the poor in third world countrys employed 16 hours a day to only afford food,wtf

Back in the '80's I saw some graffiti on an overpass in Detroit. It read "Reaganomics Phase II; Kill the survivors". Turned out to be quite prophetic.

Prosperity? I've been working all my life, hard labour and servitude and never prospered. Only pride is I'm not a burden to the society.

This is extremely high quality content compared to the rubbish content delivered by Fox News, CNN, MSNBC.

keep it going Al Jazeera.

Great presenter and audience need more interviews such as this by aljazeera

no one should make so much money they can afford to buy their own politician.

Laffing all the way to the bank since 1980.

This was really fun to watch.

His laugh is contagious. He takes things on a light note.

At 36:25. A telling leap in logic: working people = rich people, non-working people = poor people. This is at the root of a number of flawed reasoning in the US, coming from all levels of the population: 1) poor people deserve to be poor because they are lazy 2) I work hard, therefore I am rich (and so I support policies that favor the rich) 3) Related: I work hard, so I will without a doubt become rich and to prepare for that day, I support policies that favor the rich. 4) misplaced admiration for the rich because they must be the hardest working people on Earth.

Arthur Laffer is a propagandist for the rich!

This man doesn't have time to explain why he doesn't have time to explain.

He states the most obvious truth about how it all works at 12:50 - "Because rich people - because they're rich - they can get around higher taxes. They can hire lawyers, accountants, deferred income specialists..." And that's the story in a nut-shell. Even when a higher tax rate is implemented to, supposedly, level the playing field the rich dodge paying by inventing "legal" loopholes, shelters, etc. The rich design the economy to work for THEM and have access to all the tools to continue enriching themselves. The poor have no economic tools available to them. We are told by Laffer, and others like him, "it is hard work that breeds economic success (bullshit, of course, then construction workers would all be rich) - and that, if you are not rich, you must not work hard. Never you mind, what us rich people are doing with our tax shelters, corporate subsidies, wage freezing, union busting, etc." The rich will keep spouting the same ol' bullshit - as demonstrated by Laffer, here, in 2013 - while they rig the whole thing in their favor. They will never willingly allow a fair economic system to be created.

hello Mehdi Hassan, you're show is the best to get an insight about the various issues in the world and you're one of the best presenter and journalist there is in the whole of 21st century.. Hoping that you continue with head to head.. Expecting more personalities from Pakistan and showcasing of the issues in Pakistan... Keep up the good work AlJazeera

Arthur laffer is in denial. Plain and simple.

Well done, Medi Hassan ! This shows the riddle of hypocracy and how blatant it is. This basically, exposes the capitalist ideology being totally self serving and in denial. Get richer on the backs of the increasing poverty you create.

Wow the honesty of Arthur laffer's last sentence surpriced me. "Im not in to the social issues like you guys are, but Im really into creating economic growth" Well whats the purpose of the economy and growth if it doesnt make the lives of the general puplic better. And also the inequality is slowing growth according to the OECD and many others but he simply cant accept that. But most of all relative poverty matters, inequality is correlatid with a whole lot of social problems like increasing crime, worse public health, mental illness, longevity and racism to name a few.

mehdi hasan he is great man my allah give long life

at exactly 29 minutes he was very similar to Jack Nicholson!!! Even to the echo of his voice!

Arthur is a honest person. admits when he is wrong.unlike most.

This was really good

One of the best economic debate ever 😎😎😎

A mans ways/wisdom are always rigth in his own eyes/mind..Old saying.

What kind of interview is this? Why are you asking him questions Mehdi -- if you are not letting him speak?

Both are beast .. Well said Mehedi Hasan .. I am from Bangladesh

a nice cleaver spokesman for the rich and the super rich

hello trendy lefty friends!

Does anyone believe Laffer has a shred of honesty?

Apparently, the people advocating about the social issues don't really comprise of the people actually subject to the social problems, I doubt anyone in the audience represents someone who actually undergoes the problems caused by Thacher's policies..

In short, no one knows anything.

So rich people, who could create all of these jobs that would make them richer, are waiting for lower taxes that they aren’t going to pay anyway. Makes sense.

Laffer: "The way to make the poorer richer is by making the richer richer who will then go and make the poorer richer. What we CANNOT do is make the poorer richer by making the poorer richer. The riches MUST go through the rich people. It's the only way it will work!! You have to trust me on this one!!!"

I agree with him

IMO, income tax should be removed and sales tax should increase. Therefore, if the rich invest their money it is good for the economy, and if they are buying a lot they will pay their share of tax.

This is - " WEST ."* Step fathers and step mothers - no account. * Social service.*

Mehdi needs to let the people he interviews answer the questions he asks. It's really annoying when he cuts them off

I dont think it is,and i dont think it not. sums him up .

Soon as he presents the fact about higher revenues with lower taxes everyone switches it to economic growth. The UK economy is 'growing' apparently but are we any better off, more productive, richer? No. These people who correlate high taxes with economic growth often in favour of Keynesianism. But if you want to spend money wisely as a government then you surely want the most revenue which doesn't hinder peoples standard of living.

tough discussion. more should be like this, but sadly news networks like cnn dont want to upset people cause they wont come back on the channel.

Someone is always paying for the rich man s wealth. The always ongoing scandal.

what a smug crook

An Economist from the Chicago School of thought talking to a journalist who understands only Keynesian Economics, in front of an audience influenced by Marxist economics. That is what is wrong with the world.

The only thing you can deduce mathematically from two points intersecting Y axis is that it is not a linear equation. To assume that the curve have to be parabolic is bad math.

The problem with these type a debates is it’s the 1%ers vs the 0.00001%ers . The working class can’t win 😂

Instead of tax cuts use employment credits or rebates

"Head to head in the street Could leave you dead on your feet" Pun

I don't care what the "gap" is as long as I am not compelled to take a "job" because I need the money. I much rather perform activities that I believe are important and have meaning.

This head to head isn't even a fair debate it's just a entire room vs one person!

Increasing Direct Tax does not act counter productive to economic growth. On the contrary, it encourages investors to aim for a higher return. It's the direct tax which does pull the economic growth down by countering the consumption and curbing the demand.

COME ON mehdi let the arthur for making sense

I love this guy hahaha. I'm a Capitalist. The Problem in America is that Republicans give Corporations tax cuts.

Hell yeah, they're cashing in

I can only see this from my point of view as a small business owner that is struggling to break even. I would definitely give my 20 odd employees pay rises and also hire more staff if the tax rate was lower. God how I wish I could.

Arthur Laffer is hilarious! Did he say he doesn't use the Laffer Curve in his analysis in his economic arguments anymore but he still advocates it as an economic tool of how taxation formulations should be done in market economics?!?!?

They bash Arthur very radically but he still did so well and I still agree with him that you cannot tax an economy into prosperity! It's never happened and the end result of socialism is everybody is equally poor not equally rich & leaves everybody dependent on the government! There will always be poor & rich what Art is saying is the best we can do is make taxes encourage the rich to hire more, produce more, & create more jobs while also making it more attractive for workers to work more!

I WOULD rather have wealth inequity reduced by lowering the wealth on anyone who can afford to buy politicians afford to be above the law.. afford to be a global citizen as a haven from the destruction you wreak on your own country. yes.. half the problem is the corruption caused by their grossly human rights violating level of wealth. and cutting taxes do not make people who do not work in the first place work harder.. rich people do not work.. their money works for them. once you got 2 million to play with.. you never have to work again. so perhaps we should cap wealth at some level near that. as you progress much above that then your hitting lvls where your wealth can corrupt things in your favor to further enrich yourself at others expense..

I am on the side of this reporter, but I also hate it when people ask questions without giving their opposing debater reasonable time to answer.

I am a huge fan of your shows Mehdi and also a fairly left-oriented person, since I am a happy Finn paying around 40% of my salary to tax for what I believe is the greater good. My point is that I think you and the panel didn't give the author in this show his rightful place to argue his point. Usually, on the issues where you seem to disagree, you have been making a statement like "let's assume you are correct on this issue, then bla bla bla". Why did you not let the discussion go there? I am now left with more interest on what flat tax could do, but believe (and I mean believe since I don't hold any real knowledge on this topic) that if the experts would have opened up their advanced profecies on what a flat tax possible WOULD do, instead of debating what it have and have not done in the past, then I suppose I would have had better reasons to dismiss the theory. Now it is just living on like a utopia in my mind where all people are getting richer, so that everyone gets what they need, and on top of this we see some extremely rich people. Morally I can not consider that wrong, I would be totally fine with living at the "bottom of society" as long as I have everything I need and government assures to take care of me also when I am sick or old. I don't feel jealous that some people or institutions have even more as long as it is not away from anybody else but rather contributes to the greater good. But as I said, I don't know if this theory can accomplish this in reality. I don't have that knowledge but would have been great to hear the audience argument over that part. Keep up the good work!

Great debate...3:30 -4:45 in a way the gast has a point...

Just keep on giving me more it works for me. Rest can eat cake. It shows.

why does he sound exactly like Reagan

I ASK STREET SWEEPER MAN 'DO YOU THINK TAXES FOR THE RICH SHOULD GO UP?' HIS ANSWER WAS 'NO'. I ASK WHY? HE SAID 'AM GOING TO BE RICH SOME DAY'

my income went DOWN.!!!!!!

AT 16 :58 the rich got richer many times over and the increase in tax was camparable to dust in a big desert. the overall ratio helped them being more richer.

People working for minimum wage and less, generally work much harder than those making millions. Does anyone actually believe that someone will work less for a million, than ten million?

Neither argument is helpful. There are good points on both sides. The culture has to change.

I challenge everyone to look up the "Kansas Experiment".

At least his model of bailing out after recession are correct, the boom after 2008 was due to digital revolution, otherwise it would have been the same, like it is now, higher unemployment, low growth etc

our falafel :)

CAPITALISM? = YOU HAVE TO WALK YOUR DOG. SOCIALISM?= THINGS BECOME SO BAD THAT YOU HAVE TO EAT YOUR DOG!!

Do they ever ?

I grew up poor and I'm still poor. I see that the people who want to raise taxes have never created a job. Their all talk and no action.

This was one of the worst guests I have ever seen he laughed and lies his way through the whole thing and some of the crowd were really childish

The main issues with the economy are over population and superficial markets. Of course the economy is going to collapse when spending tightens and people stop buying garbage like luxuries and cosmetics, but won't stop spending on vices like tobacco, alcohol and gambling. The issue with American and British economies are the impact their cultures have on them.

more growth can be achieved in slavery than in a society of justice and income equality but we do not need that as human beings. the indicators of growth for drug lords, gangs. thugs, elected deceivers, people in various influential fields who profits from deception and trickery, are different from those who want a prosperous and just society where everyone has equal opportunity to be economically prosperous.

"SIN TAX" :'D

27:45 hahahah and 37:30 45

সুন্দর । খুব সুন্দর

islam only tax 2.5% on wealth for the rich and those who have income less than the threshold, dont pay tax. and the money is used to help the poor by encouraging them to use the money to do business. hence, people will have more income.

1. no one who makes less than 2x a living wage should have to pay any taxes. 2. there should be NO min wage.. rather there should be a maximum wage 10xthe min wage. NO ONE at any job shoudl make more than 10x the lowest paid worker at the same company/govt etc. With a max wage law.. even janitors would be making 500,000 a year.

Man… I wish mehdi could have interviewed Milton Friedman for this. I would pay to watch that “economist” roasted to crisp by mehdi’s wit and real world logic haha

I think Laffer and his theory is right on a lot of things, lower taxes are helpful for everyone. There are other things in society that perhaps might force changes to his theory such as war, and military spending, why should everyone pay for it. This is what I have noticed whenever there is economic debates, is the whole concept of war does not exist, they did mention the tax being 92% under Eisenhower, why was that, because of ww2. I'm sure a low flat tax would be good and it would work, the economy would be strong, especially when there is a long period of peace.

Reaganomics! War for profit.

the tasks might be helpful but in my point of view in most causes it`s not because it doesn`t go to the people who need it , and it doesn`t help the society to get better

Here is a example of what people can do with money once they get it NO MATTER HOW! when me and my husband tried to get married, after many attempts to get documents from greece with help from his mother we found out that the she and several other relatives cut of the rest of his family since 30 years where responsible for stalking and defaming him and his other brother to women from fear that they would reach greece and discover they had a due inheritance if they got married since he discovered this was going on his siblins and mother had already built a false criminal profile on him and his brothers with help of mercenaries filing false domestic violence reports, claims filed by his own sister pretending to be other people and friends deceived into believing if their targets did nothing it was better to try to lie to police then not at all because they had nothing to loose, WHICH WAS true in the USA since police dismissed the reports with no evidence..BUT they gave papers of it to them which they used outside the US in Greece and deceived local authorities into believing multiple complaints where filed against my husband even though by people from other parts of the US while he was in europe and since they cant check to verify this or could but rather not bother they assume the information can be applied until a court does, this is what part of his family did with a portion of my husbands multimillion dollar inheritance, their response to our discovery now is using the same false information with CPS child protective services in the country we are now in where we discovered we have been defamed too, all this thanks to his family having in laws who work in family courts. do the rich cash in...IF THEY ARE PROTECTED BY THE LAW as i just demonstrated above i say they not only cash in but ROB who ever they can take advantage of, because if my husbands relatives never got to this money in greece they captured illegally he would of never been stalked from fear he would expose them in time, his brother lives in panama and has a huge villa, so there you go!

The crash of 2007 caused unemployment to sike at 27% has not gone down until 2017,I left &moved to Europe

Didn't expect to see so many allegedly "educated" people believe that economics is a zero-sum game...

He has exactly the same voice as Mitt Romney

In my understanding the major problem of laffer's theory is it assumes indviduals as innocent lawabiding and moral citzens, but in a reality what i see and understand is indviduals try to maximize their gain at any cost.

GDP is an insufficient measure of an economy. it presumes that resource extraction is a positive behavior for an economy. this would be true if the resource is never ending, however, all resources are finite on earth. should our economic system reward how many resources we use or how many we save? I would prefer to strive towards a system that allows humanity to survive as long as possible. the sky won't fall for a billion or 2 years, continued population growth and resource exploitation will cause humanity to fall far sooner.

Arthur Laffer did well to defend himself. I loved his line on sin taxes: "Americans don't like drunk people smoking while we shoot ourselves"

There are two sides to every story.

Mehdi Hasan is attacking Arthur Laffer too harsh. And I say it as someone who disagrees with him. EDIT: I think that the fact that richest people taxes go up after lowering the taxes just shows how much money they make. Of course they are going to pay more taxes, because they make more money, therefore even more of the profits of lower income classes (god how I hate that word). The problem though is that the richest think only about profit. I think Carol Quigley said it well. Institutions work well at the start when created by people to serve some purpose. In time however those same institutions tend to server theirs own purpose and go for survival and growth. It might be embedded in our minds I don't know but that seems to be happening to the economy. Instead of growth of whole society at the similar rate, which economy should be about - to improve whole society. How it seems to work nowadays though is that its not just drastically improving lives of few people and but in the same time giving just as much as its needed to the other people so they don't go on strike or protests. And since Mr. Laffer mentioned Hong Kong I think those tax free countries are making so much money because they have banks there and they steal money from other countries by low taxes so those big companies go there to hide from taxes in countries where they do theirs business. And that is also what Mr. Laffer mentioned, that those rich know how to avoid taxes, but it is exactly because some people profit on it. Also if I remember well from the economy class about theory of games that is one fun game about a well in a desert. If all people using that well will take the same amount so it won't dry out, all prosper same way and all get the same share. Once someone starts taking more, the others suffer. There is also question how do you know nobody is taking more, so you might be taking more just for that reason, though you hurt other people by taking more because they have to take less so the well doesn't go dry. So either someone suffers all suffer all because others also take more than they should. And that seems to be happening in the real world, the top 1% of 1% and theirs friends are taking almost all the water from the well while other people can't afford proper health care and school for theirs kids they create huge symbols of wealth. Would be also interesting to see a question about the study that shows money effecting brain as cocain, therefore money being a drug, which I think we can agree that it is for many people in this world, especially the rich.

someone should tell this host that talking over your guest doesn't make you right.

Sometimes I pity Mr hasan lol brutally ignorant that laffer

If EVERY country in the world had the EXACT same policies (and, for example, a China could not benefit in terms of overall trade advantage via paying a mere pittance to workers)... exactly how useful would austerity be, compared to taxing all strata towards less overall inequality?

Mr. Arthur the so called 'rich' and 'poor' people both were created by the powerful groups which owned guns. Through the means of guns they devised a system that serves their interest in order to exploit the available resources in the universe. There is no one who is born 'poor' or 'rich'! if the unfair system is destroyed then the individuals who are born into this universe with no doubt are just equal and at the same level of ownership and access to resources on earth. So, fair distribution of the world's resources is a must! Resources from all over the world is taken to the USA, you need to have a wider global perspective. The gap between the haves and the have-nots is insane, which must be minimized.

I've noticed your letting him speak. I new you could. Working people don't really care about those 67, they just want a job to feed their family.

Mehndi is alien