Monday, April 18, 2011

Just Do the Math

I listen to Right Wing people sometimes…talking about the distribution of wealth (or in their irate words—the redistribution of wealth) and how horrible it all is. Their angered pleas are often self righteous, but more to the point, they simply believe that taxing and spending the gathered tax money is theft, is inefficiently handled and supports sloth.

There is not much math behind these emotional outcries. I always push the issue and ask, “Can you show me the numbers on that?” And they never can. They just have a gut feeling.

And then they rant on and I calmly ask for real samples, real numbers and none are forthcoming.

As I stood my ground one weekend at someone’s over tiled dacha, he finally said to me, “I guess I’m just a selfish asshole.” And I responded, “Maybe.”

What most right wing people do not understand is money. It’s sort of hilarious, but they just don’t understand that you need to keep it moving around or the system dies. It is agreed in all scientific journals that any system, in order for it to thrive, needs to be greatly diversified with resources spread very evenly. If this is true in nature, why would it not be true for us, since what we are is, gulp, some sort of ultimate expression of nature?

With this, I bring you some real numbers. I am happy to blog this so if I am ever confronted again, I can just do a search and hand this over. Of course, in a fit of rage, the unrelenting tax-hater will simply respond, “These numbers are not right.” And then I will ask again. “Then show me yours.”

The Current Economy

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