by Dan Mitchell | Apr 5, 2013 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending
It’s been more than three weeks since I targeted French fiscal policy for abuse and more than one week since I wrote something negative about the French fiscal system. I must be slowing down as I get older, so it’s time of rectify this oversight. My fundamental...
by Dan Mitchell | Mar 28, 2013 | Blogs, Economics, Laffer Curve, Taxation
If I live to be 100 years old, I suspect I’ll still be futilely trying to educate politicians that there’s not a simplistic linear relationship between tax rates and tax revenue. You can’t double tax rates, for instance, and expect to double tax revenue. Simply...
by Dan Mitchell | Mar 14, 2013 | Blogs, Europe, Tax Competition, Taxation
As a general rule, it’s not right to take pleasure at the misfortune of others. But I think we’re allowed an exception to that Schadenfreude rule when the “others” are greedy politicians pursuing spiteful policies. We want the political elite to suffer misfortune...
by Dan Mitchell | Dec 20, 2012 | Blogs, Economics, Europe, Tax Competition, Taxation
Another Frenchman has “gone Galt.” First, it was France’s richest entrepreneur. Now, it’s the nation’s most famous actor. Gerard Depardieu has officially announced – in a letter to France’s thuggish Prime Minister – that he is tired of paying 85 percent of his income...
by Dan Mitchell | Oct 2, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Laffer Curve, Taxation
I try to be self aware, so I realize that I have the fiscal version of Tourette’s. Regardless of the question that is asked, I’m tempted to blurt out that the answer is to reduce the burden of government spending. But sometimes that’s exactly the right prescription,...