But beyond the specific facts, it’s the logical structure of the argument that’s insane. Economic growth is a key predicate for an expansive welfare stare. So it’s completely true that if you just started throwing out the key institutional features of modern market economies that you’d strangle big government. But you’d be strangling big government by destroying the economy. Why do this? It’s like economic conservatism as a religion, with small government a totem to worship at.
At some point in the past two decades the libertarian wing of the conservative movement has shifted from the belief that shrinking government would promote growth, liberty and personal responsibility to a belief that shrinking government is a good in and of itself.
