IGEG
Institute for Global Economic Growth
by Richard W. Rahn
If I were advising Mr. Romney, I would tell him to stop being defensive about being rich and challenge the other candidates and members of the news media to prove that they have no money directly or indirectly in Cayman-registered funds, insurance companies or trusts - a test most almost certainly would fail - for good reason.
Tale of two small countries
by Richard W. Rahn
Cayman is rich, and Belize is poor. Why? Both are small Caribbean countries with the same climate and roughly the same mixed racial heritage, and both were English-speaking British colonies.
Snooker - Democrats' favorite pastime
The Washington Times, January 10,2012
by Richard W. Rahn
The House dutifully complied with the Budget Act and passed a budget resolution. The Senate did not - in fact, it has been three years since the Democrat-controlled Senate passed a budget resolution. Without a binding budget resolution signed onto by both houses of Congress, the appropriators basically had free rein, which is exactly what the majority of Democrats wanted.
Purveyors of financial destruction
The Washington Times, January 3, 2012
by Richard W. Rahn
But it only gets worse. The United States is in the process of driving hundreds of billions of dollars, if not a trillion or more of needed foreign investment that creates jobs and fuels new technologies, out of the country because of the new Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).
Good news for the New Year
by Richard W. Rahn
In democratic countries, many politicians get themselves elected by making promises for spending programs that the citizens cannot or are unwilling to pay for. The result is persistent deficit spending that ultimately spirals out of control. The good news is ...
Governement spending jobs myth
by Richard W. Rahn
If additional government spending could create more jobs, it would be expected that over the long run, the socialist or semisocialist economies would have full employment and the smaller-government, developed economies would have higher unemployment.
How the debt crisis will end
The Washington Times, December 13, 2011
by Richard W. Rahn
The existing political class will be thrown out - peacefully or violently. Governments will then start over and explicitly disavow all of the previous promises for entitlements. New monies will be created by both private parties and governments, and things will begin anew without the yoke of unpayable debt. The transition will be dreadful.
Democracy versus bureaucracy
by Richard W. Rahn
In the United States, as well as most other countries, the people are increasingly governed and regulated by unelected bureaucrats who create “administrative law.”
Tooth-fairy tax policy
by Richard W. Rahn
Some believe in the tooth fairy, and some believe that tax increases on the rich are the solution rather than part of the problem.
Making money dispappear
by Richard W. Rahn
The major world governments are in the process of destroying the value of the money their citizens hold.
Rich China, poor China
The Washington TImes, November 15, 2011
by Richard W. Rahn
As countries become wealthier, the demand for political freedoms increases. The Chinese have proved themselves to be highly pragmatic and flexible. Much of their rapid growth has been the result of being able to copy the advanced products and systems of the United States and other developed countries. But for China to continue to be a high-growth state, it will have to play increasingly by the international economic, financial and political rules, which will add to the pressures for political reform within China.
Joining the chorus for tax cooperation
by Richard W. Rahn
What we are seeing is the growth of international, non-elected bureaucracies that hack away at our liberties and economic freedoms, destroying jobs and opportunity, all in the name of redistributionist and “tax-fairness” schemes.
William Niskanen, wise and principled
The Washington Times, November 2, 2011
by Richard W. Rahn
If only we had followed his recommendations, the United States and the rest of the world would not be in the present mess.
Abolish central banks
by Richard W. Rahn
In 1976, Hayek wrote one of his classic books, “Denationalization of Money,” in which he argued that money is no different from other commodities and that it would be better supplied by competition between private issuers than by a government monopoly.
When will your time come?
by Richard W. Rahn
In poor societies, there are always a few rich people; and in rich societies, there are always a few poor people. A successful society is characterized by fewer poor each year and more middle class and rich. Revolutions take place when the number of poor rises faster than the number of middle class and rich.
Unthinking financial regulators
The Washington Times, October 11, 2011
by Richard W. Rahn
The biggest single increased cost driver for banks and other financial institutions is the avalanche of new government regulations. Who bears the cost of all these new regulations? The consumer.
Thoughts on liberty
by Richard W. Rahn
When Robinson Crusoe found himself stranded on an island, he had liberty but was not free to leave because there was no way out.
Obama's tax falsehoods
by Richard W. Rahn
Making tax policy based on falsehoods will only impoverish people at all income levels and thus is not only irresponsible, but mean-spirited.
Stealth wealth tax
by Richard W. Rahn
At present rates of interest and inflation, most Americans pay effective tax rates on their savings ranging from 360 percent for lower-income people to 390 percent for higher-income people.
Devoid of reality
by Richard W. Rahn
President Obama’s speech this past week should have been labeled, “Believe what I say, not what I do.”
Job-creation lesson from the past
by Richard W. Rahn
Historically, the American economy has been a phenomenal job-creating machine. In a well-functioning economy, the increase in jobs parallels the increase in population.
Growing the economy for dummies
by Richard W. Rahn
The surprising thing is not that the richest pay most of the taxes but that the U.S. has nearly the most progressive tax system in the world, while the Scandinavian countries have about the least progressive tax systems, contrary to commonly held belief.
“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
The Economics of Terrorism
THE ANNALS OF ENTROPY AND THE QUEST FOR A NEW GLOBAL EQUILIBRIUM
Unlike natural disasters, which have no human intelligence, rationality or calculation behind them, terrorism is a human phenomenon, planned and executed by human beings. Thus, even though the cost-benefit calculations may be highly negative, the very lack of expensive preventive measures will exponentially increase the likelihood and incidence of terrorist attacks.
Waiting for Constantine
THE ANNALS OF ENTROPY AND THE QUEST FOR A NEW GLOBAL EQUILIBRIUM
by Nornam A. Bailey and Alexander Mirtchev
The U.S. Colossus with Feet of Clay
The Globalist, July 28, 2010
by Norman A. Bailey
If we are an empire, we must behave as such — or suffer terminal decline. If we are not, then we must return to our founding principles — or suffer terminal decline. Those are our choices.
THE CORPORATE STATE
by Norman A. Bailey
The Obama administration has been accused by opponents of moving towards socialism, but the measures taken so far are much closer to the corporate state model.
THREATS IN THE HEMISPHERE
The Washington Times, September 4, 2008
By Norman A. Bailey
It is high time the
ECONOMIC STATECRAFT
By 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
