In my never-ending crusade to push for the right kind of austerity, I appeared on RT to pontificate on the merits of limited government. We got to cover a lot of material, so here’s some augmenting material. 1. The right kind of “austerity” is less government…
Daily Analysis
What’s the Better Role Model, France or Switzerland?
At the European Resource Bank conference earlier this month, Pierre Bessard from Switzerland’s Institut Liberal spoke on a panel investigating “The Link between the Weight of the State and Economic prosperity.” His presentation included two slides that definitely are…
Siding with the Heritage Foundation in the “Austerity” Fight with Paul Krugman and the Washington Post
I’m not reluctant to criticize my friends at the Heritage Foundation. In some cases, it is good-natured ribbing because of the Cato-Heritage softball rivalry, but there are also real policy disagreements. For instance, even though it is much better than current…
Other than Obama and Krugman, Is there Anybody Who Still Thinks Bigger Government Is Good for Growth?
I’ve repeatedly explained that Keynesian economics doesn’t work because any money the government spends must first be diverted from the productive sector of the economy, which means either higher taxes or more red ink. So unless one actually thinks that politicians…
Can You Find It in Your Heart to Feel Sympathy for Politicians and their Staff?
I had some fun back in April when I noted that politicians and staff on Capitol Hill were getting very agitated about having to be part of Obamacare. Well, it seems that the way the law applies to them is so costly that many of them are thinking about calling it…
I Made a $16 Trillion Mistake, but Still Had a Stronger Position in this Debate
I’ve done a handful of TV debates on Social Security, including the time I said that I wished Republicans had a secret plan for personal retirement accounts. So I thought I was well prepared for this duel with a defender of the status quo on Fox Business Network. I…
Defending Tax Havens
It goes without saying that I’m always ready to defend tax havens when statists are seeking to undermine tax competition, financial privacy, and fiscal sovereignty. So when the BBC asked if I would debate the topic, I said yes even though I’m in Paris (where…
With the Nation Facing a Fiscal Crisis, Why Are Greek Taxpayers Subsidizing a Big Bird-Type State-Run Media Network?!?
couple of years ago, I shared a chart that powerfully demonstrated why Greece was in fiscal crisis. The chart, which showed the explosive growth of the government bureaucracy, also provided some indication of why reform would be so difficult. Once a majority of a…
Obamanomics and Big Government: Bad News for Young People
I periodically post TV interviews and the second-most-watched segment – edged out only by my debate with Robert Reich on Keynesian economics – was when I discussed how President Obama’s statist policies are bad for young people. So there’s obviously some concern about…
Let’s Hope for Heavy Casualties on Both Sides in the War Between the IMF and European Commission
It is reported that Henry Kissinger, commenting on the Iran-Iraq war, said something to the effect that, “Too bad both sides can’t lose.” I imagine lots of people felt the same way when two of the world’s worst murderers, Hitler and Stalin, went to war in 1941. I have…