by Dan Mitchell | Dec 14, 2011 | Big Government, Blogs
I posted some polling data a couple of weeks ago that showed how the dependency mindset (as captured by these cartoons) is far worse in Europe than it is in the United States. Now let’s look at some additional public opinion research from Gallup that illuminates...
by Dan Mitchell | Dec 11, 2011 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Europe, Government Spending
Europe is in the midst of a fiscal crisis caused by too much government spending, yet many of the continent’s politicians want the European Central Bank to purchase the dodgy debt of reckless welfare states such as Spain, Italy, Greece, and Portugal in order to prop...
by Dan Mitchell | Dec 10, 2011 | Bailouts, Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending
There’s always been a simple and desirable solution to Europe’s fiscal crisis, but nobody in Europe wants to do the right thing because it means admitting the failure of big government and it would result in less power for the political elite. So we get the spectacle...
by Dan Mitchell | Dec 9, 2011 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending, Taxation, Welfare and Entitlements
By European standards, Germany is in pretty good shape. There’s a very large welfare state and the tax burden is quite onerous, both of which hinder growth, but Germany has been more responsible than the United States in recent years. And while this may be damning...
by Dan Mitchell | Dec 2, 2011 | Big Government, Blogs, Europe
I periodically write posts about “Great Moments” in government. These usually feature some absurd example of stupidity and incompetence that only is possible when the world’s least competent people have power to coerce. Examples include: EU rules banning the selling...