Taxes and Spending

Margaret Thatcher’s famous quote spells doom for new socialist schemes, “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples’ money.”

Dr. Mark Brandly examines what’s genuinely hard and what’s overstated about Gen Z’s economic situation, arguing that inflation, regulation, and a bloated welfare–bureaucratic state are driving their struggles, and urging students to learn economics and join the fight for liberty.

A non-exhaustive review of government spending over the last quarter century.

Europe’s eye-watering tax levels are a leading cause of stagnation of European economies, as well as the symptom par excellence of statist gluttony.

A vacancy tax is a charge imposed on property owners who leave residential or commercial properties unoccupied for a specified duration. As usual, a statist violation of property rights.

Dr. Robert Murphy explains why America’s chronic trade deficits trace to Nixon’s 1971 gold exit—not China—and how a popular reading of Triffin’s “dilemma” confuses the issue.

How did Murray Rothbard view Ronald Reagan's legacy? A mood of blind "feel-good" Americanism, entrenched big government, and the evisceration of libertarian gains—leaving only one positive (repealing the 55 mph speed limit).

Dr. David Gordon explains why the leading philosophical defenses of taxation collapse, and why natural rights still say taxation is theft.

Greg Kaza reviews Brian Domitrovic's The Emergence of Arthur Laffer. Alienated from academia during the stagflation era, Laffer was able to reach policymakers by presenting his ideas in a simple way, such as with his famous napkin Laffer curve.

The Fed by design feeds the political machine in DC by concealing the costs of government spending. The Fed serves the government, not the American people.