The Dark Side of Tax Reform – And a Solution

The tax reform bill passed before Christmas will be good for the economy and jobs. In a recent article, I defended the bill against those who try and paint it as a “tax break for rich corporations”. But there is a dark side. It will add to the debt to the tune of about $1T over the next decade. 

Is This a Solution to a Federal Problem?

I like many Americans voted for Trump for pragmatic reasons. I supported Ted Cruz through the primaries, because I believed he was the best chance to curb the growth of the federal government. The exploding federal debt is one manifestation of this growth in the central government, who have become addicted to spending beyond our capacity to pay for it. It will lead to economic ruin, if we do not address the systemic issues driving it. No amount of “taxing the rich” will ever solve this problem.

We Are All Romans

When I travel outside the U.S., I am motivated to read a book related to that country. To try and immerse myself into the culture. To get into the mood. A recent trip to Italy led me to a recently published history of Rome called SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard. This excellent book covers the period from the founding of Rome around 800 BC to about 200 AD. That alone is amazing: a 1000 years of history. The Roman Empire finally dissolved in the 1400’s when it fell to the Ottoman Empire. America? We have been around for less than about 300 years. Adolescents compared to the Roman Empire.

Cultural Relativism and ISIS

Recent events in Paris and San Bernardino with ISIS-inspired terrorist attacks made me wonder again why President Obama and many on the left in particular just will not label the attackers as “radical Islamist’s”. They insist there is no religious motivation, that those perpetrating these horrendous acts of violence are simply mad-men (and women) who are deranged and angry at the West for our political policies, or lack of economic opportunities.