Ferguson : ' Things that worked well in the West for over half a millennia do n't work so well now '' Success of welfare state has lengthened lifespans , but concept of retirement has n't changed . Swelling Western bureaucracies and regulations also hamper growth , Ferguson says . And today it 's less than five times , '' said Ferguson , a Harvard history professor and a former adviser to 2008 Republican Party presidential candidate John McCain . Comment:
Ferguson : ' Things that worked well in the West for over half a millennia do n't work so well now '' Success of welfare state has lengthened lifespans , but concept of retirement has n't changed . Swelling Western bureaucracies and regulations also hamper growth , Ferguson says . Comment: