Author Archives : Dan Mitchell
Simple Messages about the Folly of Gun Control
Let’s start this post with some cheerful news. The statists face a huge uphill battle if their campaign to undermine our rights to keep and bear arms. If you want evidence, just look at last year’s special election defeats of two anti-Second Amendment politicians in Colorado (followed by the resignation of another state senator who feared a recall). Or remind […]
read more...Everything You Ever Needed to Know about the Left’s View of Income Inequality, Captured in a Single Image
If you want to know why the left is wrong about income inequality, you need to watch this Margaret Thatcher video. In just a few minutes, the “Iron Lady” explains how some – perhaps most – statists would be willing to reduce income for the poor if they could impose even greater damage on the rich. […]
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Are Government Bureaucrats Corrupt and Dishonest?
I don’t like government bureaucrats. Actually, let me re-phrase that statement. I know lots of people who work for different agencies in Washington and most of them seem like decent people. So maybe what I really want to say is that I’m not a big fan of government bureaucracies and the results they generate. Why? […]
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We Need “Poverty Porn” on American TV
When I posted a video about “libertarian porn” back in 2010, readers presumably were either relieved or disappointed that there was no nudity. I may get the same reaction today, because we’re going to have a discussion – but only G-rated – about what our British friends are referring to as “poverty porn.” More specifically, that’s the term […]
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Drilling More Holes in Obamacare’s Sinking Ship
The President’s main “accomplishment” has been such a disaster that I wonder whether it’s time to feel sorry for Obama. Today, we’re going to look at the opinions of two experts, both of whom expect further bad news for Obamacare. Here’s some of what Michael Tanner, my Cato colleague, wrote for the New York Post. …“the State of ObamaCare” […]
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The Best State in America Is…?
What’s the best state in America? I’m not sure I can answer that broad question, but I can address the more narrow issue of which state has the most economic freedom. Last month, for instance, I shared some data from the Canada-based Fraser Institute which showed that South Dakota was America’s most laissez-faire state, followed by Tennessee, Delaware, […]
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The Biggest Impediment for the Poor is Government, Not Inequality
A bunch of well-connected rich people and government officials are descending upon Switzerland for the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. This upsets many people, and perhaps with some justification. After all, bad things often happen when big business and big government intersect. But some folks reflexively think that wealth is bad and they would like us to believe […]
read more...New Mercatus Fiscal Ranking Shows the Real New Jersey Scandal
If you’re a libertarian, you generally don’t act and think like other people. Most folks, when they heard about Governor Christie’s bridge-closing scandal, focused on the potential political ramifications. But not me. My immediate reaction was to think that the problem could have been avoided if the bridge and its various entry points were privately […]
read more...Deconstructing Obama’s Dismal Record on Jobs
According to the most recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate has dropped to 6.7 percent. Is this good news? Well, it’s depends on your benchmark. Compared to France’s anemic economyand double-digit levels of unemployment, America is in decent shape. But if you use data from the Minneapolis Federal Reserve to compare the current business cycle […]
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