You can put this post in the thick file labeled “why I favor small government and oppose high taxation.” F.A. Hayek tells us why socialism (i.e. central planning) inevitably leads to totalitarianism (emphasis is mine): Planning leads to dictatorship because dictatorship is the most effective instrument of coercion and, as such, essential if central planning on a large [...]
Tags: Philosophy
One of the first rules of debate is that you should endeavor to understand your opponent’s argument – both the strong and weak points – better than he does. The pro-tax left is, apparently, unaware of this rule. Count left-leaning economist Robert H. Frank among those who simply do not understand why many conservative Americans, the [...]
Tags: Philosophy · Politics · Politics of Taxes
I was re-reading King Lear last night and these two lines uttered by the title character caught my eye: Plate sin with gold and the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks; Arm it in rags, a pygmy’s straw does pierce it. A perfect motto for the occupy wall street movement, don’t you think? The rich can buy [...]
Tags: Philosophy · Politics · shakespeare
Daniel J. Mitchell writes in Helping to Explain Greece’s Collapse in a Single Picture: Politicians in Europe have spent decades creating a fiscal crisis by violating Mitchell’s Golden Rule and letting government grow faster than the private sector. As a result, government is far too big today, and nations such as Greece are in the process [...]
Tags: Opinion · Philosophy · Politics · The Economy
Courtesy of Paul Caron, here is a must-watch interview of New York University Law School Professor Richard Epstein: Richard Epstein: The Income Inequality Myth Watch Does U.S. Economic Inequality Have a Good Side? on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour. The Daily, Don’t Mind the Gap: Occupiers Blast Economic Inequality but Fail to Notice Growing [...]
Tags: Philosophy · Politics of Taxes · Tax Policy
David Logan of Tax Policy Blog has another reality check for the 99 percenters occupying Wall Street: An Overlooked Two-Year Trend: Incomes of the Top 1 Percent Decline While Effective Rates Increase It’s true. In 2008 and 2009, the average taxpayer in the top 1 percent made less money than they did in the prior [...]
Tags: News · Opinion · Philosophy · Politics of Taxes
If President Obama were like George Washington and could not tell a lie, this is what he would say to the American taxpayer: Yes, we are going to increase your taxes, but don’t worry. If we waste those funds, we’ll just increase your taxes again. An entity that can raise its “prices” without consequence (i.e. without the loss of “business” [...]
Tags: Opinion · Philosophy
