I’ve complained many times about government intervention in the financial sector. The financial and housing crisis, for instance, was largely a consequence of the Federal Reserve’s easy-money policy, combined with the system of corrupt subsidies put in place by…
Daily Analysis
A New Member of the Moocher Hall of Fame
About one year ago, I decided to create a “Moocher Hall of Fame” to highlight how certain people went above and beyond the call of indolence in their efforts to sponge off taxpayers. This award isn’t for ordinary deadbeats. You have to do something really special (the…
Should Companies Do What’s Best for Government, or Should They Do What’s Best for Workers, Consumers, and Shareholders?
I’m in favor of free markets. That means I’m sometimes on the same side as big business, but it also means that I’m often very critical of big business. That’s because large companies are largely amoral. Depending on the issue, they may be on the side of the angels,…
A Gun Graphic that Will Depress Your Leftist Friends
It’s easy to get discouraged if you believe in small government and individual liberty. It seems that the burden of the public sector is always expanding and that politicians and bureaucrats are always figuring out new ways to restrict our freedoms. But let’s not lose…
Another Amazing Example of Government Stupidity and Political Correctness
If you had to pick the most inane, pointless, and intrusive example of government stupidity, what would you pick? We have lots of examples of regulators running amok. Regulations making it difficult for trucking firms to weed out drunk drivers. Year-long sting…
Some Good News on Tax Reform (If You Prefer the Flat Tax over the National Sales Tax)
I’m ecumenical on tax reform. I’ll support any plan that rips up the internal revenue code and instead lowers tax rates, reduces double taxation, and cuts out distorting loopholes. And as I explain in this interview, both the flat tax and national sales tax have a low…
More Obamacare Failure
If Obamacare is a success, as the White House and establishment media would like us to believe, then why is the Obama Administration so anxious to hide the numbers? After all, surely we haven’t set the bar so low that the Administration can claim victory simply…
Will Taxpayers Be Forced to Bail Out Union Pensions?
As a supporter of genuine capitalism, which means the right of contract and the absence of coercion, I don’t think there should be any policies that help or hinder unions. The government should simply be a neutral referee that enforces contracts and upholds the rule…
Tax Day Fantasies
I realize this may be a thought crime by DC standards, but it sure would be nice to eliminate the high tax rates that undermine economic growth and reduce American competitiveness. At the risk of sharing too much information, I fantasize about a world without…
Are You Getting Your Money’s Worth from Washington?
Last year, I conducted an informal poll at a conference in Paris. I explained to the audience that the public sector consumed about 57 percent of the French economy and I asked them whether they got more services and better government than the people of Germany (where…