It’s time to add to our collection of horror stories from the U.K.’s government-run healthcare system (previous examples can be found here,here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here,here, here, here, here, here, and here). What makes today’s story different,…
Daily Analysis
An Italian Doctor Joins the Bureaucrat Hall of Fame
In April of 2013, I introduced a Moocher Hall of Fame to “celebrate” some very odious examples of welfare dependency. Since that time, I keep thinking that it’s time to do something similar for government bureaucrats. This compilation from last December would be a…
It Doesn’t Seem Possible, but France Is Going from Bad to Worse
Remember when Paul Krugman warned that there was a plot against France? He asserted that critics wanted to undermine the great success of France’s social model. I agreed with Krugman, at least in the limited sense that there is a plot against France. But I explained…
Encouraging Polling Data…Plus Disturbing Policy Developments from Russia and the United Kingdom
The polling data I shared last month about confused young people was a bit of a downer, so let’s look at three different polls that are a bit more encouraging. First, I’m glad to see that many Americans feel that government and politicians are their leading cause of…
What Happens When Libertarian Fantasies Become Reality?
No, this post is not about that kind of fantasy. Instead, we’re dealing strictly with public policy and specifically addressing whether the libertarian agenda is unrealistic. This is because when I talk to people about libertarianism, they often will say something…
The Trans-Atlantic Version of Great Moments in Government-Run Healthcare
When government suppresses the free market and takes over the healthcare sector, you get some really odd results. Consider these stories from Sweden: A man sewing up his own leg after getting frustrated with a long wait. The government denying a wheelchair to a…
European Politicians Love the Underground Economy…When It Means They Can Spend More Money
Libertarians tend to like – or at least have a grudging respect for – the underground economy. For instance, even if we’re personally very straight-laced, we don’t like government prohibitions against gambling, drugs, and prostitution. This is why we’re not upset when…
Everything You Need to Know about Greece
We’re going to touch on two topics today. I realize that not that many readers care about Greek economic policy, but sometimes other nations can teach us very important lessons. For better orworse. And in the case of Greece, the lesson is that government intervention…
Another Great Moment in Government-Manufactured Human Rights
As part of my “great moments” in government series, I periodically share stories about really foolish regulations and really wasteful spending. And sometimes I’ll even have a story that combines dumb regulation and boondoggle spending. For instance, you won’t believe…
More Evidence for the Laffer Curve and Lower Corporate Tax Rates
When the new Tory-led government came to power in the United Kingdom, I was rather unimpressed. David Cameron positioned himself as a British version of George W. Bush, full of “compassionate conservative” ideas to expand the burden of government. But even worse than…