Social Security Approaches Its Day of Reckoning
Americans should plan for their futures rather than relying on a nonexistent Social Security “trust fund.”
Welfare
Americans Grow Increasingly Dependent on Government Payments
Many citizens of the land of the free are hooked on government checks.
My New Dispatch Article on Updating Libertarianism
Libertarian ideology remains generally sound. But I argue it could use a few updates.
My New Schweizer Monat Article on "Open Borders" Immigration
A Swiss publication invited me to write this article making the case for open borders.
Idaho Child Care Program Faces $16 Million Deficit as Bureaucrats Overextend Benefits
As conservatives push for cuts, lasting reform will require closing accountability gaps and restructuring entitlements.
What Milton Friedman Got Wrong About Immigration and the Welfare State
He was wrong to think "You cannot simultaneously have a welfare state and free immigration."
Bad News for Universal Basic Income
Researchers found that giving people $1,000 every month for three years resulted in decreased productivity and earnings, and more leisure time.
'I Don't Support Mandates From Government': John Stossel Interviews Libertarian Presidential Nominee Chase Oliver
The candidate makes the case against the two-party system.
Social Security and Medicare Are Going Insolvent. Neither Biden nor Trump Has a Plan for It.
Social Security is expected to hit insolvency in 2035, while the portion of Medicare that pays for hospital visits and other medical care will be insolvent by 2036.
This Tax Week, Remember That the Federal Income Tax Is Relatively New
There are many pervasive myths about the U.S. tax code. Here are a few.
Supreme Court Unpersuaded
Plus: Vanderbilt activists' 911 call, Kevorkianniversary, MAID problems, and more...
Biden's Antitrust Case Against Apple Is Truly Stupid
Plus: A listener asks about the absurdity of Social Security entitlements.
A GOP Plan To Raise the Retirement Age Reveals How Unserious Washington Is About Social Security
An obvious, tepid reform was greeted with shrill partisan screeching.
Expanding the Child Tax Credit Would Perpetuate Systemic Poverty
The policy is a true budget buster and is ineffective in the long term.
Immigration Could Reduce the Deficit by at Least $1 Trillion Over the Next Ten Years
But the Congressional Budget Office projection assumes we will not cut immigration levels, as is likely to happen if Trump returns to power.
Don't Shun Controversial Ideas and People. Debate Them.
They should be heard, not shouted down.
20 Percent of Welfare Spending Goes to the Households Taxed To Fund It
It's not robbing Peter to pay Paul. It's more like robbing Peter to pay Peter.
Welfare Is Great—for the Welfare Bureaucrats
The clients get a confusing maze and a lot of incentives to stay on welfare.
3 Economic Myths That Need To Die
As we step into 2024, it's crucial to adopt a more informed perspective on these dubious claims.
Here's Why Charity Is Better at Solving Problems Than Government
Big government has been ruinous for millions of people. Charities aren't perfect, but they are much more efficient and effective.
Yes, Heavy Regulation Hurts the Economy. Just Look at France.
We're often told European countries are better off thanks to big-government policies. So why is the U.S. beating France in many important ways?
Biden Wants Another $56 Billion in 'Emergency' Spending
Congress is being asked to borrow more money to fund broadband access and other pet projects. Only about $9 billion would be spent on natural disaster recovery efforts.
Americans Learned a Lesson About Interest Rates. Washington Has Not.
Higher rates lead to more debt, and more debt begets higher rates, and on and on. Get the picture?
Welfare Cuts Are Inevitable Because Congress Won't Touch Social Security
Until Congress is willing to acknowledge that it makes no sense to send monthly checks to wealthy seniors, everything else will be on the chopping block.
Amazon Gets Sued Bigly
Plus: Trump commits fraud, a hacker house cooks steak, progressive movements can't stop failing, and more...
Will the Government Shutdown Result in 'Hunger for Millions' as Reuters Claims?
When you use incorrect stats to bolster your claims, as Reuters did, all kinds of foolish conclusions follow.
Fun, Silly Anti-Tax Ballad 'Rich Men North of Richmond' Goes Viral for Some Online Reasons
If you don't take Oliver Anthony's surprise hit song too seriously, it's a lot of fun. Regrettably, a lot of people are taking the song much too seriously indeed.
CBO: Debt Ceiling Deal Means 78,000 More Able-Bodied, Childless Adults Could Get Food Stamps
New work requirements will target those over age 50, but the debt ceiling deal also loosens existing work requirements for those under age 50.
Storks Don't Take Orders From the State
Falling birthrates, pro-natalist policies, and the limits of population control
Debate: Despite the Welfare State, the U.S. Should Open Its Borders
Can Americans afford to welcome the huddled masses?
Wages Are Rising for Low-Skill Workers, Driving Down Poverty and Inequality
Plus: "Flipping the proverbial bird is a God-given" right, administrative state abuses, and more...
When the Government Makes Poverty Worse
A Pennsylvania survey suggests that taxes are often a major barrier to economic security, ranking ahead of credit card debt and student loans.
Charity and Capitalism Are Better Than Government
When I was young, I assumed government would lift people out of poverty. But those policies often do more harm than good.
Congress Can Reduce the Deficit by $7.7 Trillion in 10 Years
The Congressional Budget Office projects that future deficits will explode. But there's a way out.
A Lame-Duck Congress Should Reject the Extended Child Tax Credit
The policy has some bipartisan support, despite the fact that it has mostly been a failure since its inception.
There's No Good Reason To Expand Government-Funded School Lunches
It's an expensive policy with little upside.
Farm Subsidies and Food Stamps Won't Fix High Grocery Prices. Innovation Will.
With government meddling, many farmers end up doing less with more, and people end up paying more for less.
Netflix Teams Up With the Obamas To Produce Big Government Propaganda
The G Word, a new documentary, only occasionally covers serious issues. But it opts not to do honest reporting.
IRS Sent $1.1 Billion in Child Welfare Payments to the Wrong People
Possibly the federal government's most efficient pandemic spending effort.
Most Americans Say Immigrants Make the U.S. Better. So Why Don't Politicians Do Anything About It?
Democrats pander to immigrants but do little to liberalize the system. Meanwhile, Republicans' hostility to immigrants has increased.
Brett Favre Goes on Welfare
How the former NFL quarterback convinced Mississippi to spend its public assistance money on a volleyball facility.
Mitt Romney's Family Plan Isn't Great, but It May Be Better Than the Alternatives
Whether the federal government should be subsidizing families at all is another matter.
Tucker Carlson's Great Replacement Theory Is Spectacularly Wrong
Republicans have thrived since Ronald Reagan granted amnesty to 2.7 million mostly Mexican illegal immigrants in 1986.
The DHS Will Be Disinformation Dolts
Plus: perpetual "scope creep" of the welfare state
No, Palm Springs Isn't Giving a Basic Income to Transgender and Nonbinary Residents
Palm Springs officials aren't off the hook for questionable decisions, but the spending isn't what it looks like.
