Greetings from Italy

by Dan Mitchell | Jan 31, 2011 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending, Taxation

I’m in Milan, at the office of the Institute Bruno Leoni, which overlooks the famous Castle Sforza and is almost within shouting distance of the remarkable cathedral. This evening, I’ll be talking about how Italy should balance its budget by limiting the size of...

Obama’s State-of-the-Union Speech: Maybe New Rhetoric, Definitely Old Ideas

by Dan Mitchell | Jan 25, 2011 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending, Taxation, Welfare and Entitlements

I’m disappointed, but not surprised, to read in the Washington Post that President Obama has decided against any changes to restrain Social Security spending. He’ll still probably subject us to pious and insincere rhetoric about fighting red ink in tonight’s...

Even Studies from the European Central Bank Show Spending Restraint Is Key to Controlling Red Ink

by Dan Mitchell | Jan 21, 2011 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending, Taxation

I’m not a big fan of central banks, and I definitely don’t like multilateral bureaucracies, so I almost feel guilty about publicizing two recent studies published by the European Central Bank. But when such an institution puts out research that unambiguously makes the...

Emperor Rompuy Complains that “Bond Vigilantes” Don’t Appreciate Euro Clothes

by CF&P | Jan 15, 2011 | Big Government, Blogs, Welfare and Entitlements

I’ve already poked fun at Herman Van Rompuy, the nondescript über-bureaucrat who has risen to the non-elected post of European Council President. I’ve mocked Rompuy’s attempts to compete with other European politicians, and I encourage everyone to have a good laugh at...

Animal House, John Galt, the Laffer Curve, and the Race to Commit Fiscal Suicide in Illinois

by Dan Mitchell | Jan 11, 2011 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending, Taxation

There is a very bizarre race happening in Illinois. The Governor and the leaders of the State Senate and General Assembly are trying to figure out how to ram through a massive tax increase, but they’re trying to make it happen before new state lawmakers take office...