THE DEATH OF PROSPERITY (in America)

http://www.investmentrarities.com/bestofjimcook.html ^

[cynicom]

Two things...Ben was an uncle of mine a few times removed.

Number two, taxes kill incentive and freebies breed more takers.

[hopespringseternal]

In other parts of the world they don’t have to carry this much weight.

I would love to see them point to these parts of the world. We are so much more prosperous than the rest of the world precisely because we do have less weight to carry than the rest of the world.

However, a lot of our prosperity is standing on the shoulders of giants. We are prosperous because in the past we were not so constrained. We could not have developed to this point but for that time in our past.

[groanup]

"How a conflict-ridden, grossly over-populated place with no resources whatsoever gets rich is simple. The British colonial government turned Hong Kong into an economic miracle by doing nothing." -- P.J. O'Rourke in Eat the Rich

http://www.freedomkeys.com/gap.htm

[pigdog]

Did Ben leave you any tips about electricity - or anything else for that matter such as older women:-)

Yes taxes DO kill incentive but the manner in which they are collected makes a monstrous difference as well ... and with the FairTax the collection would be much less intrusive and fairer for the taxpayer. Unfortunately it is hard to see a government operating without revenue.

Back about Ben's time it seems something like that was tried and it didn't work too well.

[cynicom]

Uncle Ben did have an active interest in women, especially those that could also cook. That seems to have gotten passed down the chain. hehehehe

Man must have sustenance you know, before all else.

[pigdog]

Well, I'll be hornswoggled ... I didn't know that's what "sustenance" meant.

'Preciate the enlightenment!

[alrea]

He obviously was aware of the dangers of vote-buying with tax money by Congress.

Why would ANYONE even want to go to DC to sit in meetings, make calls constantly and BE CALLED relentlessly?

[pigdog]

It seems that it is imbued into some individuals as a requisite part of their self-image.

Sort of like "the importance of being earnest" but instead "... the necessity of thinking you are superior ..." I guess. You can have your (taxpayer paid-for) staff handle the calls from the "little people".

[Capitalism2003]

A real (moral) capitalist would not seek political power (in other words, FORCE) to achieve his goals.

[cynicom]

Moral capitalist??? That is tough to fit in the same sentence. Frankly I do not offhand recall any such animal being in charge of our government.

Immoral now is different, I can think of a host of them in my lifetime and I been around since the 30s. The one that stuck with me was Andrew Mellon. He was enraged with Ford for paying working men $5 a day. Mellon said common working men had no need for money beyond the necessities of life, food and lodging. He was my type of guy.