Homines libenter quod volunt credunt
Posted in Government Gone Wild, Government Thuggery, Public Choice, Taxation on Apr 15th, 2014
Let me offer a few simple, cranky, thoughts on taxes today. (1) I like to believe I am not the dumbest person on the planet. I also happen to be a professional economist. And I have absolutely NO IDEA going into the year how much in tax obligations I owe to the government at all […]
Posted in Classical Liberalism, Competition, Corporatism, Economic Illiteracy, Economics Problems, ethical foundations, Government Thuggery, If I Really Hated the Poor ..., Market Failures, Methodology, Politics, Religion, Voluntary Society, You Can't Have it Both Ways on Dec 10th, 2013
The “left” sees the last 34 years as a revival (was there ever a VIVAL?) of laissez-faire dogmatism. Some folks like myself see it as almost the diametric opposite. Of course, some of this could be “settled” by empirical evidence. The number of pages of regulations? The dollars spent complying with regulations? The number of […]
Posted in Government Gone Wild, Government Thuggery on Nov 22nd, 2013
Here is Thomas Sowell on the incredible achievement of this young man born with no arms: The vision on which the all-encompassing and all-controlling welfare state was built is a vision of widespread helplessness, requiring ever more expanding big government. Our “compassionate” statists would probably have wanted to take this young man without arms, early on, […]
Posted in Government Thuggery on Nov 14th, 2013
From Coyote: Insurance Companies Got Thrown Under the Bus Today. And They Know It. November 14, 2013, 12:52 pm Well, so much for the implicit gag order Obama has had on the insurance companies. Bet we will find out a lot more interesting details about the exchange rollouts now. [T]he White House has its own idea […]
Posted in Government Thuggery on Nov 7th, 2013
People, in America, and in reality, respect is earned, not granted by mere will of authority. So to all of you who believe the loving arms of government can run a health care system, can perform education services, can do environmental protection, can regulate businesses effectively, and so on, remember that this is the government […]
Posted in Government Gone Wild, Government Thuggery, You Can't Have it Both Ways on Oct 15th, 2013
Unless you head has been mercifully been under a pillow, you would by now be familiar with the complete childish spitefulness coming from your Lords and Masters in DC. Among the most newsworthy and noteworthy “actions” taken by the Federal Government in response to the shutdown has been to close parks. Fine you say, parks […]
Posted in Government Gone Wild, Government Thuggery on Oct 2nd, 2013
If ever there was a myth to be shattered it would be that your “government” is out there “for the people.” Here’s the latest via Coyote: National Park Officials closed down the educational Claude Moore Colonial Farm near the CIA in McLean, Va., even though the federal government doesn’t fund or staff the park popular with children […]
Posted in Classical Liberalism, Government Gone Wild, Government Thuggery, Politics on Sep 4th, 2013
Well here we are again. Nothing seems to bring Team Reebok and Team Nike together like a little death inflicted on some foreigners. Now, this is beyond my credentials, but help me understand this. The Syrian regime can kill as many of its people as it wishes by all kinds of means – like shooting […]
Posted in Economic Illiteracy, Government Gone Wild, Government Thuggery, Price System, You Can't Have it Both Ways on May 14th, 2013
We hate hospitals and medical care because “they” charge prices that are too high, especially for “important stuff.” We hate Walmart because “they” charge too little. And no, people do not have theories of positive and negative external costs to justify holding both positions. In other news, I just received a notice from New York […]
Posted in ethical foundations, Government Gone Wild, Government Thuggery, Health Care, incentives, Price Controls, Socialism, Taxation, Unintended Consequences, Voluntary Society, Welfare State, You Can't Have it Both Ways on Apr 11th, 2013
I usually hate infographics and here is another one just littered with reasons to go crazy. But focus only on the very bottom: The changes Brill suggests would allow the US to provide better care at lower costs without substituting the kind of government-provider system typical in comparison countries. Holy smokes. This is the previous […]
