Category:Gov’t Debt & Spending
Inefficiency and unintended consequences: why environmental regulations typically fall short
May 30, 2023 | Post
In an era marked by growing concerns about climate change, the role of government in addressing environmental issues has become increasingly prominent. However, as billions of dollars are poured into climate change programs and regulations, it is essential to critically examine the true impact and costs of these initiatives.
Student loan debt forgiveness is not the sunshine and rainbows we think
August 31, 2022 | Post
Student loan debt forgiveness can be characterized as a regressive policy in that it disproportionately benefits higher income households at the expense of working-class taxpayers who are already struggling. Besides, Biden’s plan does nothing to address the root causes of soaring tuition fees
Build Back Better is more about handouts than human infrastructure
December 11, 2021 | Post
The Build Back Better Act is an attempt by the Biden administration to distribute handouts for specific sets of voters ahead of the 2022 midterms
We cannot continue to ignore the root causes of America’s debt crisis
October 16, 2021 | Post
Addressing the debt ceiling may have been pushed further down the road, but the root causes of America’s debt crisis need urgent attention.
10 Myths About Government Debt
October 16, 2017 | Video
Myth 1 is that the government owes “only” $20 trillion. (In reality, it’s much more.) But luckily, Myth 10 is that there’s no way to fix this problem…
Dan Carlin — What Is Military Keynesianism?
April 3, 2017 | Video
Military Keynesianism tries to create and save American jobs through gigantic defense spending, says “political martian” Dan Carlin. Watch the full interview
Don't raise Uncle Sam's credit limit
April 2, 2017 | Post
Once again, the United States government is rapidly approaching a fiscal debt ceiling. After March 16, 2017, Uncle Sam is not legally allowed to borrow any more money to cover its budget deficits, unless Congress votes to raise the debt limit like it has every time in the past. Uncle Sam’s debt has been growing […]
Defense spending: Why we pay for the permanent war economy
March 22, 2017 | Post
The defense budget is about to balloon again, but there’s no reason to assume we need more military spending.
Entitlement reform key to fixing America’s fiscal future
March 18, 2017 | Post
Without substantive entitlement reform, it will be exceedingly difficult to address the country’s long-term fiscal problems, and it will only get harder if needed changes are delayed.
Trump’s bad economic reasoning on infrastructure
March 3, 2017 | Post
Tuesday night’s address to Congress by President Trump was devoid of detail on infrastructure investment. But in justifying his desire to harness $1 trillion of public and private funds for “new roads, bridges, tunnels, airports and railways”, the President used two lines of bad economic reasoning sadly all too prevalent in public debate on this […]
How Big Is the US Debt? (360 Video)
February 18, 2017 | Video
This is an immersive 360 video, so be sure to set the video quality to 2160s resolution for an optimum viewing experience US government debt is now bigger than the debt of any other government in human history. But does the size really matter? Join Professor Antony Davies as he explores the debt with this […]
How Big Is the US Debt? (360 Video)
February 11, 2017 | Video
This is an immersive 360 video, so be sure to set the video quality to 2160s resolution for an optimum viewing experience US government debt is now bigger than the debt of any other government in human history. But does the size really matter?
The black hole of Pentagon finance
December 27, 2016 | Post
The Pentagon suppressed a 2015 study exposing $125 billion—yes, billion—in administrative waste, over a five year period, in order to protect its own budget from being slashed.
The Government Spent 20 Years and Billions of Dollars on a Fighter Jet that Doesn’t Work
August 5, 2016 | Post
The F-35 fighter jet is the symbol of the corruption within the military-industrial complex and government waste. The Department of Defense first began developing it in 1994 in an attempt to create a fast, lightweight jet for multiple branches of the US army. However, the program has fallen far short of these goals, as reported […]
Rio’s Olympic Hangover
July 31, 2016 | Post
The opening ceremony for the 2016 Olympics, hosted in Rio de Janeiro will take place this Friday. The celebrations, however, are clouded by the problems that have pervaded Rio all summer, problems that have been highlighted by preparations for the Olympics. Several prominent athletes have declined to participate in the games over fears of the Zika […]
Foreign Policy, Ep. 6: How The Free Market System Can End The Military Industrial Complex
July 30, 2016 | Video
The Pentagon fails to keep track of its financial resources and expenditures in any meaningful way. For military contractor’s, profit and loss are determined not by the market, but by a firm’s ability to navigate politics. This leads to wasteful spending and delayed results, such as a F-35 Jet that’s still inferior to the F-16 […]
Military Industrial Complex Poses Major Threat to Liberty at Home
July 28, 2016 | Post
Will perpetual U.S. involvement in foreign wars ever end? Not if those who comprise the Military Industrial Complex have anything to say about it. This complex, originally coined by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, is defined as the close relationship among military leaders, government legislators, bureaucrats, and private contractors, all of whom have a massive stake […]
U.S. Secretary of Transportation: We Have a “Responsibility” to Subsidize the Hyperloop
July 15, 2016 | Post
Elon Musk’s hyperloop project seems well on its way from vision to reality. For a little bit of context: Billionaire Elon Musk began designing the hyperloop out of frustration with the California High Speed Rail System, which is still under development but is promising to be one of the slowest, most expensive bullet trains in the […]
Government Goes into Debt to Help the Poor, Ends up Stealing from Them Instead
June 16, 2016 | Post
We all know government debt is bad for the young. But it’s also bad for the poor. Hurting the Kids to Help the Elderly The well-known political philosopher Loren Lomasky recently reminded us of why debt is bad for the young. We might be able to justify spending now, and borrowing to finance the spending, […]
Economics: How Big is the U.S. Debt?
February 12, 2016 | Video
“Economics: How Big is the U.S. Debt?” presented by Learn Liberty. How do you feel the government should be spending or saving money? Let us know in the comments below.
Are The Greeks Villains If They Default On Their National Debt?
October 20, 2015 | Video
Are The Greeks Villains If They Default On Their National Debt? Things are so complicated in Europe; you would think you need a Ph.D. in economics to keep track of what’s going on. But at least with this video, you don’t. Professor Garett Jones, Associate Professor of Economics at George Mason University, explains what will […]
The Best Explanation of the Greece Bailout in 90 Seconds
July 17, 2015 | Video
Things are so complicated in Europe; you would think you need a PhD in economics to keep track of what’s going on. But at least with this video, you don’t. I’m Garret Jones I’m an Associate Professor of Economics at George Mason University. I’m going to try and boil it down to a ridiculously simple […]
The Interactive Great American Taxing Game: Luxuries
May 28, 2015 | Video
It’s the Great American Taxing Game and you have chosen to tax luxury goods like yachts, fur coats, and expensive jewelry. Many people in the world today are suffering, but a small minority has plenty of money to spend on luxuries. It makes sense to tax these luxury items heavily and redistribute the wealth, right? […]
Brave New World (of Debt) | Life of Debt Episode 1
March 20, 2014 | Video
17 trillion is usually a number reserved for distances in outer space, water in the ocean, or sand in the desert. But it’s also how much this next generation is in the hole for as they become adults. Thanks to our parents and the officials they’ve elected, America is $17 trillion in debt. Despite the […]