Washington's Parasitic Economy with The Weekly Standard's Andrew Ferguson

Washington, D.C. "is basically a parasitic economy," says author and Weekly Standard Senior Editor Andrew Ferguson. "It sucks up the money from the rest of the country and puts people to work here."

In a recent Time magazine article titled "Bubble on the Potomac," Ferguson argues that D.C.-area residents are growing ever richer at the expense of the rest of the country, which has created a cultural disconnect that results in bad laws.

Ferguson sat down with ReasonTV Correspondent Kennedy to discuss his article, and the various ways in which D.C.'s riches are hurting the nation.

Ferguson is also the author of Crazy U: One Dad's Crash Course in Getting His Kid Into College and Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America. For more on those books and the author, visit http://www.andrewfergusonbooks.com/.

Approximately 4:50 minutes.

Camera by Jim Epstein, Meredith Bragg and Joshua Swain. Produced by Bragg.

Visit Reason.tv for downloadable versions and subscribe to our YouTube channel for automatic notifications when new material goes live.

In 2011 Reason's Nick Gillespie interviewed Ferguson and his son, Gillam, about Crazy U: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exqr4U...

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  News & Politics

[DEATHBYFLYINGCDS]

Yep, it's thanks to the disconnect that exists in D.C. that emos exist. Lets try and get D.C. changed from the District of Columbia to Disconnect.

[klined]

Ive wanted kennedy ever since alternative nation and nothing has changed

[eirefrance]

That may well be, but given that porn filters and website tracking are a standard part of most work computers, he or she would have to be extremely talented and dedicated to accessing porn to manage that.

[Fletcher Daniels]

Watches porn?

[turneriver]

zip cars and rental bikes...definitely signs of the anti-christ. Flee whilest ye may...and repent. Someone better inform Miami Beach where tourism, not ecology, drove them to plant rental bicycles on their streets. Oddly enough, tourists actually rent them. As far as Washington out-sourcing government...favorite tactic of the Republican party. Sadly, spineless Dems have also jumped on that band-wagon...I mean you, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, venal supporter of the ICE prison in Southwest Ranches.

[eirefrance]

Hate Arlington? I don't "hate" it; that's far too strong a word. I find it has a higher percentage of douchebags than the average place. You seem to agree with me based on your top comment, yet you simultaneously find what I say offensive?

[eirefrance]

They have no worth based on what? Considering how many Washington insiders switch readily between the public and private sector, certainly someone in the private sector thinks they have worth. I mean, what do you imagine a lawyer working 60 hours a week for the SEC does with all that time?

[eirefrance]

Millions of Americans believe Obama was born in Kenya. Millions of Americans can't name all 50 state capitals. Millions of American adults read at an 8th grade level. Millions of Americans don't know who fought in the Civil War. Millions of Americans think attractiveness equals intelligence/competence. Popularity isn't a good argument.

[JezusChrizt]

On all accounts, you sir are correct.