There Is Not Enough Inequality

Posted by straightlinelogic 11 years, 8 months ago to Government
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This is an excerpt, hit the link above for the full article.

There is not too much inequality, but too little. Every dollar taken by the government from productive geniuses is a deadweight loss. Leave that dollar in the hands that produced it and you have the funding for tomorrow’s mind-blowing scientific and technological advances, investment opportunities, and jobs; or for philanthropy that solves, rather than perpetuates and exacerbates (as governments so often do), the problems that beset our world; or for consumption that supports businesses and creates jobs. When the command and controllers take that dollar, it’s flushed down a thoroughly discredited drain.

In a myriad of ways the government stifles the poor and makes it more difficult for them to rise (see “Shrinking Pie Economics,” November 18, 2013, “Giving Back,” May 8, 2013, and “How Government Creates Unemployment,” February 26, 2013). The wealthy and politically connected often champion policies that feather their own nest, stifle competition, and keep the poor in their “place.” The best thing the government can do for the poor is get out of their way and let the system that has created bounteous wealth work its wonders. The ceaseless competition of free market capitalism guarantees economic mobility and a healthy churn in the 1 percent.
SOURCE URL: http://www.straightlinelogic.com/straightlinelogic/Blog-The_Latest/Entries/2014/6/9_There_Is_Not_Enough_Inequality.html


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  • Posted by johnmahler 11 years, 8 months ago
    Though it is difficult to get two Libertarians to agree the sun will rise on the morrow, I am a Libertarian. I agree in whole with this argument because it is like unvarying gravity. The only problem is we "enlightened" fail to understand "When the command and controllers take that dollar, it’s flushed down a thoroughly discredited drain." To prevent this, we must desist using discredited drain flush(FED bankster notes) and start using cryptocurrency as much as we can in all our finance transactions. Deprivation of wealth is the only language the central government in Washington D.C.understands.
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  • Posted by Storo 11 years, 8 months ago
    Our government is replete with self sustaining bureaucracies of useless and/ or outdated programs which continue to be funded by Congress because Congress either does not understand what these programs are, they are "pork" that benefits the folks back home, or because the bureaucrats continue to insist how "vital" their program is to "people who depend on them", irrespective of the fact that no one really knows what they do. In order to continue being funded, these bureaucracies and programs suck up dollars that could be better used elsewhere, and as more and more of these self sustaining programs are added taxes and debt continue to rise because Congress does not have the guts OBJECTIVELY evaluate these programs and eliminate those that no longer have a mission, or have otherwise lost their reason for being. This continuing spiral soaks up capital, reduces productivity and development, and makes us all ultimately poorer as a result.
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    • Posted by $ jbrenner 11 years, 8 months ago
      In an objective society, you would be completely correct. The problem is that the mission of these programs is to entrench bureaucrats and politicians into power, not to actually solve the problems that they purport to solve.
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  • Posted by $ jbrenner 11 years, 8 months ago
    Indeed there is not enough inequality. When my daughter was taking AP History this year, her instruction materials referred to the presidents of the late 19th century as "the forgettable presidents". It is no coincidence that America had its most inequality and most overwhelming success during the time of the "forgettable presidents", as is eloquently described in The Golden Pinnacle. I'm about 60% through the book, but I think that will be my book review.
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    • Posted by Robbie53024 11 years, 8 months ago
      Good point. As it also was with the Eisenhower administration. He is often criticized as the "do nothing" president, who golfed nearly as much as O. But other than the Interstate Highway system (which was more a military project than it was anything else, even though it hasn't been needed to be used for that purpose, much), those 8 years of the 50's were some of the most prosperous and economically advanced of our entire history.
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      • Posted by $ jbrenner 11 years, 8 months ago
        I would rank Eisenhower behind Reagan and Coolidge (perhaps not in that order). The interstate system was the most worthwhile government project in the history of any country. I'm not quite sure what I think about how he handled the Korean situation. He probably handled that as best as could be done, but it still was a quagmire.
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        • Posted by Robbie53024 11 years, 8 months ago
          Reagan was active, politically, but there was quite a mess to clean up from Carter. Coolidge was good economically, a model for all presidents.

          Ike inherited the Korean war, and brought it to a cease-fire rather quickly. If anything, I'd lay Viet Nam at his feet as he watched France continue their involvement while the rest of the world stood aside. Then, when France started to lose backing at home, we took their place. That officially happened under Kennedy, but it was begun under Ike.
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          • Posted by j_IR1776wg 11 years, 8 months ago
            Technically you are correct about Ike and 'Nam. However USA combat deaths from 1956 through 1960 totaled 9. The reality is that the majority of the 58,220 KIA belongs to Lyndon Johnson. http://www.archives.gov/research/militar...
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            • Posted by Robbie53024 11 years, 8 months ago
              And you are technically correct as well, but Ike could have stemmed our involvement, as could JFK. By the time that Johnson had it in his hands, we were pretty well committed, although he had a hand in escalating it, as did Nixon. But had Ike shut it down and not bought in to the domino theory, we could have eliminated all those deaths and a lot of cultural angst.
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              • Posted by Maritimus 11 years, 8 months ago
                Well, communist expansion had to be resisted somehow. The relative military and economic strengths were much different than in the 80s, when Reagan masterfully "penned down" the full stop. I think that domino concept has been overused and lost the connection with realities of the time. As to Ike's decisions, I would expect, from what little I know, that he would handle the situation in which LBJ found himself, much differently and better.
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