UBI and the Road to Serfdom
Not only could the state use the UBI as an instrument of social control; we have every reason to think those in charge of the state would exercise their power for bad motives.
Not only could the state use the UBI as an instrument of social control; we have every reason to think those in charge of the state would exercise their power for bad motives.
If deficits don't matter, why bother with taxes? The regime has the answer: taxes are important for punishing people we don't like, rewarding our friends, and for maintaining control over the public.
The reliability and service life of the F-35 were greatly exaggerated in earlier reports. Now the aircraft is looking like an even bigger boondoggle than before.
If deficits don't matter, why bother with taxes? The regime has the answer: taxes are important for punishing people we don't like, rewarding our friends, and for maintaining control over the public.
Government revenues are outpacing population growth, yet government agencies can’t seem to carry out even the most basic functions. The solution? More tax revenue and bigger budgets!
The reliability and service life of the F-35 were greatly exaggerated in earlier reports. Now the aircraft is looking like an even bigger boondoggle than before.
The more the government spends, the worse it is for the health of the economy and thus for economic growth. Experts who advocate for very strong government stimulus never bother to ask how those measures are going to be supported by the larger economy.
The economic analysis of repudiation applies to the debt of all levels of government and to all countries. The central question is not how big the government is or how much it owes, but rather whether the debt is funded by taxes.
The assertion that “tax-financed public goods can make us all better off” is just that: an assertion. As Rothbard showed, there is no reason to just assume consumers would pay for these amenities were they not forced to through taxation.
If we look beyond the mere tax revenue totals, we begin to understand that the cost of taxation to society is far higher than the tax revenue raised and that the costs to society of taxation grow faster than the size of government.