I’m a lucky guy to work at the Cato Institute, and I’m especially happy to be at Cato’s Benefactor Summit in San Diego this weekend. One of our supporters, John Aglialoro, is the person most responsible for the movie version of Atlas Shrugged (he independently…
Daily Analysis
Why I Prefer the Flat Tax over the Fair Tax
I spoke at the Tea Party Patriots convention earlier today. Great people, great crowd. My job was to debate on the side of the flat tax over the fair tax. Several people asked for more information, and I promised to put this video on the blog. Long-time readers…
Can the GOP Win the Government Shutdown Fight?
When existing spending authority expires on March 4, the “non-essential” parts of the federal government will shut down unless Republicans and Democrats reach an agreement. This is causing lots of agitation in Washington, both by Democrats who don’t want the money…
One Chart that Tells You Everything You Need to Know about Whether State and Local Bureaucrats Are Over-Compensated
The showdown in Wisconsin has generated competing claims about whether state and local government bureaucrats are paid too much or paid too little compared to their private sector counterparts. The data on total compensation clearly show a big advantage for state and…
Astounding TSA Incompetence
This is really remarkable. We’re supposed to go through porno strip machines at the airport so the bureaucrats can detect firearms. Yet the Keystone Cops at the TSA in Dallas failed when an undercover agent tested their awareness by hiding a gun in her undergarments….
Let’s Listen to the French and Shrink Government
Actually, I better add an important qualifier to that title and instead say that we should listen to a specific Frenchwoman. My friend Veronique de Rugy recently testified before a House Committee and she completely kicked you-know-what.
We Should Promote Liberty in the Middle East, not Democracy
I haven’t commented on what’s been happening in Libya, Egypt, and the rest of the Arab world. This isn’t because I don’t care, but rather because I don’t have much knowledge about the area and I’m not sure what, if anything, the United States should do. Or could do. I…
A Rather Depressing Article about the Human Cost of the Welfare State
This story from the Manhattan Institute’s City Journal makes the point, excerpted below, that the welfare state subsidizes dysfunctional behavior. But read the story to understand how big government destroys lives, ruins families, and creates inter-generational…
Spending Restraint Works: Examples from Around the World
America faces a fiscal crisis. The burden of federal spending has doubled during the Bush-Obama years, a $2 trillion increase in just 10 years. But that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Because of demographic changes and poorly designed entitlement programs,…
Compared to the Reagan Era, the Bush-Obama Years Have Been a Fiscal Nightmare
Since February is the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s birth and I still haven’t gotten over my man-crush on the Gipper, I figured it would be interesting to look at Reagan’s fiscal record, particularly to see whether he was successful in restraining the growth of…