that the lottery has increased motivation among winners, not decreased it among losers.
As Solyndra and other stimulus debacles confirm, governments are not good at picking winners.
For the most part, the big winners are not the rich or the poor, but the middle-class.
There is yet a second reason why picking winners is not pure folly for the ordinary investor.
But the winners will not be able to attach a conventional bit of political bling to their business cards.
In capitalism, the winners do not eat the losers but teach them how to win through the spread of information.
Free market economics is not about a few winners doing really well and then prosperity trickling down to everyone else.
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"You may not know who the winners are up front, " says Deshpande.
But investing in the innovation framework must not mean picking technology winners.
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