Monthly Archives: September 2009
The Canadian Experience With A National Sales Tax
I’m really digging the Times’ Economix blog. First, Ed Glaeser — with whom I often disagree but who never ceases to be thought-provoking — talked about soda taxes earlier today. Now, Ian Austen discusses Canada’s experience with its national sales … Continue reading
Filed under Economics
The Laffer Curve: Still Not Useful
I’ve been mulling for months about this old Megan McArdle post proclaiming Peter Orzag’s goal of “bending the curve” of health costs to be the Laffer Curve of the Left. The parallel seemed weak to me, and, up for an … Continue reading
Filed under Economics
Getting to No
Spencer Ackerman lays out the pros and cons of Obama and Gates’ decision to scrap European missile defense (but not, it seems, Patriot missile batteries) and refocus on Iran.
Filed under Defense, Foreign Policy
Cold War Mentality, Revised
I have to agree with the President and Secretary Gates’ argument that medium-range Iranian nuclear missiles — not long-range Russian missiles — are the more present threat to American and regional security, and so require a missile defense shield aimed … Continue reading
Filed under Defense, Foreign Policy
Where Obama Actually Does Scare Me
Not in government spending… at least, not yet. It would be just north of crazy to cut public programs at the moment we’re about to slam the door on our near-depression experience. No, it’s in his trade policy. Slapping a … Continue reading
Filed under Economics
"Under Attack By Commie Nazis!"
The caricature of the President at these Tea Party protests reminds me of this classic Simpsons bit:
Are Carbon Taxes Socialist?
Jim Manzi’s as intellectually honest a conservative as you find nowadays, but he’s wrong in arguing that the road to serfdom is paved with Pigouvian taxes. Continue reading
Filed under Economics
An Optimistic Reading of Grassley
Ezra Klein notes that despite some perfunctory optimism from Max Baucus about the chances of bipartisan health care reform, the Gang of Six is all but dead: It’s hard to see how the chances are still good if the Republicans … Continue reading
Filed under Health Care, Politics
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