As I explained last week, the American economy is pulling ahead of Europe. One reason is that our welfare state, big and burdensome as it is, is not yet big enough to bring the private sector to a grinding halt.
That does not mean we will never pay the price for a growing government. If we continue expanding our welfare state, we will eventually become Europe.
This is a matter that concerns every American, including Wyomingites. After all, contrary to what many seem to believe, Wyoming is just another run-of-the-mill welfare state.
Without a firm change in course, we will eventually repeat the mistakes they have made in Europe. That change begins with understanding the rhetoric used by government expansionists. A good example of that rhetoric is in this Euractiv.com report where leading European politicians explain why the world's largest government must grow even bigger:
Germany, France and Italy have agreed on closer cooperation in the areas of energy, transport and digital infrastructure. At a meeting in Berlin on Wednesday (July 30), German Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth, French State Secretary of Europe Harlem Désir and Italian State Secretary of European Affairs, Sandro Gozi … emphasised the importance of bridging investment gaps. "It is necessary that we fully exploit existing instruments like the EU structural funds, loans from the European Investment Bank and project bonds," said Roth.
This is high-end politi-speak for "more government". Since not even European taxpayers can or want to give up more of their own money, these government expansionists gain support for more government by wrapping their expansion plans in slick rhetoric. For example, they emphasize that...
Europe should not be reduced to a functioning internal market and a common currency … "Europe is also, and above all, a community of values and solidarity."
Beware of the seductive nature of this rhetoric. "Values" mean income redistribution, and "solidarity" is just another word for giving government monopoly on compassion.
That is the wrong way to go. When government takes monopoly on compassion, everyone gets poorer. We need to rebuild an economy where freedom and opportunity give people the strength and the resources to be charitable and compassionate. We need to replace deceptive statist rhetoric with honest arguments for economic freedom.
Then we need to roll back the welfare state. It won't be easy, and it won't happen soon. But if done right, it will happen.