The Empirical Evidence Against Big Government

[Samshile]

If goverment gives you everything you need, then govenment can take away everything you need.

[lavedon]

@Samshile well said.

[Torakization]

Empirical evidence.

1920's -- Tax cuts.

1930's - Rescission

1970's - Tax cuts

1980's - Rescission

2000's - Tax cuts

2010's - Rescission

[strabes88]

@Torakization you must be kidding.

[pciswrong]

@UBSCARED I understand your statistics, but I think they are far less important that the statistics given by @Slipknotyk06. I am far more concerned about unemployment (especially amongst the young) as compared with employed of those over 65 yrs of age. Who cares? I know many people of that age who work because they enjoy it. (i.e. My grandy is 80 and still nursing, and it has nothing to do with money.)

[Slipknotyk06]

@UBSCARED - I misunderstood your comment I thought your contention was that 20% were UNemployed.

I personally don't care if more people are employed at later ages. This adds to productivity, sir. Even old workers are appreciated in the labor force. Many of these whom are still employed are not so merely because they cannot afford retirement, but because they don't seek retirement, and are physically fit TO work.

[tdp1909]

@UBSCARED To me your statistics about the EU does little more than enhance the argument that government is bad for growth. All the petty regulations of the EU & strict limits on retirement, vacation days etc means that it has less prosperity & creeping unemployment.

It's no wonder people call it the EUSSR as it's no longer interested in growth, but instead specialises in centralising power & crushing democracy.

[Slipknotyk06]

@UBSCARED - I call bullshit on your statistics.

OECD indicates this information is NOT tracked by France. However, greater than 1/3 of working-age people in France are unemployed, 3.5 times more than the US.

IZA(dot)Org indicates this information is NOT tracked by Germany either, however the closest demographic is at 15%

BLS January 2008 indicates around 3% unemployment among those 55 and over.

Stop making crap up.

[FRSFreeStateES]

"Big Government" has a couple versions. There's the more commonly know Socialist Democratic form of "Big Government" with a big Welfare State like you see in Europe. But there's also an Authoritarian Conservative form of "Big Government".

[mavaufberlin]

i love the wig and crazy accent!

[oca2073]

the graph are so deceiving. Its use of scales makes the US look extremely wealthy. That is far from the case however. It's GDP per capita may be high, but wages and median income is less than many EU countries, because of the huge income inequality. It's without question that most EU citizens live better than the US, they are healthier, live longer, have more benefits, whilst only paying slightly more taxes.

[erwinthehamsandwich]

@oca2073 It does not manipulate the scale in any unreasonable way. The U.S. is far above the other displayed countries. Despite high birthrates, high immigration rates, and high minority rates (although not "politically correct", anyone who is honest with themselves knows this is a huge factor in average income, income inequality, and life expectancy), the U.S. remains well-ahead of the EU in terms of living standards.

[Rickyrab]

The gate was UP, no train was coming, the traffic light was RED, and so I stopped quickly when I realized there was a nonsense traffic light that I still had to obey. Thinking it was for the two driveways in front of me - one of which was hidden - I backed up to let any potential traffic to go. Wham! I had inadvertently front-ended the guy who'd pulled up behind me! Hey Government - DON'T PUT STUPID TRAFFIC LIGHTS IN STUPID LOCATIONS.

[Rickyrab]

The economy my ass! Talk about what big government did to my automobile! Was there ANY excuse for putting a stupid traffic light in front of a railroad intersection that already had a gate?

[FrsBigeasy]

"Big Government" depends on what you mean by it because there is more then one form.

There is Socialist Democratic form of "Big Government' that you see in the European Union where their Government's have a big role in providing goods and services with a Welfare State that some would like to see in America.

But then their is the Authoritarian Conservative form of "Big Government" that you see in Iran and China where Social Freedom is limited that the Far Right would like to see in America.

[erwinthehamsandwich]

@FrsBigeasy Yes all of those crazy right-wingers want us to become a Market Socialistic Islamic Theocracy while the poor little leftists only want to steal a little more money.

[stage6164]

here's the trick.. click to rippify [dot] com for the best site to get this song.

[ThePenWolf]

As much as you might be able to show empiracal and other facts about the nature of big governments, what you have to understand is that proponents aren't interested about effectiveness or efficiency or anything else practical. This is about Power.

[mhirtes12]

I wonder what sort of smaller government these folks have in mind? Tribes maybe? They could ask the Taliban to give them pointers.

[Swampfoxniner]

@TheLaxityandJam wow should i be??...

[Swampfoxniner]

@TheLaxityandJam i agree. let us live. you should check out nanny state liberation front on faceebook and join

[WONDOCTORJ]

the goverment has been getting bigger everyday, notice how the economy is getting worse----is there even a debate?

[Rico8458]

i dont want a mulato negro kenyan african moslem president. please wake up white man before it is too late for you.

[Rico8458]

politicos have destroyed this nation. the negro president is the sign of the downfall of america.

[METEORPHEUS]

@Rico8458 He is as much white as he is black. Funny how people seem to forget that! R U a racist? Just wondering.

[j1a2r34]

METEORPHEUS

Spoken like a true parasite who believes they have a "right" to the labor and compulsory enslavement of others.

[METEORPHEUS]

@j1a2r34 Fuk U asswipe. Go back to eating your own shit scumdog. I only deal in facts , no opinion. Learn some tardy.

[j1a2r34]

@METEORPHEUS What are you? 12 years old?

[METEORPHEUS]

KATO IS A LIBERTARIAN THINK TANK WHO SUPPORTS RADICAL VIEWS AND CHANGES! Very few would agree with their AGENDA to "Shrink government until it's small enough to drown in a bathtub!" Though we ARE SICK of the 2 party system, few join these anarchists!They believe in KILLING ALL ENTITLEMENTS AND LEAVING every1 to fend for themselves.They don't believe in public programs @ all and they would have our country turn into 50 little countries! fuk these a-holes.They R not the aswer either!

[RedirectionUSA]

@METEORPHEUS You do not understand why they favor eliminating a great deal of governmental programs...because they were done better prior to the government taking over and bankrupting these services. That is why they oppose governmental control.

Just look at the result of the governmental control and intervention into the economy, it produced probably the deepest recession since the great depression. Start saving, it is not even slightly over yet...mark these words.

[METEORPHEUS]

@RedirectionUSA Yea it was PRIVATIZATION that you so flippidly remark about. It was the government bailouts that turned things around! BTW Citibank was the first to pay back Americans including a profit! The bailout cost is already reducing! Google the national debtclock. Then learn WTF it means! And quit speaking is half truths dummy.

[RedirectionUSA]

@METEORPHEUS No, learn economics buddy. When banks are bailed out, it creates a moral hazard, which encourages behavior tantamount to what occurred. This has been occurring since the 90's. Please, please, please learn something before typing.

[ingearven]

If you google standard of living by country.You will see that

Norway is nr 1 followed by big goverment countries Canada Sweden France the US is not even in the top ten. Is economic growth the goal for goverments? Then China with 9% is good. Goverment

should look for the happiness and wellbeeing of its population.

Why is there 3 million in prison, schoolshootings, obesity, growing Jerry Springer class and many beggars in the US when the per capita income is the highest ?

[jimmythekiddd]

simple its called the war on drugs

[ingearven]

You make a valid point, but no solution.

A country with small government and legal

drug(khat) Yemen.

Also like the Americans very religous.

[TheDailyMeasure]

@ingearven

Norway and Sweden are floating on its own oil and France (which has a mere fraction of America's industrialized military expense because of our 'Progressivism') still has more debt in relation to its GDP than America.

If all our debt was due now including all entitlements that have been promised, every American would owe $345,000 if divided equally. Quit justifying forcing slavery thru economic slavery for myself, and generations to come.

[ingearven]

The Daily Measure,

I do not understand what you mean. Fact check Sweden has no oil and never had.

France is nr 3 military expenses 2,7% of gdp USA 4 % of gdp not a big differance.

The problem in the US, is to much consumption and to little production, The workforce is no longer nr 1. Lack of education, to much patritism, unhealthy. bad moral spreeding from the greedy topleaders. That creates a very polarised country, lots of crime and distrust. Its not like that in Scandinavia, France etc

[Riaz125]

the population of Norway is 4,850,440. The population of the United States if over 300 million! Norway can have a stronger central government because it has a lower population. The bigger the country the more decentralized the government should be.

[sifpotboza]

@ingearven Norway also has a much higher GDP per capita than the U.S. This video has just selected the information that seems to support it's dogma. Even if you just factor into the figures that the people in the other countries don't have to pay for healthcare, it loses the false sense of American superiority.

[mattsissel]

@ingearven

Just because you come home with more money in the US doesn't mean you will use it wisely. Some people pig out on McDonalds and get fat, others make healthy choices. In the other countries you have less money to spend on things you want. Individuals should look out for their own happiness and well being, and government should protect them from other people, not from themselves.

[MyITRcom]

I would blame Religion, religion creates the expectation of a something from a nothing.  The difference in those countries you mention is they lack the philosophical flaws in their thinking, that our "Christian Nation" has. When you have millions who are just fine with someone else doing dirty work for them,(Jesus dying on the cross) and a simple prayer to go to heaven. Completely devaluing this life for the next one, what do you expect? American's want to have their cake and eat it too.

[ingearven]

MyITRcom

I agree, the least religous country in the world is Sweden. It is also the most democratic country and has the most fredoom of press. Healthcare for everyone and gives a big chunk of gdb to developeing countries. Unlike the US. It is a more Jesus like country but without religion I googled most democratic, most freedoom of press least religous.

Bill Maher is mainstream there.

[METEORPHEUS]

@MyITRcom EXACTLY! BRAVO! BRAVO!

[pac1811]

People/Thing's that make you think/wonder. You can also YouTube them. - FREE YOUR MIND [CC] - Peter Joseph: "Where are we going?" Nov. 15th '09 [Part 1 of 4] - The Venus Project Lecture City University of London Pt 01 - Jiddu Krishnamurti - Gurdjieff's Mission - Cliff High WebBot - David Wilcox Pineal Gland - David Wilcock Zurich - The Golden Ratio 1.618 - Zeitgeistmovie

[pac1811]

get them out of your way now. But think use YOUR head, be as positive & caring as you can be. At the same time stand up for your self by any means necessary to stop all of this false reality. Spread true knowledge its the best way too fight back, & do it now, please hurry. Don't feed into their fear language. One more thing. We need to stop all this labeling of eachother/everything and just learn to be. Just BE. Fulfill YOUR vessel. Only interact positively with other vessels.

[pac1811]

present that has been hidden from us. Well that's up to you if your curious about are true past. But we need to put our true minds & technologies to use. Come on, Nikola Tesla, zero point energy, free energy, wireless electricity. This was known of in the early 1900's, imagine what is known & hidden from us today. Stop listening to them now, when you do, you are letting them make these problems for you to argue about and wast time on. Ignore ALL governments and anyone who gets in your way

[pac1811]

Its just an illusion too keep this all going. Stop complying & turn off the TV. Work together. Lets go too the places where the Governments have all the hidden knowledge of our technology's that could help every human on earth become truly free, as well as living in a symbiotic relationship with earth & everything on it. Even what we don't know about out there in the universe. Lets take it all back, our hidden technology's, and whatever you want to know about the known knowledge from our past &

[pac1811]

Everything that is going on now is just an illusion to make people think, there is evil people everywhere, & we dont make evil people. Even tho' living in scarcity does, so yes we do, we make evil/bad/undesirable people all the time. Its a war for your mind. Another of today's big illusions is to make you think these papers that are signed have power. There is no such thing as paper/people taking away/giving people rights. These papers that are being passed have no power, its in your head.

[pac1811]

Its just there too keep people playing into their games. Don't get me wrong I'm sure there are some good people in governments & police, but at the same time they are holding society back unconsciously, from our true potential. They are just brought too believe in, this is all real. & they want to be a part of something they where brought to believe in is good. But its not. If you really get down to it, you will see that we don't need any of this that's going on today.

[pac1811]

But in this scarcity based society it feels like you need governments/police. With scarcity & money, comes poverty, crime, greed, competition, hate, & so on, making the illusions that we see today. Its all just a bunch of arguments within a larger argument to keep you believing/following. Governments are gangs, & police are there foot soldiers. This will never stop in a scarcity based society using money. Yet people keep complaining, voting, repeating history.

[pac1811]

In sum, what Gurdjiff was saying, was that everyone, would hold up, be responsible for, their own world and thus the larger world.Government is power. Bullies & psycho's gravitate towards power. So no matter how many times you kick all the "bad" people out of power they will always find new ways to come back, even if it takes their family's 1,000 years to sneak back into governments, doesn't matter to them. Money & ALL governments are bad. Living in scarcity is bad. Following people is bad.

[pac1811]

Those who look for the world to be saved by a single teacher in a given time are shirking their own responsibility. They wait in the hope of a second coming with no effort on their part, indulging in the disease of tomorrow. To avoid a complete disaster it is necessary to achieve world harmony as soon as possible. It cannot be achieved by politics, philosophy, religion, or any organized movement that treats man in the mass. It can only be accomplished through the individual development of man.

[peckman28]

MGX- What the hell are you talking about? You think the nature of government is magically different now just because it's the 21st century? It is, and always has been, made up of human beings who will abuse power and demand more of it the more they get. That nonsense you just said is completely meaningless and shows how clueless you are.

[MGX]

in the 21st century its not about whether govt itself should be big or small. It should be about the citizens responsibility to make govt work. govt is an important player in society however, public policies today, are the outcome of a complex set of interactions involving multiple groups and multiple interactions ultimately combining in unpredicatble ways. It no longer makes sense to think of public policies as the result of govt decision making processes. Govt is just one important player.

[cp4three2]

they were, jensen.

[jensen1901]

The people of Sweden and Germany are happier than we are according to multiple international surveys. They also GET something for their taxes. Like great free healthcare.

BTW Cato Instittute, I hope you were making these videos when Bush spent 4 trillion on starting two wars and creating the biggest government agency in the history of the US--the Department of Homeland Security.

[hsienkangchen]

If you took on those "survey" data, I believed people in North Korea will be the happiest people in the world

[Kremlin1813]

Sataiwarp, these videos are good for informing those who are unaware of such things. They can get across to the large majority of Americans who have no desire to read a book, especially one speaking of something as inherently complicated as economics. (Relatively speaking) They present a starting point for those who have a desire to learn more, and the info is easy enough to understand by the less intellectually gifted.

[SataiWarp]

These videos are just terrible, need real argument for free markets - read Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal...

[Reasonjester]

No way, the government must encompass everything for us all to be happy. Nothing short of totalitarian control of the economy will do. At least that's what my radical leftist professor said.

[stayinthecourse2014]

Ha, love it.

[nalejbank]

This is a discussion on managing government as if we don't have a Constitution to go by. Purely academic. The only true function of any govermnent is to protect the lives, liberties, and properties of those who created it in the first place. The answer this Neo-Con is looking for is the simple application of the principle I just spoke of. If government uses tax money for any other reason it is operating immorally. End of subject. Got it???

[rationalCrash]

nalejbank: you missed the point of the video. it presents data indicating what the "correct" size of government should be for optimizing economic prosperity. I agree liberty is enough of a reason to have small government, but the video certainly helps prove that capitalism is better than socialism (in economic terms).

[DreadLaw2]

An interesting distinction, that probably shouldn't be made. While it is possible to show that liberty and economic arguments can be made separately, it is also a neccessity of the economic arguments that it would be impossible to have a good economic government and no liberty, because the very mesaure of good economics is based upon the concept of what people want and any suggestion of market failure is simpyl an accusation that people made the wrong decision.

[johnorigen]

I like the info and idea. But I think you need to narrow in. I found it a little hard to follow. Remember your listeners are mostly uneducated and need terms as simply explained as possible.

[Sweatismyname]

your neck tie is to tight or you are a weenie. Im guessing both. Good points on the video though.

[enevighet17]

Great video! Keep them coming. =)

[Sondre7]

Thanks for these videos. How come they suddenly became so big? It seems like a just a few weeks ago they just got some hundrer views... ?

[TheAmazingSatirist]

Didn't he say that Denmark and Sweden were more "free market"- like? That kinda crushes his conclusion based on the income statistics...

[TheKempqueen]

They may have more of a free market than us, but their governments are bigger so they take more money from the people... that chart said "Not including fiscal policy"...

[Shawnee470]

Revolution is Coming to America!!

Big government is held up with corruption (ACORN) & numerous other tax wasting groups & projects.

Big govt. still hasn't fixed the New Orleans levies or filled the big hole frm 9/11 after 8 years.

If there is $400b in Medicare waste (big govt.) then how can they take on a complete health care program?

Read that new, underground book where a small town in America stands up to federal tyranny. It's Great!! It's ur destiny.

(booksbyoliver. com)

[TacticusPrime]

Yeah cuz China has such a terrible growth rate. Bullshit.

[Truthpolice9698]

Good job as always Dan.

[larsathin]

Why does everyone care about results so much? Frankly I consider them to be a secondary positive result of a free market. Screw pragmatists and their "greater good".

[attractanything]

"Why does everyone care about results so much?

I'm confused. If you don't measure results, what do you measure? If results are a "secondary positive," what would be the PRIMARY positive? Following an ideology? Good Intentions?

An old (lame) business joke: "there's only 3 things that count, and all 3 of them are results." Governments are in the business of running a nation. Shouldn't they also be judged by results? Providing for "the greater good" is their only reason to exist.

[teton99]

Obama's Politics of Collective Redemption

By Kyle-Anne Shiver

And in this seemingly redemptive offering, Obama may be promising what only God can actually deliver, in the form of yet another, more eloquent, version of the same old utopian dream that started with Rousseau and Marx.

[Shaunt1]

The honest answer is government is not necessary for social, economic, etc. prosperity.

[paolo27th]

You didn`t hear conservatives raving about small government when the government was theirs did you?

[Gyrode]

The Cato Inst. and about 20-30% of the Republican party have always been complaining....but yes, both major parties are a proxy for various interest groups more than espousing liberty, social justice, freedom, or equality...and no, not just the big interest groups...almost anyone can turn their voice into an effective message through joining one, like AARP, Club for Growth, Greenpeace, Unions etc..

[scola91660]

You're making a broad generalization. I am one who has always, as you say "raved" about a small government. I worked in the government for 10 years. It is always a good idea to limit the size of a mess.

[diamondmagic5625]

The whole thing makes the point that we are most prosperous when human rights are protected and there is no war (but nothing else), not the other way around! This means no murder, etc! Would you care to back up your opinion, especially considering the video listed several dozen sources?

[datalorez]

Everything sounded on point until you brought the Rahn Curve into the mix. You can't say that it would be hard to remain productive in an anarchist society. Why do I know that? Because, to my knowledge, we've never tested it out. I don't know of any anarchist societies in our history that we can learn from.

[diamondmagic5625]

It could be possible if it was set up and led into the right way, in a stable fashion, but in any event the argument is the same one that communists have been using: "It works, just no country (or lack thereof) ever implemented it properly!" There is anarchy in some places on world right now, and it isn't giving anarchism a good name at all, and the exact same argument goes for communism.

[Surhotchaperchlorome]

Disregard that last comment.

I looked it up.

I don't know what data they use for that curve, but I suspect it involves cherry picking...

Regarding the point shown on the curve of the state getting too small, it does make sense that, if the State still has an ideological/marginal monopoly on those "public" "goods" that the results in the curve would happen (not enough of said services) but I don't see how that curve would hold if government didn't have said monopoly on said goods.

[IIKruZerII]

Why? Is "murder" wrong? Is "extortion" wrong?

[FreeAgain2]

Stopping Government growth is perhaps NUMBER 1 on the Conservative top ten action list.

[AAL]

Big Government < 2 trillion dollar war

[gwakerg]

I wonder why the UK was not shown in the list? They are a mixture of "big goverment" and free-market economics. Could it be that it might of shown that it can work? Also I have lived in America, Netherlands, Germany, and the UK - (I am an American) and I have/had more disposable income in Germany and the UK then I had in the US.

[attractanything]

Also an American, with the exact same story, except I was in the UK and Norway.

My standard of living went down when I moved back to the US. Both financial and quality of life. And believe me, it gives me no pleasure to say that, but it is a fact.

This video should have included Norway in their "evidence." HUGE government and a GDP that is $10,000 per person higher than the US (Source, CIA World Factbook).

Socialist policies, balanced with a limited free market get the best results.

[Gyrode]

"Socialist policies, balanced with a limited free market get the best results."

That is wrong, since Socialist policies have been on the pullback in Europe, with the election of Center Right governments. Norway is an unusual case because they have been able to have a defensive economy with a huge oil basis...Socialist policies tax CONSUMPTION with VATs! and so it is not really giving to the poor, even corporate taxes are lower, and income taxes have been lowered from their insane amounts (70's).

[Gyrode]

I mean the 1970's, where the socialist govs. had high taxes, no growth, high unemployment etc...European countries have generally been liberalizing, since "Socialism" in the form you described failed.

[attractanything]

I didn't describe "socialism,' but 'socialist policies.' If you believe in an idealogy (any idealogy), we are not likely to agree. As a pragmatist, I judge governments exactly as I do businesses--by the RESULTS they get. I don't care about labels or idealogies. Just results.

Having lived in many different countries, I can appreciate the pros/cons of all of them. Based on my experience, socialist / free market hybrids produce higher quality of life results than the US is currently getting.

[Elasaltaculos]

The US is a socialist/free market hybrid....

[THAWK3]

Free Market?

Where?

[Elasaltaculos]

Well, I agree that we almost do not have a free market. But we can't say we have a command economy, yet. We still have some consumer choices.

[Gyrode]

That's fine, but you must understand that most European gov's are on a socialist pullback because the results were mediocre....also you must understand that most Norway is very homogenous...it matters!

[attractanything]

"Norway is very homogenous...it matters"

Just to clairfy (and please correct me if I'm wrong here): you are saying that race plays an important role in a society producing good results?

[Gyrode]

No, culture...for example, while there may be anti-immigrant sentiment on the extremes in the US, Europe has a much more heated view of immigration...and frankly, people have been more willing to be taxed higher in consumption, income, and wealth (corporate taxes tend to be low) when people are of the same group...so if they start seeing a bunch of Romanians, its the same thing!

[Gyrode]

Also, income taxes have been greatly lowered because the Socialist myth of soaking the rich was garbage! Consumption is taxed more!

[Elasaltaculos]

As a former resident of Norway, i must say that it is more Demographics than anything that allows that tiny country with 4.5 million people to afford their system.

I would like to see Norway afford all the healthcare without their oil and other natural resources.

[bjornredtail]

There is one minor problem with this analysis: Higher GDP per capita doesn't necessarily mean a better standard of living. GDP isn't evenly distributed in the population, which means that most could mean most folks don't see the benefit from the economic activity. Perhaps some sort of median income minus cost of living would be a better measure of overall economic success. Of course, that's much harder to calculate.

[searchbrowsesleep]

I agree with this video that Gig Gov. is a bad idea. But your point is an equally important and unspoken one. I saw a US Fed Gov. produced chart. You can divide rather neatly the employed population into two halves. The top of the bottom half "earns" about 1/2 the income compared to what is "earned" by the bottom of the top half. I am amoung those who work but apparently I don't deserve to marry and raise a family. Because my labour is physical. Yessum Boss. I step and fetch'it. Justifiable?

[cds3154]

The only way to look at what he is saying is to state "that more Europeans come to america to work than Americans come to Europe to work". Why? Well because they can make more money here. In Europe, the government dictatorship takes all your money. Why is this an argument ? They still have queen and kings in europe for god sakes. Why do canadians come to america to work ? Because they need jobs. If their countries were legit why would they stay here. Why is this a issue ?!!!

[TheObjectiveReality]

Great video, as usual, Dan. Keep them coming, I'm sending them to all my Austrian friends and even Keynesian friends.

[cr1138]

nice!

[Michigan1985]

Get your crap ads of youtube. kthx

[JohnBigBootay]

Shut up commie, oh I am sorry, Obamanist.

[Michigan1985]

Go back to school.

[JohnBigBootay]

Nice reply parasite. The left want a free ride on the backs of the producers. Just a like a cancer. No real man would be a liberal. Men take care of themselves. Go back to your mom ligthweight.

[Michigan1985]

I'm half your age and I'm willing to bet I make twice your pay check. I'm not going to sink to your level and toss insults. I'm sick of watching the gap between the rich and poor grow. I'm not a fan of insurance companies raping the wallets of people who can barely afford health care.

It's a moral decision in my eyes.

[FreeAgain2]

You can not lift up the poor by tearing down the rich.

[Michigan1985]

It won't tear down the rich no more than you're money going towards fire departments, police departments and libraries do. I consider health care just as important if not more important than those.

[JohnBigBootay]

First you don't know how old I am or how much I make. I bet I have more education than you or anyone in your family. You are a parasite. How is it moral handicap society by making them live off the handouts of the state? You are a pathetic excuse for a man. By the way, how do you like living in your mom's basement?

[Michigan1985]

If you had an education, 95 percent of your argument wouldn't be insults.

[kekemankek]

Try again...no real man would be as ignorant, naive and hateful as you.

[whoo689]

After watching a video like this, the Keynesians have no excuse, unless of course they admit that they just wanted bigger government all along and had a semi-legitimate excuse.

[toyracers]

2:35 he says the graphs were going to look at living standards but the graphs only show income per capita.. which has nothing to do with living standards.. especially if the value of income per capita does not account for income distribution among the population

5:37 of course economic growth is going to get smaller as a country gets bigger.. you can only controls a set amount of the market

[Thorbie]

He used more than income per capita. He used consumption and GDP. If income distribution was that skewed as you claim then it would be reflected in the consumption and income data. In both graphs the US is better off.

Economic growth is not going to get smaller just because a country is growing. Why are China and India's economies growing despite their huge populations? It's due to a move towards more economic freedom.

[whoo689]

I respectfully beg to differ. Look at living standards in heavily-regulated European states with higher taxes and lower incomes. They have markedly less purchasing power and can only afford smaller houses, and regular consumer goods tend to be expensive as hell.

[ceasey0xoogurl]

thanks!

[freedomgirl744]

Excellent! You are arming us with facts we need. You show how government interjection is necessary to a certain point in encouraging a nation's economic prosperity. There is a point (and I believe we have passed that place in the U.S.) where government spending injures the nation's prosperity. America got where it is today through fierce independence and a can-do attitude. That now is being replaced with a nanny-state. That no one can fail here is going to ruin us all collectively.

[Vigatos]

Good video, thank you

[Reaps51]

Always interesting.

Would also be interesting to see how Australia stacks up; both Liberal and Labour parties strike me as rather 'big government'

Interestingly, apart from rolling back IR laws and 'saying sorry', Labour has (yet) to really do anything but continue the status quo from earlier Liberal years. I suppose people just 'feel good' about it because Labour is doing it instead of Liberal. *shrugs*..

[Skinski7]

I am an aussie who has lived in the USA for the past 4 years. Australia is definitely a "big government" nation and the cost of the bureaucracy is reflected in the higher taxes both direct and indirect. The U.S. is heading that way with due to the war budget as well as the increase of the role of government (ie. socialised medicine).

[billyjoeallen]

Somalia actually improved by most metrics when it's central government collapsed. Property rights, when properly defined, do not need a state to be defended.

A monopoly government is the enemy of the free market always and everywhere.

Murray Rothbard did quite a lot of work to show that capitalism doesn't need it.

[goose1077]

Read about seasteading, I think you would enjoy it;

[Gyrode]

You must understand that Somaliland and the northern portions on "Somalia" are doing fine. All the problems are where the Radical Islamist warlords are in power (the South). Although Islamists do rule in the more peaceful regions.