by Dan Mitchell | Jun 3, 2013 | Blogs, Economics
With many European nations already in the midst of a fiscal crisis caused by excessive government, and with most other industrialized nations heading down the same path thanks to aging populations and poorly designed entitlement programs, this would be a good time for...
by Dan Mitchell | Jun 1, 2013 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending, Keynesian, Taxation
I want a smaller burden of government spending, so you can only imagine how frustrating it is for me to observe the fight in Europe. On one side of the debate you have pro-spenders, who call themselves “growth” advocates, but are really just Keynesians. On the other...
by Dan Mitchell | May 29, 2013 | Blogs, Economics, Health Care, Taxation
I’ve frequently argued that “third-party payer” is the main problem with the healthcare system. In simpler terms, this is the notion that a market won’t function very well if consumers think they’re spending someone else’s money. Why be a careful consumer, after all,...
by Dan Mitchell | May 24, 2013 | Blogs, Economics
Several European nations are suffering from a fiscal crisis. But that’s just part of the story. They also have significantly lower incomes than the United States, with living standards about 30 percent-40 percent below American levels. And while many people are upset...
by Dan Mitchell | May 23, 2013 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending, Keynesian
I don’t like giving international bureaucrats tax-free salaries. And it really galls me when they use their privileged positions to promote statism. So you can understand why I’m not a big fan of the International Monetary Fund. Whether we’re talking more spending,...