Richard W. Rahn
Articles by Richard W. Rahn
Economic growth suffers from overspending, not undertaxation
At the end of this past week, The Washington Post ran a long story on the Center for Freedom and Prosperity (CFP), an organization that I have long supported. It appeared that the original goal was to do a hit piece on CFP because it had been a leader in the fight for global tax competition and smaller government. Published June 13, 2016
RICHARD RAHN: Socialism triggers downward spiral
The U.S. economy has been going nowhere for seven years, and there are increasing fears that it is going into a recession with only 38,000 jobs being created last month. At the same time, Venezuela, the country with the largest oil reserves on the planet, is sinking into economic chaos. None of this need happen. The disease is the same -- only the fever is higher in Venezuela. Published June 6, 2016
RICHARD RAHN: Regulations will ruin the economy
The successful parasite does not kill its host. But the federal regulatory parasite is in the process of killing the golden goose upon which it feeds. Several studies from highly reputable institutions have been released in the last number of days, all with similar alarming conclusions -- namely, the number and costs of federal regulations are growing much faster than the economy, and they are having a significant negative impact on economic growth and job creation. Published May 23, 2016
RICHARD RAHN: The next financial crisis
The end is near -- depending on how you define "near" and where you live. Published May 16, 2016
RICHARD RAHN: International bureaucrats want cut of corporate taxes
Well brought-up individuals are taught not to take things from other people's pockets: "Thou shall not steal." There are those who never learned the lesson -- criminals, and many in the global political class. The latest targets of the global looters are multinational corporations. Published May 9, 2016
RICHARD RAHN: Global warming and the return of pseudo-science
This past month, I received an email from a European friend (who has a doctorate in chemistry) saying: "Dear Richard: Now you are a member of this illustrious club! I am beginning to be afraid! What is going on?" It seems my name had been put on a "Global Warming Disinformation Database." Published May 2, 2016
RICHARD RAHN: The madness of negative interest rates
Would you like for the bank to give you a check each month for your mortgage interest payment rather than you paying the bank interest? As mad as that question seems, the fact is that some homeowners in Denmark are now receiving checks each month because their mortgages have negative (below zero) interest rates. Published April 25, 2016
RICHARD RAHN: Coal industry’s slow demise prove importance off counterattacks
Last week, the nation's largest coal company, Peabody Coal, declared bankruptcy, as have many other coal companies in the past few years. They were victims of the development of fracking technology, which greatly increased the supply and reduced the cost of natural gas, but they were even more victims of President Obama's stated war on coal. Published April 18, 2016
RICHARD RAHN: The Panama Papers and tax shocks
Grand Cayman, C.I. -- Were you shocked with the release of the "Panama Papers" to learn of all of the politicians from around the globe who have utilized Panama and other "offshore" entities to set up financial structures to hide their money? Published April 11, 2016
RICHARD RAHN: The high cost of slander
Endless cruelties have been and continue to be committed on the basis of group slander. The communists and socialists imprisoned and slaughtered many of their merchant and property-owning citizens on the basis of a gross slander, not to mention what the Nazis did to the Jews. Published April 4, 2016
RICHARD RAHN: Economic lessons from Hong Kong, Cuba, Puerto Rico
Why is Hong Kong rich, Cuba very poor, and Puerto Rico struggling? Back in 1955, the islands of Puerto Rico, Cuba and Hong Kong had roughly the same real per capita income. They each took very different economic paths. Now, some 60 years later, Hong Kong is even richer than the United States on a per capita income basis. Published March 28, 2016
RICHARD RAHN: State-owned global TV networks are tools of political spin
Even though the Berlin Wall was destroyed more than a quarter-century ago and the city rebuilt, new propaganda wars are being waged here and elsewhere by the major and some minor powers in a more sophisticated way than the Soviets ever imagined. Published March 21, 2016
RICHARD W. RAHN: Free speech a hallmark against tyranny
Do you support free speech? How about free speech for climate change skeptics? For homophobes? For racists? For sexists? For white males? For even Donald Trump? Those who defend free speech, as did the American Founding Fathers, understand it is not about defending speech you agree with, but defending speech you disagree with. Without free speech, there is no liberty. Published March 14, 2016
RICHARD W. RAHN: Big government policies harm business
Despite wage stagnation, most people are living much better. How can that be? It is because those reviled capitalists all over the world are creating more and better goods and services at lower cost, and in doing so improving everyone's real standard of living, well-being and happiness. Published March 7, 2016
RICHARD RAHN: Using tax money to raise taxes
If a member of Congress told you that he was going to use some of your hard-earned tax dollars to support an international organization that demands that you pay higher taxes, what would you say? Unfortunately, the question is not hypothetical, because that is exactly what is now happening. Published February 29, 2016
RICHARD RAHN: Central bank policies have upended global economy
What the world's major central banks have been doing is not working. Rather than go back to the tried and true, they are now digging in deeper on policies that are bound to fail, such as the move to negative interest rates, which many will find personally harmful. Published February 22, 2016
RICHARD RAHN: Regaining ground from government
This past week, a majority of the members of the Supreme Court gave notice that there is a limit to how much of their and Congress' power they will allow the executive branch to grab. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been expanding its own definitions of what it is able to do under the Clean Air Act. Published February 15, 2016
RICHARD RAHN: ‘Progressive’ means opposite of definition
What does a "progressive" stand for? How does this differ from what a liberal, conservative or libertarian stands for? More so than in most years, the presidential candidates are debating about labels. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders got into an argument last week about what a progressive is, and Mrs. Clinton enlightened everyone by telling us "the root of that word, progressive is progress." Published February 8, 2016
RICHARD RAHN: How bureaucrats hide misdeeds that would jail private citizens
A major reason for the growing distrust of government is the double standard whereby government officials and employees often suffer no consequences from incompetence, misbehavior and even criminal violations of the law. In the common law, there is a general principle that if a person is damaged by the actions of others through negligence or illegal behavior, he or she has a right to redress. Published February 1, 2016
RICHARD RAHN: Socialism means coercion
Do you know what socialism is? Hillary Clinton struggled to find an answer when recently asked. Socialism is a system in which the government owns or controls the means of production, and allocates resources and rewards. Published January 25, 2016
