There’s a rather simple solution to Europe’s fiscal crisis, but politicians will never do the right thing unless every other option is exhausted. That’s why American taxpayers should not be involved in any sort of European bailout, either directly or indirectly. This…
Dan Mitchell
Daniel J. Mitchell is the President of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity and the Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation. Dr. Mitchell advocates limited government and fundamental tax reform, and is the nation’s leading opponent of tax harmonization schemes developed by the Brussels-based European Union, the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the United Nations.
In addition to fiscal policy, Dr. Mitchell is a trenchant observer of economic developments and an expert on Social Security reform – particularly the fiscal policy impact of reform and what the US can learn from other nations that have created personal retirement accounts.
The Italian Version of Great Moments in Government Incompetence
I periodically write posts about “Great Moments” in government. These usually feature some absurd example of stupidity and incompetence that only is possible when the world’s least competent people have power to coerce. Examples include: EU rules banning the selling…
China’s Economic Model Is Superior…if You Think U.S. Living Standards Should Drop by 80 Percent
I’m glad that China has taken some steps away from communism. According to Economic Freedom of the World, China was one of 10-worst nations for economic liberty back in 1980 and they’ve since climbed to 92nd place out of 141 nations. I’ve even offered a small bit of…
In Defense of “Trickle-Down” Economics
Back in September, I posted a flowchart showing how the current tax system is biased against saving and investment. Simply stated, the federal government largely leaves you unmolested if you consume your after-tax income, but there are as many as four extra layers of…
The Wrong Kind of Entitlement Reform Could Be Worse than No Entitlement Reform
I have a new article for National Review about the fallout from the Supercommittee. Among the points I make are: o We were lucky to dodge a tax hike. o There’s still a threat of a tax hike if big-government Republicans side with the so-called rational left in favor of…
What’s the Solution to Europe’s Fiscal Crisis: Spending Cuts, or Bailouts and Easy Money?
In hopes of stopping investor panic about Europe’s fiscal crisis, the world’s major central banks just announced that they will do whatever is needed to ensure financial markets don’t freeze up. This could be an appropriate and relatively benign use of the…
The Less-than-Thrilled Case for Extending the Payroll Tax Holiday
When I think about taxes, my first instinct is to rip up the corrupt internal revenue code and implement a simple and fair flat tax. When I think about Social Security, my first instinct is to copy dozens of other nations and implement personal retirement accounts….
Bureaucrats Gone Wild
This narrator probably won’t get rich, like the guy who did the “Girls Gone Wild” videos, but this is the second-best video I’ve ever seen on the bloated and overpaid government workforce. I especially like how he understands that the problem is the size of…
Notwithstanding Media Coverage of Black Friday, Consumer Spending Does Not Drive Economy
By fighting for freedom in Washington, I’ve condemned myself to a life of frustration and aggravation. One of my many pet peeves is that so many people in DC believe that economic growth depends on consumer spending. Back in the early days of this blog, I wrote the…
Everything You Need to Know about Entitlement Reform
Most people have a vague understanding that America has a huge long-run fiscal problem. They’re right, though they probably don’t realize the seriousness of that looming crisis. Here’s what you need to know: America’s fiscal crisis is actually a spending crisis, and…