A Welfare State : Government ***Buy*** The People

[Contumacious]

The Nature of the Welfare State

by Sheldon Richman,

Welfare-state programs have three central characteristics: plunder, deception, and obfuscation. Because those programs always effect a forcible transfer of wealth from one group of individuals to another, they involve what the great 19th-century economist Frederic Bastiat called "legalized plunder." The law sanctions stealing in these cases and is thereby changed from its original purpose, which was to protect people's rights and property. Bastiat's classic book The Law explains this point with the utmost clarity.


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[Si modo]

Bread and Circuses

 

[Contumacious]

Most people don't like to have their wealth taken away. (People are funny that way.) So if the government is to get away with legalized plunder, the politicians must make people believe that something else is going on. That's where the deception comes into play.

However, deception can be expected to work for only so long. People may stumble onto the facts and upset things. If the programs are to endure, the truth needs to be sufficiently obscured so that even if people try to take a close look, it won't be obvious what is happening. That's obfuscation. (Try to read any piece of legislation if you want to see how the people are kept from understanding what the government is doing.)


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[rightwinger]

We do have a welfare state in this country and something has to be done about it.

We have set up a system where unrestricted wealth flows from the middle class to the wealthy. 90% of the wealth is controlled by 10% of the population.

If our available wealth were a pie cut into 10 pieces. One person would claim 9 pieces while the remaining 9 people fight over the remaining piece.

The amazing part is that the wealthy somehow convince people like Contumacious that the problem with our system is the poor who are getting just a crumb out of the remaining piece of the pie

 

[Contumacious]

" a democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largesse out of the public treasury. From that moment on the majority, he said, always vote for the candidate promising the most benefits from the treasury with the result that democracy always collpases over a loose fiscal policy, always to be followed by a dictatorship."

Prof. Alexander Frazer Tytler


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[Contumacious]

The amazing part is that the wealthy somehow convince people like Contumacious that the problem with our system is the poor who are getting just a crumb out of the remaining piece of the pie

Mr Fucktard, Sir

Health and Human Services Budget

879 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBillions ......with a "B"


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[Oddball]

If our available wealth were a pie cut into 10 pieces. One person would claim 9 pieces while the remaining 9 people fight over the remaining piece.

The amazing part is that the wealthy somehow convince people like Contumacious that the problem with our system is the poor who are getting just a crumb out of the remaining piece of the pie

And there's a telling look into the mind (for lack of a better term) of the socialist.....They look at the entire economic system as one big pile of cash, and the eeeevvvvilll wealthy people either got to the pile first or cheated to get a bigger piece of it.

Truth is that wealth is virtually infinite and all one has to do to get a piece of the action is get up off their ass and take some chances.

 

[rightwinger]

If our available wealth were a pie cut into 10 pieces. One person would claim 9 pieces while the remaining 9 people fight over the remaining piece.

The amazing part is that the wealthy somehow convince people like Contumacious that the problem with our system is the poor who are getting just a crumb out of the remaining piece of the pie

And there's a telling look into the mind (for lack of a better term) of the socialist.....They look at the entire economic system as one big pile of cash, and the eeeevvvvilll wealthy people either got to the pile first or cheated to get a bigger piece of it.

Truth is that wealth is virtually infinite and all one has to do to get a piece of the action is get up off their ass and take some chances.

How idealistic..

The wealthy benefit from the Golden Rule

He who has the gold makes the rules

They have been able to manipulate the system through tax cuts, tax exemptions, labor rules, relaxation of environmental and workplace protections.......all to ensure that they receive an ever larger slice of the pie.

The super wealthy do not get rich by taking chances.......they get that way by making sure there is no chance involved

 

[Oddball]

Don't knock it until you've tried it.

Something on the order of 95+% of America's millionaires started with nothing.

But I guess any excuses you need to use to rationalize your emotionally arrested feelings of victimization and resultant inaction are as good as the next, huh?

 

[Intense]

We do have a welfare state in this country and something has to be done about it.

We have set up a system where unrestricted wealth flows from the middle class to the wealthy. 90% of the wealth is controlled by 10% of the population.

If our available wealth were a pie cut into 10 pieces. One person would claim 9 pieces while the remaining 9 people fight over the remaining piece.

The amazing part is that the wealthy somehow convince people like Contumacious that the problem with our system is the poor who are getting just a crumb out of the remaining piece of the pie

If the Pie was divided your way, there would be no pie to divide.

 

[Intense]

If our available wealth were a pie cut into 10 pieces. One person would claim 9 pieces while the remaining 9 people fight over the remaining piece.

The amazing part is that the wealthy somehow convince people like Contumacious that the problem with our system is the poor who are getting just a crumb out of the remaining piece of the pie

And there's a telling look into the mind (for lack of a better term) of the socialist.....They look at the entire economic system as one big pile of cash, and the eeeevvvvilll wealthy people either got to the pile first or cheated to get a bigger piece of it.

Truth is that wealth is virtually infinite and all one has to do to get a piece of the action is get up off their ass and take some chances.

How idealistic..

The wealthy benefit from the Golden Rule

He who has the gold makes the rules

They have been able to manipulate the system through tax cuts, tax exemptions, labor rules, relaxation of environmental and workplace protections.......all to ensure that they receive an ever larger slice of the pie.

The super wealthy do not get rich by taking chances.......they get that way by making sure there is no chance involved

When You make Your Property Produce, that in itself is not manipulating the system. Producers are not manipulating the parasites. You did hit on something though. Close.

 

[Contumacious]

[They have been able to manipulate the system through tax cuts, tax exemptions, labor rules, relaxation of environmental and workplace protections.......all to ensure that they receive an ever larger slice of the pie.

Look, I concur, there are parasites on BOTH sides of the tracks. KBR, Halliburton, AIG, etc are pure examples of the second kind.

The ONLY solution is to stop parasitism.


Capisce?

 

[rightwinger]

[They have been able to manipulate the system through tax cuts, tax exemptions, labor rules, relaxation of environmental and workplace protections.......all to ensure that they receive an ever larger slice of the pie.

Look, I concur, there are parasites on BOTH sides of the tracks. KBR, Halliburton, AIG, etc are pure examples of the second kind.

The ONLY solution is to stop parasitism.


Capisce?

I have never advocated confiscating money from the wealthy and distributing it to the poor. What I have said is that in the last 20 years, laws have been changed to protect the wealthy all in the hopes that this wealth would in turn "trickle down" in the form of jobs for all. The statistics show that the wealthy have just gotten more money while those jobs have "trickled" overseas.

If you want real trickle down, directly subsidize the creation of jobs in the US. If a company shows they have created jobs, then give them a huge tax credit. Give money directly to start up companies and small business looking to expand. But the concept of throwing unlimited money at people (through tax cuts) who already have it and hope that it trickles down to everyone else has shown it doesn't work

 

[Oddball]

If you want real trickle down, directly subsidize the creation of jobs in the US. If a company shows they have created jobs, then give them a huge tax credit. Give money directly to start up companies and small business looking to expand.

At whose expense?

But the concept of throwing unlimited money at people (through tax cuts) who already have it and hope that it trickles down to everyone else has shown it doesn't work

Now letting people keep what's rightfully theirs is "throwing money at people"??
Wow.....

 

[Contumacious]

I have never advocated confiscating money from the wealthy and distributing it to the poor. ............If you want real trickle down, directly subsidize the creation of jobs in the US.

What you just stated is a contradiction in terms ............a subsidy is a forced distribution of wealth.


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[Intense]

[They have been able to manipulate the system through tax cuts, tax exemptions, labor rules, relaxation of environmental and workplace protections.......all to ensure that they receive an ever larger slice of the pie.

Look, I concur, there are parasites on BOTH sides of the tracks. KBR, Halliburton, AIG, etc are pure examples of the second kind.

The ONLY solution is to stop parasitism.


Capisce?

I have never advocated confiscating money from the wealthy and distributing it to the poor. What I have said is that in the last 20 years, laws have been changed to protect the wealthy all in the hopes that this wealth would in turn "trickle down" in the form of jobs for all. The statistics show that the wealthy have just gotten more money while those jobs have "trickled" overseas.

If you want real trickle down, directly subsidize the creation of jobs in the US. If a company shows they have created jobs, then give them a huge tax credit. Give money directly to start up companies and small business looking to expand. But the concept of throwing unlimited money at people (through tax cuts) who already have it and hope that it trickles down to everyone else has shown it doesn't work

Simplistic but I agree with the heart of it. When We see Formulas that work, We should support them. Know this though, the Powers that be control both sides of the Aisle, and the Balance of Wealth has shifted to the Left. You All have shown that on this board. That should be telling You something right there.

 

[WillowTree]

The amazing part is that the wealthy somehow convince people like Contumacious that the problem with our system is the poor who are getting just a crumb out of the remaining piece of the pie

Mr Fucktard, Sir

Health and Human Services Budget

879 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBillions ......with a "B"


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demoncwats don't pay taxes they just want to suck the tit.

 

[Contumacious]

"If we analyze the programs of the welfare state, we will find to a greater or lesser extent the elements we've been discussing: plunder, deception, and obfuscation. This is easily seen with the crown jewel of the welfare state, Social Security. The working generation is plundered for the benefit of the retirees. The government deceives the workers by implying that the money is being saved for them and that it will be there when they retire. In fact, the government just plans to tax the next group of workers. The whole process is obfuscated with talk about trust funds and employer contributions. This last is especially egregious. Workers are led to believe that employers are kicking in half of the "contribution," which is actually a tax. That makes the system appear to be a good deal. In fact, the employer cannot really contribute. Anything he appears to pay is really part of the workers' compensation. Without Social Security, that cash would have been paid to them. The market sets pay levels. If the government commands employers to pay into Social Security in behalf of their workers, regular cash compensation will be reduced. There is no way around that fact. But the appearance of an employer contribution is a clever act of deception and obfuscation."

 

[Thinman]

If our available wealth were a pie cut into 10 pieces. One person would claim 9 pieces while the remaining 9 people fight over the remaining piece.

The amazing part is that the wealthy somehow convince people like Contumacious that the problem with our system is the poor who are getting just a crumb out of the remaining piece of the pie

And there's a telling look into the mind (for lack of a better term) of the socialist.....They look at the entire economic system as one big pile of cash, and the eeeevvvvilll wealthy people either got to the pile first or cheated to get a bigger piece of it.

Truth is that wealth is virtually infinite and all one has to do to get a piece of the action is get up off their ass and take some chances.

How idealistic..

The wealthy benefit from the Golden Rule

He who has the gold makes the rules

They have been able to manipulate the system through tax cuts, tax exemptions, labor rules, relaxation of environmental and workplace protections.......all to ensure that they receive an ever larger slice of the pie.

The super wealthy do not get rich by taking chances.......they get that way by making sure there is no chance involved

Get a bigger slice, buy some stock in one of our thousands of publicly owned companies. Forego that I-pod or that new car and invest in your future.

 

[The T]

We do have a welfare state in this country and something has to be done about it.

We have set up a system where unrestricted wealth flows from the middle class to the wealthy. 90% of the wealth is controlled by 10% of the population.

If our available wealth were a pie cut into 10 pieces. One person would claim 9 pieces while the remaining 9 people fight over the remaining piece.

The amazing part is that the wealthy somehow convince people like Contumacious that the problem with our system is the poor who are getting just a crumb out of the remaining piece of the pie

If the Pie was divided your way, there would be no pie to divide.

Liberal Statists operate on the premise of "Zero Sum Game"...