Mark Skousen
Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Fall of America
“The United States was lucky to have George Washington as a founding father, because he had that same civic virtue, and of course he had read about and admired Cincinnatus.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger Last week, I drove my car from Florida to New York, and on the way, I listened to the audiobook, “Total Recall: […]
Romney’s Revenge: Private Equity Stocks Soar
“Free enterprise has done more to increase the standard of living of Americans than all the government programs combined.” — Mitt Romney I am speaking at the Investment U conference this week in St. Petersburg, Fla., and the focus is mainly on income-producing stocks and funds. We had a big panel discussion about whether dividend-paying […]
No. 1 Mistake by the Media
The media reported last week that real income for Americans fell sharply, largely due to the tax increase passed by Congress on Jan. 1. But then reporters gave their spin. One from Marketwatch reported, “Worst income in years doesn’t stop spending.” He added that consumer spending is all that matters because it represents “70% of […]
Only One School Can Solve Today’s Economic Problems
I quoted Adam Smith last night at a big debate on the “Fiscal Crisis” facing the West. Rollins College, in Winter Park, Fla., sponsored the debate between Charlie Rock and Eric Shulz, of the school’s economics department, and me.
Three Fiscal Crises Heading our Way
Three federal crises are heading our way — the “sequester” battle on March 1, the end of the “continuing resolution” of the budget on April 1, and the next “debt-ceiling” debate around May 1. It could be a rocky spring on Wall Street.
Obama’s State of the Union: A Sign of Failure
“The triumph of persuasion over force is the sign of a civilized society.” In my pamphlet, “Persuasion vs. Force,” I made the point that when the U.S. president signs a bill forcing people to do things they don’t do voluntarily, it’s a sign of failure, not success, and Washington should be in mourning, not celebrating… […]