IGEG
Institute for Global Economic Growth
The Washington Times, June 25, 2008
by Richard W. Rahn
The speculators provide liquidity to the market and fill the void if the numbers of short and long hedgers do not match up.
Destructive overreach
The Washington Times, June 19, 2008
by Richard W. Rahn
The
Tax hostages?
The Washington Times, June 12, 2008
by Richard W. Rahn
Do you believe the tax system should be used to punish people with unpopular views?
Manslaugter by politicians
The
by Richard W. Rahn
When politicians enact anti-economic growth regulations and taxes, even in the name of “global warming,” “environmentalism,” and “fairness,” they are, in fact, shortening the lives of many of their fellow citizens and those in other countries.
Self-demolition
The
by Richard W. Rahn
Have you ever wondered why so many political, business and labor leaders engage in self-destructive acts as did former Gov. Eliot Spitzer?
The winning agenda
The
by Richard W. Rahn
Most Americans believe the tax burden is too heavy and that the government does not spend their tax dollars wisely and carefully. They correctly believe government engages in excessive regulation, which destroys both their liberties and economic freedoms.
Real intelligence failures
The
by Richard W. Rahn
What do you think was the most costly intelligence failure of all time?
A working model
The
by Richard W. Rahn
If you were asked to name one person who has enabled more people to gain wealth and security than any other person on the globe, who would you name?
Dangerous delusions
The Washington Times, May 1, 2008
by Richard W. Rahn
Have you ever wondered why so many people see higher taxes and more government as the solution to every problem?
Financial regulatory limitations
The
by Richard W. Rahn
The evidence clearly shows that abrupt, unanticipated and incompetent changes in monetary and regulatory policy by central bankers and other financial regulators have caused far more financial instability and financial institutions' failures than have unsavory or illegal practices by managers of these institutions.
Destructive overreaction
The
by Richard W. Rahn
What would you think if members of Congress voted to require the
Willful misconduct
The Washington Times, April 9, 2008
by Richard W. Rahn
Perhaps if the incumbent party were thrown out every two years, eventually they would get the hint, and willful misconduct would cease.
Trading in recklessness
The
by Richard W. Rahn
Those who say they support free trade, but then argue and vote against free trade agreements, are not only hypocritical, but reckless in their actual disregard for political stability and workers and consumers the world over.
Tax tyrannies
The
by Richard W. Rahn
At what point does taxation move from that necessary for proper government to tyranny?
Economic diplomacy
The American Spectator, March 26, 2008
by Richard W. Rahn
When you go to a foreign country and change some of your money into the local currency, what are your concerns?
Really bad ideas
The
by Richard W. Rahn
What do you think about people who keep promoting ideas that have been tried and have failed innumerable times over the last couple of thousands of years? I refer to members of the U.S. Congress — the same crowd whose foolish acts have given us the current economic mess — but their hubris never ends.
Stop the recession
The
by Richard W. Rahn
The open question is: Will our political leaders in both the administration and Congress have the courage to admit they were wrong about many of the laws, regulations and rules they passed that are now causing major hardship? Or will they stay in denial because they are more interested in protecting their own egos, rather than removing unnecessary hardship from their fellow citizens?
Model scams
The
by Richard W. Rahn
Yes, the climate is changing, it always has and always will, and people have learned to adapt quite well to these changes without resorting to the arrogant notion that man now has the power to change the global climate.
What is measured?
Washington Times, February 29, 2008
by Richard W. Rahn
Do you think inflation is rising faster than the government says (an annualized of 4.1 percent in December)? Many people do, because they are keenly aware of supermarket and gas station prices, but that is not the whole story.
EU angst
The
by Richard W. Rahn
Will those with an old socialist mentality win out, or will those like the young people connected with
Running from success
The
by Richard W. Rahn
It is worth examining why some politicians and other opinion leaders advocate policies contrary to both good theory and empirical evidence.
Washingtonomics
The
by Richard W. Rahn
How much money would the government have to give you and every other American to avoid a recession?
Whose economy was best?
The
by Richard W. Rahn
Under which recent president do you think the
Compeleting Reagan’s work
The
by Richard W. Rahn
As the presidential candidates evoke the memory of Ronald Reagan in their remarks, it would be nice to hear how they intend to complete some of the unfinished business of the Reagan revolution.
Inflation and the tax man
The Wall Street Journal, January 17, 2008
by Richard W. Rahn
Adjusting capital gains for inflation would clearly increase revenues in the short run because of the "unlocking" effect, and probably over the long run because of the higher levels of investment it would stimulate.
There is a free lunch
The Washington Times, January 17, 2008
by Richard W. Rahn
One "free lunch" is to reduce the federal corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent. Such a rate cut will make
Disconnect
The
by Richard W. Rahn
Which presidential contenders would be best for the economy and which ones worse? Unfortunately, much of the campaign has revolved around a series of largely meaningless sound bites and words like “change.”
The 2007 bad news quiz
The
by Richard W. Rahn
How many Americans died from "bird flu" in 2007? How much did the federal budget deficit rise in 2007? When did the recession of 2007 begin?
The undoing of
The
by Richard W. Rahn
Spain has been one of the great democratic and economic success stories of the last three decades. But there is now some reason to fear for its future.
The money mess
The
by Richard W. Rahn
How much money do you have? If you ask 10 equally wealthy people how much money they have, you would probably get 10 different answers, because no one knows what "money" is anymore.
Energy non-economics
The Washington Times, December 12, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
What do you think would happen if the 1,000-plus page energy bill before the Senate did not pass? Would your lights go out? Would you be unable to buy fuel for your car?
Mortgage mess meddlers
The
by Richard W. Rahn
The global financial problem, stemming from the
Ron Paul and the money cops
The
by Richard W. Rahn
Mr. Paul wants to abolish the Federal Reserve, the Internal Revenue Service, the FBI, and wants money to be backed by gold, silver and/or other precious metals.
Mission impossible
Washington Times, November 16, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
How much do you think you know about anything? If you reflect for a moment, you will realize you probably know relatively little, even about those areas of knowledge where you have the greatest expertise.
Thank the taxpayer
by Richard W. Rahn
Did you ever think about what would happen if the top 1 percent of the taxpayers suddenly decided to go "on strike" and refuse to produce all that income?
Socialist oil death spiral
The
by Richard W. Rahn
Socialism always plants the seeds of its own destruction, and state-owned oil is no exception.
Destructive miscalculations
The
by Richard W. Rahn
If the JTC were confident and serious about its forecasts, it would provide its methodology, the assumptions it has made, the basis for the assumptions, and the actual calculations, so that independent researchers could check the forecast.
Dollar-euro madness
The Washington Times, October 24, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
Do you care about the fall of dollar against the euro? This article explains why you should care and what might be done about it.
Energy follies
The Washington Times, October 14, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
Are you happy with the recent big increase in food prices? How about the big jump in gasoline prices?
More evidence
The Washington Times, October 10, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
If you are or were a smoker, how high would the tax on cigarettes have to be before you would start growing tobacco in your back yard and rolling your own?
Hypocrites Saving soiled sisters
The Washington Times, September 30, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
Almost all
Putinism
The Washington Times, September 20, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
Putinism (noun) — a Russian nationalistic authoritarian form of government that pretends to be a free market democracy.
Revival of the tax hikers
The Washington Times, September 18, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
In recent years, the old "let's tax them more" crowd was on the defensive. But now, with a politically weakened president, the tax increase lobby is out in full force.
Who pays the price?
The
by Richard W. Rahn
Anti-Americanism is rampant among the media and political classes in
The American Spectator, September 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
The IMF and the World Bank enjoy untouchable status without doing anyone but its pampered employees much good. For all that, there is a way to reform these institutions for the 21st century.
What to study
The Washington Times, September 4, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
Students the world over have always asked their elders, what should I study in order to get a good job?
A new Asian tiger?
The Washington Times, August 27, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
Mongolia is unlikely to ever be a major manufacturing center given its remoteness, high transportation costs and lack of manpower. But Internet technology may have come to Mongolia's rescue.
Dealing with annihilation
The Washington Times, August 15, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
If we wait until catastrophe occurs, the administration and Congress will almost certainly make the wrong decisions, which will greatly damage our economy and unnecessarily diminish ourliberties.
The tax-rate dilemma
The Washington Times, August 9, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
Economic advisers to presidential candidates face a dilemma when it comes to tax reform. In order to maximize revenue, there must be low tax rates on the poor and the rich, because the poor lack the money, and the rich can always find ways around high rates. At the same time, the middle class will understandably not stand for being taxed more than the rich.
Congress vs. realities
The Washington Times, August 5, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
Yet despite this evidence of the harm caused by hight U.S. corporate tax rates, the reaction by many in Congress is to increase corporate taxes even more.
Stopping IRS misconduct
The Washington Times, July 25,2 007
by Richard W. Rahn
Do you fear the Internal Revenue Service, even though you have done nothing wrong? Most Americans do, and for good reason.
Sound dollar dynamics
The Washington Times, July 23, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
Does it strike you as a bit odd that non-Americans continue to invest their savings in the
The good news
The Washington Times, July 17, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
Despite the endless doom and gloom dished out by many in the media and political class, the objective evidence is that by almost any measure the world this past year was a better place for most of its habitants.
Bad economics, bad politics
The Washington Times, July 8, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
The simple fact is government does not need more money; it just needs to spend the money it now has with greater (not perfect) competence. Also, the forecasts by government agencies about future revenues and expenditures, let alone the deficit, should be taken with a great deal of caution. Given the margin of error in the projections, they should not be used as a basis for increasing taxes.
Static-minded Senators
The Washington Times, July 5, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
Tax increasers' small minds can only see a static world where they gain by taking freedom and property from others. Tax-cutters, like Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, had the vision to see a freer and more prosperous world.
Dictators and drug dealers rejoice
The Washington Times, June 27, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
The
The dangers of European anti-Americanism
TCS Daily, June 14, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
The rise of anti-Americanism in
Recipe for outflow
The Washington Times, June 14, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
The
Dollar vs. the euro
The Washington Times, June 8, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
Do you think the U.S. dollar will continue to fall against the euro? Those who have been pessimistic about the
Real price gouging
The Washington Times, June 3, 3007
by Richard W. Rahn
Mark Twain quipped that "
What are they thinking?
The Washington Times, May 24, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
Do you think the Republicans or the Democrats are winning the race to prove they are the dumbest and most incompetent political party?
by Richard W. Rahn
For years, many of us economists have been telling low-income countries: Reduce your high marginal tax rates on labor and capital to make your economies globally competitive, and reduce your tariffs and trade barriers, and the major nations will reciprocate.
Yeltsin vs. Putinism
The Washington Times, May 6, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
Few truly understand how the just deceased Russian President Boris Yeltsin made it almost impossible for President Vladimir Putin or any future successor to bring back communism to Russia.
Don't cotton to China fears
The Washington Times, April 23, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
If you paid Wal-Mart $15 for the slacks, some of that money may have ended up with a Texas cotton farmer, a U.S. cotton broker, a U.S. cotton exporter, a Norwegian shipping company, and a Chinese textile firm.
Sayonara to world finance sisters?
The Washington Times, April 18, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
Do you think the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) should be abolished?
The test on tax reform
The Washington Times, April 13, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
If politicians tell you they favor "tax reform" and "tax simplification," what do you think they mean? The fact is most politicians, including the current presidential candidates, say they will give us tax reform and simplification, but what they mean differs widely.
Oblivious to reality
The Washington Times, April 5, 2007
by Richard W. Rahn
If you knew how to make life better for your fellow Americans, would you? The political class in Washington constantly claims it "cares about you," but when it comes to policy many do just the opposite.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS BY RICHARD. W. RAHN
ETHANOL MANDATES
SPY CAMERA CATCHES SENATORS
THE RACE
European bureaucrats are tired of competing with American entrepreneurs, and so now they want to force other nations to be less competitive. That means higher taxes and fewer jobs. Some in the
“Countries which have a strong rule of law, protect private property, engage in relatively free trade, have free markets, use a sound currency, and maintain relatively low levels of government spending, taxing, and regulation, will grow much more rapidly than those countries that do not follow these constructive policies.”
- Dr. Richard W. Rahn
Chairman
SEE PUBLICATIONS BY DR. RICHARD W. RAHN
ECONOMIC STATECRAFTBy Norman A. Bailey, Ph.D.
In recent decades economic statecraft, that is, the use of economic measures to contribute to the achievement of foreign policy goals, has practically been reduced to the use of trade sanctions and/or financial aid. The economic strategy arsenal, however, holds many weapons beyond these two.
NATIONAL INTEREST
VERSUS NATIONAL SECURITY?
THE CASE OF IRAQ
By Norman A. Bailey, Ph.D.
The national debate over the war in Iraq, which began with the invasion of April, 2003 and is still raging in the form of an active insurrectionary movement, has illustrated once more the prevalent confusion over the concepts of national interest and national security.
AFTER THE END OF HISTORY
By Norman A. Bailey, Ph.D.
As the twenty-first century proceeds on its way, there are only three possible developments: either (a) chaos will continue and deepen, and with it insecurity and disintegration of society, or (b) the United States will become truly imperialistic or alternatively will abandon its exceptionalism and give in to the most recent form of Westphalianism – supra-national bureaucratic rules trumping the organs of democratic governance, or (c) the American vision will eventually triumph, leading to a true new world order, the outlines of which are now visible only in embryonic form.
SECURITY FOR WHOM, BY WHOM AND WITH WHOM?
By Norman A. Bailey, Ph.D.
The discussion of security issues, at least since 9/11/01, has fluctuated among three modalities: strategic/theoretical, tactical/technical and ideological/emotional. Little attention is paid to such fundamental considerations as definitions. In fact, there is no generally-accepted definition of even such a constantly-used concept as “national security”. The most common confusion is that of national security with national interest.
THE BATTLE OF THE YARMUK
by Norman A. Bailey, Ph.D.
On September 11, 2001, one thousand three hundred and sixty-six years later, the latest battle in this never-ending war was fought, and it may be that the number of casualties was about the same as at a dry riverbed in
