I like what Robert Frank has to say about a lot of the economic issues in society. However, he is really quick to make the alternative and find every necessary moment to void Adam Smith's notion on improving the economy. Guaranteed that "the invisible hand" isn't always going to work, but its has been quite some time since we have had no government intervention. Especially since, we are currently still in this recession. Another topic I would like to bring up was his view on the taxing of harmful activities. Frank clearly states, "Taxing harmful activities is the best way to raise revenue essential for reducing deficits"(14). In saying this, he believes that taxing people for causing harm is a justifiable reason to think revenue would rise, but people still tend to inflict harm on people whether there is a tax or not. To put it simply, taxing those who do harm seems more a question of ethics rather than a question of globalization and economic growth.
Although some of my statements so far seem a little negative, I find the author to be a little one sided and bias towards many other alternatives not only suggested by the people on the left, but also the people in general. Granted many of his viewpoints are well thought out, however, there is still more to be considered before we can actually say we can jump out of the recession. Hopefully as this book continues, I will start to see what else is in store for me as a reader.
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