Matt Welch discusses Obama's State of the Union with Stossel, Megan McArdle, & David Boaz

On Tuesday, January 24, 2012, Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch participated in a special live post-State of the Union edition of Stossel, along with The Atlantic's Megan McArdle and the Cato Institute's David Boaz. The panel discussed President Barack Obama's speech and answered questions from the studio audience.

20 minutes.

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[CurtHowland]

No! Education back to the INDIVIDUALS!

Separate school and state COMPLETELY.

[eurohim]

Gary Johnson is the best Libertarian Party nominee since Ron Paul in 1988. If Ron Paul doesn't get the nomination, Gary is getting my vote.

[mythmanjay]

There are military bases all over America! Why not everywhere else?

Anyway, these people confuse us by treating money as if it's actually worth something. Oh, it is (in that 'stuff costs money'), but--as 'national spending' goes--it's all just 'numbers added to a bank-account's total.'

True, more 'national spending' depreciates the value of the dollar (makes the same stuff cost more) ... maybe we could ask reps to present bills as 'making the dollar %-weaker' rather than 'costing $bagajillions.'

[ecuadmail]

@Loathomar Yeah this guy drifted into the drug war and about how it was a con just to lock up blacks and how he SOMEHOW knew that i think any black who gets a traffic ticket should be put in an electric chair. Obviously right? Duh. (Rolls eyes) I agree, F those people.

[Loathomar]

@ecuadmail "I think your economic ideas unfairly attack those who are not white, their for you are racist"... "But race plays no part in my ideas, how can that be racists"... "It hurts blacks, therefor you are racist no matter any other motivation or thought on race"... "That makes no since"... "Racist!!!!!!!!!!!"... or something like that only a lot more retard? Ya, F those people. The web has no lack of racists and people who care about racism need stop calling ppl they disagree w/ racists

[Loathomar]

@ecuadmail I generally like the fair tax, though I do thing it taxes the middle and upper middle class too much. I think it would be better with either an estate or a luxury consumption tax at a higher rate. EI: Home/Transportation/High end dinning that cost more then 3x then the US average is taxed at 1.5x the normal tax rate for the cost about 3x. On pure economics the "fair tax" rocks, but on fairness it is not that great for middle and upper middle class and is epic for the rich.

[Loathomar]

@ecuadmail Stagnation has no relation to economic mobility. Economic stagnation would be and economy that is not growing which could happen with very high economic mobility. And I notice a type'o which changes the statement in may last statement, I meant to say I don't believe the poor "can't" become rich in the US but I missed the not which does change the meaning. But comparing the likelihood of that happening in the US vs most EU nations the US an ranked low.

[xxcrysad3000xx]

Just a thought experiment: we all know that thanks to increased capital (automation) has increased productivity per worker exponentially, but what happens when production becomes so efficient and the well-paying tech services jobs are so few and far between that there is virtually noone to buy what's coming off the production line? It seems like there's a vertical asymptote of productivity to employment that you'd inevitably run up against.

[ecuadmail]

a consumption tax (get rid of income and corporate taxes completely) and be done with it.

[ecuadmail]

as they grow old and retire. They increase "net worth" and become "rich". Income also increases, for some more than others, depending on their field. After 4 years of medical school I'll be making captain's pay in the air force until my obligation is complete. After that its up to me to improve myself and negotiate my own wages and make my own investments to provide for myself and my family. We can debate capital gains taxes till we're blue in the face but I'd rather put it all under

[ecuadmail]

@Loathomar One video was this

youtube.com/watch?v=HbTEzhaXZ3­w&feature=g-hist&context=G2c4e­466AHTyJYJwAPAA

With regard to sweden, another was this,

youtube.com/watch?v=WrtoSx-NbL­Q&feature=g-hist&context=G28ac­291AHTyJZTQALAA

With regard to stagnation/economic mobility. He puts into perspective statistics about "household incomes" and income brackets. Basically stating that people starting out life move up from lowliness and as the richest die or are ruined the "poor" work and earn cash