I think libertarianism is the philosophy that best reflects human decency, but I sometimes wonder why libertarians aren’t more persuasive and why there aren’t any libertarian societies. However, maybe there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve been asked by several readers to comment on the debate about whether America is enjoying a libertarian phase, particularly among […]
read more...Last month, I put together a list of six jaw-dropping examples of left-wing hypocrisy, one of which featured Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew. He made the list for having the chutzpah to criticize corporate inversions on the basis of supposed economic patriotism, even though he invested lots of money via the Cayman Islands when he was a crony capitalist at Citigroup. But it turns […]
read more...As a libertarian, it’s easy for me to get agitated about the theoretical burden of high taxes, wasteful spending, and costly regulation. But even regular people should get upset when they get exposed to specific examples of individuals who are victimized by abusive government. Regarding the particular topic of Second Amendment freedoms and government misbehavior, I […]
read more...Which nation has the most costly bureaucracy? Well, if the answer is based solely on how much it costs to employ bureaucrats, you can see from this chart that Denmark comes in first place. As an American taxpayer, I’m glad to learn that there are other nations that squander more money on civil servants. But I get […]
read more...With all the controversy over the failed and costly Obamacare program, it’s understandable that other entitlements aren’t getting much attention. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t serious problems with Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. Indeed, the annual Social Security Trustees Report was released a few days ago and the updated numbers for the government-run retirement program are rather sobering. Thanks in part to sloppy journalism, many […]
read more...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 mildly supportive such as: “I like the idea of getting government out of my wallet and […]
read more...I’m a long-time proponent of the flat tax for three simple reasons. 1. It replaces the discriminatory “progressive” tax with a single tax rate at the lowest possible level, thus reducing the tax penalty on productive behavior. 2. It gets rid of all forms of double taxation, such as the death tax and capital gains tax, meaning economic activity is never taxed more […]
read more...Have you ever wondered why, in a hypothetical match-up, the American people would elect Ronald Reagan over Barack Obama in a landslide? And have you ever wondered why Americans rate Reagan as the best post-WWII President and put Obama in last place? There are probably a couple of reasons for these polling numbers, but I suspect one reason […]
read more...Since I’m an economist, I generally support competition. But it’s time to admit that competition isn’t always a good idea. Particularly when international bureaucracies compete to see which one can promote the most-destructive pro-tax policies. For instance, I noted early last year that the bureaucrats at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) were pushing a […]
read more...Some people confuse being libertarian with being libertine. I’m sometimes asked, for instance, if I’m a libertarian because I want to smoke pot or do other drugs. I respond that I’ve never done drugs and have no desire to use drugs. Then I’m asked if I’m a libertarian because I want to gamble. I respond by saying […]
read more...