Twelve Parallels in Political Economy
by Robert Higgs
by Robert Higgs
Recently by Robert Higgs: Crisis and Leviathan: Observations Amid the Current Episode
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The federal budget is to a tolerable government
as the Palace of Versailles is to a two-car garage.
The Code of Federal Regulations is to the rule of law
as a trainload of cyanide is to a nutritious diet.
A member of Congress is to the preservation of our liberties
as a member of the Mafia is to the propagation of Christianity.
The Pentagon budget is to the cost of adequate national security
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as the Taj Mahal is to low-income housing.
The IRS is to serving the public
as a hungry shark is to a school of small fish.
A government prosecutor is devoted to seeking justice
as a wolf is devoted to preserving a flock of sheep.
Eminent domain takings are to the public interest
as plague epidemics are to the public health.
May 26, 2010
Robert Higgs [send him mail] is senior fellow in political economy at the Independent Institute and editor of The Independent Review. He is also a columnist for LewRockwell.com. His most recent book is Neither Liberty Nor Safety: Fear, Ideology, and the Growth of Government. He is also the author of Depression, War, and Cold War: Studies in Political Economy, Resurgence of the Warfare State: The Crisis Since 9/11 and Against Leviathan: Government Power and a Free Society.
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