Oddbean

With all due respect, this meme is just too simplistic. I live in Michigan. And when then covid bullshit started - or I should say - the response to a flu that merely 99.9% survive, red states (albeit after a few treasonous weeks) were much, much better than (read: freer) than Blue states. By a mile. Not even close. Luckily we live 20 minutes from Indiana and we were down there 2-3 times a week for some freedom. I also drove to Florida 5x’s (because I would not wear their god damn slave mask to fly). I’m pretty libertarian, and I’d much rather have a Rand Paul, or Thomas Massie, but I’ll take 3/4 a loaf toward freedom with a republican (or even 1/2 a loaf) this time around. If all politicians and all sides were equal, where does Bukele fall? Is it not better for El Salvador that he is President (no hero worshiper here, as the saying goes: always be prepared to slay your heroes) for now? I think it’s unquestionably a yes. And which side currently is for free speech, which side more pro bitcoin?

I was listening to a rich, US citizen say a wealth tax is beneficial because it would help stop the growth of the deficit. I noted the assumption that politicians would not use the new revenue to borrow up to ~20x it's amount (at a ~5% interest rate), and increase spending, the deficit, and inflation. "Do you trust any politicians not to borrow against the new revenue and spend?" No answer. The fundamental problem is not economic, it is political.