The Manhattan Institute’s Heather Mac Donald exposes a journalist’s questionable premises.
The Fraser Institute’s Mark Milke shares sensible thoughts on the unsustainability of the welfare state; here are some key ‘grafs:
For the record, the fault for the ramped-up public debt cannot be placed on “too low” taxes. A variety of countries with widely differing tax levels all continued to borrow massively over that period.
For example, since 1995, and as a percentage of its economy, Greece’s total tax take has been about one-eighth to one-fifth higher than the United States (depending on the year). But high-tax Greece put itself into more debt as did the (relatively) low-tax U.S. Or consider the UK; its tax rates rose steadily since 1995 but so too its red ink problem.
In other words, the assumption that higher tax revenues will save a country from its spending and borrowing addiction is mistaken. That’s not any more likely than a modest raise for a consumer maxed out on her credit cards whose real problem is overspending.
Jonah Goldberg sensibly warns against the Cult of Expertise.
Here’s the Washington Examiner‘s David Freddoso on the lunacy of government-promoted “green jobs.” (HT Adam Bitely)
Richard Rahn riffs on Vito Tanzi’s new book – a book that I knew nothing of until now, but have just put on my reading list.
Finally, speaking of books that I want to read, Nick Schulz reviews, in today’s Wall Street Journal, Sonia Arrison’s 100+.
