> Dana wrote: > If you think that Keynes is about the government handing out money > than say handing 22 billion to the insurance industry,
I'm not saying Keynes said that you are! ^^^^^^ See ^^^^^^ You keep saying that the gov't is "handing" money to corporations. You just said it again. Then you go on to say that, instead, the gov't should give money to poor people or those who choose not to earn more. Well, the gov't doesn't make money, therefore it's not their's to give. Let's look at minimum wage. There the gov't is taking money that a business has *earned* and forcing them to *give* it to a worker despite the fact that, on the open market, the worker's choice would be worth less. Here's the problem: If the gov't takes money from earners and gives it to those that choose not to earn, then everyone will choose not to earn. I've got a case study for you called Cuba. Gel has pointed out how much higher the literacy rate is and how much lower the crime and poverty rates are. That's true. But name the last new medical innovation to come from Cuba. How about their alternative energy research? Surely they've made strides in technology? No? Oh. Why not? Because when the gov't takes from producers and gives it to non-producers, the profit incentive moves from innovation to dependancy. That's why in Cuba you have people busting ass to be bellman at the local American hotel - so they can have access to American dollars. Now, let me address your points about ENRON or Haliburton. In a nutshell, it's the same as above. When the gov't takes money from people who've earned it, say Caribou Coffee, and gives it to a corporation that hasn't, say Haliburton, then they're encouraging dependency. SUMMARY The question is not who should gov't give money to, it's who should gov't be taking money from? And the answer is nobody. If you didn't earn it, you don't deserve it, be you individual or corporation. That's not to say that the gov't can't use tax dollars to give people the *means* to earn (education). >From what I can see you agree with me, you're just not taking the final step and saying that all gov't reallocation of wealth is bad given that all citizens have equal access to capital and education which we do but didn't in Keynes' time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:194901 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
