Thomas Sowell aims to debunk ideas on taxing the r

[EmptyTimCup]

Thomas Sowell aims to debunk ideas on taxing the rich and government intervention in housing, energy


On taxing the rich to achieve economic prosperity:

“No. They’re rich are really a distraction and a red herring. And looking back at the actual taxes actually paid by people in high income brackets, it makes much less difference to them than it does to the economy because when the tax rates go very high, they simply put their money into the tax-exempt securities while they send the money overseas where it’ll create jobs in other countries. So that’s what hurts the economy. The rich themselves are seldom hurt by that and often when you bring down the tax rate — the start of 1920s, also under Kennedy and Reagan, and then later, George W. Bush — as we bring down the tax rate, they take their money out of the tax shelters, they bring their money home, back home from abroad and you create more jobs. But of course, and it’s not that the liberals don’t understand this, at least some of them, is that they understand that talking about tax cuts for the rich brings in votes for the politicians, even if it doesn’t bring in any revenue for the government,” Sowell said.

 

[Mongo53]

Do what is necessary to help fix the problem, even if it costs you politically?

-OR-

Demagogue others, which makes the problem worse, but gets you gains politically?

Democrats will choose the latter everytime. Is that NOT what we are seeing this very day, NOT only taxes, but every Republican initiative to try to bring deficiet spending under control. Especially every suggestion that would actually keep the benefits promised, instead were innovative approaches at removing the Fruad/Waste/Abuse to brind down the costs.

But, yea, I believe the liberals demagoguery about mean spirited Republicans wanting to starve children to death and throw old people out in the street; as watch commercials to get a Free Scooter paid for by Medicaid, Free Cathaders in bulk paid for by Medicaid, free Diabetes equipment paid for by Medicaid; then news shows about how the poor's biggest health problem is Obesity, news shows about finding another wharehouse full of food stamps being used as black market currency, subisidies for Black Farmers that ended up going to everyone but actual black farmers, with folks making $60k for just filling out a form. There are books being written now about how people made millions off balking the government and BP, during the BP oil spill.

 

[SamSpade]

It's always a battle between conservatives and liberals on what government should and should not do.

To me, almost by definition, government should do what individuals are incapable of doing by themselves. They should defend the nation, enforce the laws, interact with other nations, run the courts and so forth. They should provide the means for a nation to prosper, such as roads and bridges and ports.

But there comes a point where the government really needs to just sit back and let people actually DO stuff for themselves.

I was reading a bit in the New Testament where Paul is giving instruction regarding widows and the poor. His recommendation was that widows who actually had families shouldn't be taken care of by the church, and that their FAMILIES need to step up and meet their needs rather than sponge off the congregation. The reason being is that church charity is limited, and needs to go to those who truly have need rather than dilute it by providing for those whose needs are able to be met.

This was something I'd read a long time ago but never really hit me. The religion whose heart and soul was charitable giving and sacrifice was actually doing "triage" as far as caring for the poor. They saw the wisdom in restricting their charity to those who NEED it.

THIS is the problem we have in government. There are simply too many folks whose first line of attack is to get the government to solve their problem. If you had a child or employee or God forbid, a co-worker whose FIRST approach was always to ask you for help, sooner or later, aren't you going to say "Enough! Either figure it out yourself or find some other schmuck to do it for you. You're smart enough to do it yourself".

Think of all the things government does. Then ask yourself - is this possible without government assistance? If it is, you've identified something else government really should not be doing.