Congressman Paul Ryan, the Republican Chairman of the House Budget Committee, has unveiled the GOP’s latest budget plan. Is this proposal deserving of applause or criticism? The answer is yes and yes, with a bit of emphasis on the former. Let’s start with some…
Daily Analysis
Time for a Free-Market Postal System
It’s not often that I agree with the Washington Post, but a government-run monopoly is not the best way to get mail delivered. Moreover, it’s not often that I agree with the timid (andsometimes reprehensible) Tory-led government in the United Kingdom, but they just…
Canada, the Rahn Curve, and the Size of Government
Last month, I shared a very interesting video from Canada’s Fraser Institute that explored the link between economic performance and the burden of government spending. There’s now an article in the American Enterprise Institute’s online magazine about this research….
Rand Paul: A Modern-Day Horatius in the Fight to Protect Private Financial Information from Corrupt and Evil Governments
Senator Rand Paul is being criticized and condemned by the Washington establishment. That’s almost certainly a sign that he’s doing the right thing. And given the recent events in Russia and Ukraine, we should say he’s doing a great thing. This is because Senator Paul…
Libertarian Porn, Part II
Back in 2010, I shared a video that predicted a catastrophic end to the welfare state. I said it was an example of “Libertarian Porn” because: …it is designed for the dark enjoyment of people who think the government is destroying the nation. If you don’t like bloated…
Bill Gates Is Half-Right about Tax Reform
I generally get very suspicious when rich people start pontificating on tax policy. People like Warren Buffett, for instance, sometimes advocate higher taxes because they’re trying to curry favor with the political elite. Or maybe they feel compelled to say silly…
Help the Poor by Focusing on Growth Rather than Inequality
The political left obviously hopes that it can score political points by pitching some Americans against others with a campaign based on income inequality and class warfare taxation. Is there any merit to this approach? Are the less fortunate suffering because some…
Denmark’s Party Boat and the Ever-Expanding Welfare State
My all-time most-viewed blog post wasn’t the parable about beer and the tax system. Nor was it the joke about California, Texas, and the Coyote. Those won the silver and bronze trophies. The gold medal belongs to the two pictures that explain how the welfare…
Ukraine’s Biggest Problem Isn’t Putin, It’s Putinonomics
With Crimea potentially breaking away from Ukraine and the ongoing risk of conflict, it’s time to revisit the topic. I explained a few weeks ago that decentralization was one way of defusing the crisis. Now Kevin Hassett of the American Enterprise Institute has…
Secret Videotape of Obama Cabinet Meeting Unveiled!
The headline of this post might not be completely honest. Indeed, if you asked me to grade the accuracy of my title, I’ll admit right away that it falls into the “if you like your plan, you can keep your plan” category of mendacity. But I’m only prevaricating to set…