What does the rise of libertarianism portend for the future of the US? This is not a question of interest to Americans alone. It matters almost as much to the rest of the world. A part of the answer came with the publication of a fiscal plan, entitled “Path to Prosperity”, by Paul Ryan, Republican chairman of the house budget committee. The conclusion I draw is the opposite of its author’s: a higher tax burden is coming. But that leads to another conclusion: much conflict lies ahead, with huge implications for politics, federal finance and the US ability to play its historic role.
自由主义的抬头对美国的未来预示着什么？这不仅是美国人感兴趣的问题，而且对世界其他大多数地方几乎同样重要。美国众议院预算委员会主席、共和党人保罗•瑞恩(Paul Ryan)发表的题为《通往富裕之路》(Path to Prosperity)的财政计划，部分回答了这个问题。我得出的结论与作者恰恰相反：更重的税负即将到来。但这又引出另一个结论：未来将有许多纷争，对政治、联邦财政及美国扮演其历史角色的能力都将产生重大影响。