Tweet [1]
Alberto Mingardi remembers Robert Conquest [4].
Nima Sanandaji exposes some myths about Scandinavia [5]. Here’s the opening:
As I have explained in previous columns for CapX [6], there are a number of myths surrounding the Nordic countries that don’t stand up to scrutiny. These include the notion [7] that long life span in Nordic nations arose as the public sector expanded, the idea [8] that generous public programs alone explain low levels of Nordic poverty and the myth [9] that Nordic countries are bumblebees that defy gravity by not being adversely affected by high taxes.
Terry Anderson and Shawn Regan explain how to save the lions [10].
James Pethokoukis weighs in again to debunk the myth that America’s middle class has stagnated economically over the past few decades [11]. A slice:
If you’re still not convinced, consider this simple thought experiment from Washington Post reporter Matt O’Brien [12]: “Adjusted for inflation, would you rather make $50,000 in today’s world or $100,000 in 1980’s?” Is that added dough enough for you to give up your flat-screen television, smartphone, and internet access? If it isn’t, or if the answer isn’t obvious, that would suggest living standards aren’t stagnant or anything close to it. Indeed, before [economist Jason] Furman joined Team Obama, he wrote [13]that Americans “are substantially better off than they were 30 years ago.”
Here’s wisdom and insight from my old classmate Sandy Ikeda [14].