Stephen Kinsella: Apparently, we have never been wealthier. So why are most people not feeling it?

In truth, we do not live in the best of times. Nor do we live in the worst of times. We know the current risks to our economy and we can manage them – and prepare ourselves for the next crisis

‘Famine’ by sculptor Rowan Gillespie on Custom House Quay, Dublin: ‘Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say: Oh hard times, come again no more’ (Stephen Foster, 1826-1864 ) Picture: Peter Sandin

During bad times, when economies falter or even collapse, policy makers pull out a dog-eared book titled Things To Do In A Crisis. It contains a mishmash of policies that have worked before, in other times and other places, and typically the types of policies involved have a left or right-leaning bias.

Right-wing governments tend to want to cut taxes and wages to stimulate the economy; left-wing governments tend to want to spend ...