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 | May 30, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending, Laffer Curve, Taxation
I’m not quite ready to trade places with Canada, but it may just be a matter of time. Like Germany and Sweden, they seem to be slowly but surely trying to move in the right direction. I’ve already commented on good Canadian fiscal policy (including a much-needed...
by Dan Mitchell | May 26, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Laffer Curve, Taxation
I’ve mocked France on several occasions, and I thought Sarkozy was so bad that I figured (in the long run) the election of Hollande was a step in the right direction. But in certain ways, France isn’t as bad as the United States. The New York Times has a big story...
by Dan Mitchell | May 14, 2012 | Blogs, Taxation
President Obama’s fiscal policy is a dismal mixture. On spending, he wants a European-style welfare state. On taxes, he is fixated on class-warfare tax policy. If we want to know the consequences of that approach, we can look at the ongoing collapse of Greece. Or, if...
by Dan Mitchell | May 7, 2012 | Blogs, Economics, Laffer Curve, Tax Competition, Taxation
Even though he is a foolish statist, I wanted Francois Hollande to win the French presidency. Sarkozy was a statist as well, after all, and my “Richard Nixon Disinfectant Rule” says that it’s better to have the out-of-the-closet statist prevail in such contests in...