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Comment by fennecfoxen | Hacker News Reader

> Only in America is a tax increase equated (without any further investigation) to depressing the economy

That's not strictly true. There are other countries who harbor economists possessed of half a brain and theory describing the basic principles of how quasi-rational actors behave in various situations. They just usually don't get listened to. :)

Promising free lunches for everyone is much more popular and gets you elected! :D

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Theory is dumb when all empirical data disagrees with it. Good thing the Austrian's figured this problem out by ignoring data. It's the true hacker's way.

You have to afford the Austrians some sympathy. They know, just know, that their economic theories are correct and just. However, they kept running into a problem: there's so much troublesome data that proves the opposite of their beliefs. One day, Ludwig von Mises discovered that the scientific method itself was flawed. So he created a new system to replace it by fiat: "praxeology." Problem solved - now science confirms everything Austrians believe. No need for data.

I'm sure you have multiple studies with mountains of data which clearly demonstrate that the economy is at its most prosperous at a marginal tax rate of 100%. Oh, man, you guys are so cute. :)

So the only possible marginal rates are 0% and 100%. Good to know.

Clearly.

You're dumb. Please read an actual book on economics not associated with Mises or his filth.

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