by Dan Mitchell | Jul 5, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Europe, Government Spending
With all the fiscal troubles in Greece, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, and Italy, there’s not much attention being paid to Cyprus. But the Mediterranean island nation is a good case study illustrating the economic dangers of big government. For all intents and purposes,...
by Dan Mitchell | Jul 4, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Europe, Government Spending, Laffer Curve, Taxation
Back in 2010, I excoriated the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, noting that David Cameron was increasing tax rates and expanding the burden of government spending (including an increase in the capital gains tax!). I also criticized Cameron for leaving in...
by Dan Mitchell | Jul 3, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending, Taxation
Back in April, I explained that I would accept a tax increase if “the net long-run effect is more freedom, liberty, and prosperity.” I even outlined several specific scenarios where that might occur, including giving the politicians more money in exchange for a flat...
by Dan Mitchell | Jul 1, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Bureaucracy, Government Spending
I’ve almost exhausted my interest in California’s suicidal fiscal policy. How many times, after all, can you write about politicians over-taxing and over-spending to the point of economic ruin? But everyone has a cross to bear in life, and (if you allow me to mix my...
by Dan Mitchell | Jun 23, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Europe, Government Spending
Yesterday, I did a serious post outlining the absurd policies being pursued in France, Italy, and Greece, along with some much-deserved scorn for the throw-fuel-on-the-fire statist analysis of the International Monetary Fund. Later in the day, I posted a cartoon about...