by Dan Mitchell | May 13, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Regulations
One of my first blog posts, back in 2009, featured Veronique de Rugy in a video, warning that America should not adopt the statist policies that caused so much damage in her home country of France. Sadly (but predictably), the politicians in Washington ignored...
by Dan Mitchell | May 10, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Regulations
Regulation is a hidden tax that in many cases raises the cost of creating jobs and generating wealth. Here are some staggering numbers. Americans spend 8.8 billion hours every year filling out government forms. The economy-wide cost of regulation is now $1.75...
by Dan Mitchell | Apr 19, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Financial Privacy, Regulations
I’ve complained many times about the pointless nature of anti-money laundering laws. They impose very high costs and force banks to spy on their customers, but they are utterly ineffective as a weapon against criminal activity. Yet politicians and bureaucrats keep...
by Dan Mitchell | Mar 29, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending, Regulations, Taxation
Last year, I shared a very amusing Michael Ramirez cartoon showing Obama as the European lemming. Now, Mark Helprin takes a much more serious look at the same issue in the Wall Street Journal, commenting on the wisdom (or lack thereof) of Obama’s interest in the...
by Dan Mitchell | Mar 27, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Regulations
While I’m not oblivious to geopolitical concerns, I don’t worry about China becoming a more prosperous nation. Yes, more wealth could enable the nation’s dictators to finance some unwelcome aggression, but I mostly think higher living standards will create pressure...
