I wrote about Julia the Moocher earlier this month, linking the Obama campaign’s make-believe leech with a real-world Greek woman who thought the government should take care of her. I also shared an amusing parody of Julia by Iowahawk (the creator of the famous Pelosi…
Daily Analysis
Rand Paul’s “Monstrous” and “Nasty” Budget Got 16 More Votes than Obama’s Budget
A few months ago, I wrote some very nice things about a budget plan put together by Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, noting that: Senator Paul and his colleagues are highlighting the fact that the plan generates a balanced budget in just five years. That’s a good…
Reformers vs the GOP Establishment: The Battle to Eliminate the Income Tax
Putting Republicans in charge is never a guarantee of good public policy. It was during the Bush years, for instance, that the nation was saddled with a prescription drug entitlement. The GOPers in the White House and on Capitol Hill also recklessly increased the…
Revolt of the Italian Tax Slaves
I wrote last year about a tax protest in Ireland, and I wrote earlier this year about a tax revolt in Greece. But Irish and Greek taxpayers are wimps compared to their Italian compatriots. When Italians decide to have a tax revolt, they don’t kid around. Here are some…
California Is the Canary in the Class-Warfare Coal Mine
President Obama’s fiscal policy is a dismal mixture. On spending, he wants a European-style welfare state. On taxes, he is fixated on class-warfare tax policy. If we want to know the consequences of that approach, we can look at the ongoing collapse of Greece. Or, if…
No Matter How Hard Obama Tries, He’ll Never Make America more Statist than France
One of my first blog posts, back in 2009, featured Veronique de Rugy in a video, warning that America should not adopt the statist policies that caused so much damage in her home country of France. Sadly (but predictably), the politicians in Washington ignored…
Will House Republicans, Squeamish about the Defense Budget, Get Bullied into a Tax Hike by President Obama and Senator Reid?
Last year, as part of the fight over the debt limit, Congress created a “super-committee” that was designed to produce at least $1.2 trillion of “deficit reduction.” The statists saw this super-committee as a vehicle to seduce Republicans into a tax hike. They knew…
Facebook Billionaire Gives Up Citizenship to Escape Bad American Tax Policy
It is very sad that America’s tax system is so onerous that some rich people feel they have no choice but to give up U.S. citizenship in order to protect their family finances. I’ve written about this issue before, particularly in the context of Obama’s class-warfare…
Great Moments in Government Regulations: Special Accommodations for Pee-Shy Employees
Regulation is a hidden tax that in many cases raises the cost of creating jobs and generating wealth. Here are some staggering numbers. Americans spend 8.8 billion hours every year filling out government forms. The economy-wide cost of regulation is now $1.75…
Debunking the Austerity Charade in Europe
I wrote a detailed blog post yesterday, showing that European governments have been very reluctant to restrain the burden of government spending. Part of the problem is that the debate in Europe is a no-win exercise, pitting proponents of higher taxes (which is…