How was anything ever invented before government started “investing” in new technologies? One wonders these things, given the seriousness with which Keynesians seem to believe that if they don’t choose the economic winners and then throw large sums of money at them –…
Daily Analysis
The Other Corrupt DC Government
We spend a lot of time pointing out the asinine and corrupt federal policies which come out of Washington, DC. But there’s another government in DC, and it’s also filled with petty tyrants who make bad policy in order to benefit special interests. That the…
Arguing about Class-Warfare Taxation with Robert Reich
I was on Larry Kudlow’s CNBC show recently, where I debated against Robert Reich. I made (what I hope are) good points about the Laffer Curve and the big-government policies of both Bush and Obama. The bad news, as least from a personal perspective, is that the last…
Andrew Sullivan Has No Idea What He’s Talking about, but I Agree with His Conclusion
Even though he’s become rather partisan in recent years, I still enjoy an occasional visit to Andrew Sullivan’s blog. But I was rather amused last night when I read one of his posts, in which he was discussing whether government spending helps or hurts economic…
IMF Recommendation for Europe: Double Down on the Approach that Caused the Sovereign Debt Crisis
Many European nations face a sovereign debt crisis because of excessive spending caused by too much redistribution. The obvious – and only – solution to this crisis is to reverse the policies that caused the problem. So take a wild guess about what the International…
Are Unions a Net Plus or Net Minus for America?
The libertarian position is that government should be totally neutral whenever there is a conflict between labor and management. Unfortunately, politicians usually tilt the playing field in favor of unions, largely in response to big campaign contributions. This issue…
Former Top Economic Aide for Obama Admits Threat of Lost Decade
Larry Summers served as Chairman of the National Economic Council for Barack Obama, so it is rather remarkable that he is admitting that the economy is in deep trouble and that America may be on the verge of long-term, Japanese-style stagnation. Here’s part of what he…
Amazon Abandoning Greedy States with Online Retail Taxes
In continued news of people responding to tax competition, online retail giant Amazon.com Inc. has announced it is scrapping deals in Arkansas and Connecticut due to new legislation requiring new online retail taxes. As the Wall Street Journal reported: Amazon.com…
Individualism Is Good for Growth, not Collectivism
There are lots of things that are important for a good life and a prosperous, well-functioning society, including family and community. But something else that belongs on the list, at least if you want more growth, is individualism. Here’s an excerpt from a new study…
Boost Economic Growth by Slashing the Size of Government
It doesn’t get much attention, but one of the most interesting economic experiments in American history occurred right after World War II. Despite warnings of Armageddon from Keynesian economists, government spending was slashed as the United States demobilized from…