It seems politicians’ big idea is that since they couldn’t protect us from predatory lenders, outsourcing manufacturers, the crashing dollar and energy speculators, they can at least numb the pain by mailing us $20 bills to rub on our wounds.
It seems politicians’ big idea is that since they couldn’t protect us from predatory lenders, outsourcing manufacturers, the crashing dollar and energy speculators, they can at least numb the pain by mailing us $20 bills to rub on our wounds.
The $20 bill I got sure looks familiar.
And no wonder. It’s the same one the government picked from my pocket the week before!
Up – so Wilfred, that money could be going to pay a soldier’s health bill when they return.
If they could only use that money to keep school tuition down; to pay for regulating the subprime lenders; discouraging billionaire tax cheats, I would gladly pay my dues to live in this country.
We definitely don’t want to pay the legal system to protect us from predatory lenders. Why expect that our government will protect us from them? We expect them to protect us from terrorists. Not from people who aren’t interested in the country. As an investor, I don’t want corporations to help people. I want them to make money.
Of course, as an American, I want the government to keep and eye on the corporations that I hope make an extra buck.
I admit I find it weird: once there was a time that a true patriot went to work for the government because they cared about the country. They worked out of altruism. Instead, out best and brightest are expected to put money before country. And then we wonder why we get such a mediocre government.
And then we seem to ascribe corporations the greatest good when it is not in their interest to be good.
John, if the government would confine itself to paying soldiers’ wages, protecting us from miscreants, & a precious few other necessary things, I would not begrudge paying taxes. It’s all the other… [i] stuff [/i] … they do that gets my goat.
Patrons of casinos get positively giddy when they “win” money. But the casino isn’t really giving them anything. It’s the patrons’ own money, and the casino is just giving some of it back, to keep them in the game. This is my opinion of tax rebates.
“…[T]hey couldn’t protect us from predatory lenders, outsourcing manufacturers, the crashing dollar and energy speculators”? Far from protecting us, politicians have ever encouraged it all as part of their intention to redistribute wealth, not just nationally but globally. Salting the clouds of anxiety with cash is a continuation of the same policy.
#4 Celtic Horse, the government does a good job of distributing wealth toe the already wealthy. What’s going to happen is that all those people who made bad investments will be bailed out to protect the system and its use of magic to make a handful of people rich, without making any value. If you look at the way the defense budget has increased, its amazing how war profiteers are doing. And since we’ve followed Wilfred’s advice and gotten rid of the regulators and auditors, we have poor equipment (its to expensive and cuts into the profit margin), and a bigger bill (nobody is watching, after all.)
we seem to have an idealistic view of human nature when it comes to the market.
Wilfred: so you wouldn’t pay for bureaucracies that, say, make sure our food supply is clean, assuming that people regulate themselves. I’m not that idealistic about human nature. You wouldn’t pay for people to ensure that weights are regulated and fair. Now would you pay for an independent judiciary that would progect small business people from monopolies.
Wilfred, I suspect we live in different universes.
I am thankful that our country has free public education. For many people its the only way they get any education, because it doesn’t happen at home. I know people of an oldergeneration who used their GI bill to become engineers and professors after WWII and the Korean War. People in my community love the Public Library. Many of my friends went to public universities. I also know patriots who love this country and serve it through the state department, the CIA and its regulatory agencies – from corporations who justifiably care more about profits than our great country. I’m thankful that our government invested in NASA – an ostensible waste for most people – but the CAT scanner, kidney dialysis, insulation, cordless power tools, and water purification all began with government investment.
A close friend opened a shop with help of the SBA. Rural electrification happened only because of the government (it’s not profitable, after all!). Public Roads, AIR traffic controllers, and the mechanics of our democracy cost money. If you don’t want to pay for people to protect your rights, you might want to consider living in countries in Africa and find a guy with a big gun who’ll protect you. Otherwise, your minimal government is a fantasy – one that takes an idealistic view of human nature.
Well, John, you sure make a lot of assumptions about what I think. And I did live in Africa, for 3 years.
Too much of what government does is useless or actually harmful. I don’t want to drive our readers to boredom (or despair) by listing it all, but here’s one example: They have legalized & encouraged abortions. 20 million dead babies later, they tell us there are not enough workers to fill the jobs our economy requires, so they won’t enforce immigration laws.
Sorry, but I do live in the same universe. I hope to leave for a better one some day.