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You can't solve the underlying bugs because it's impossible for you to force your neighbor to make good choices and to live a net productive life. The only ques

You can't solve the underlying bugs because it's impossible for you to force your neighbor to make good choices and to live a net productive life. The only question that needs answering is how much of your productive output should be diverted to someone else, someone whose life choices you get no influence on, but somehow they are allowed to have influence on yours.

TheOtherHobbes 9y ago
This is the standard myth of personal irresponsibility which excuses "punishment" for failure. The reality is that the opposite is not just possible, but encouraged - right-wing governments in the US consistently use economic policy to prevent social mobility, economic freedom, and the kind of collective social investment that generates long-term social, political, and economic benefits. It's all about concentrating economic power among an increasingly narrow sub-group, and economically disenfranchising the rest of the population. https://www.oecd.org/eco/Decoupling-of-wages-from-productivity-Macro-level-facts.pdf https://www.oecd.org/eco/Decoupling-of-wages-from-productivi...
spiderfarmer 9y ago
Well, I am forced to pay for my jobless neighbor. I also pay for the road between me and him. I also pay for the guy on the corner with mental health problems and for the cops that are patrolling the streets at night. I am more than happy to pay for everyone, because it's this system that enables to me to focus on my job. And I voted for a system like this. Just like my parents, my neighbor, the guy on the corner and my jobless neighbor. It's not holding anyone back in any way.
- kbutler 9y ago
  You're not paying for everyone - a significant chunk of the transfers you're endorsing are paid by deficit spending, so you're still signing up other people who don't get to vote to pay for what you want. Of course there are probably government spending you disapprove of (long-term prison sentences for drugs, war on drugs, "bridge to nowhere", and military/foreign wars are likely candidates) Everyone disapproves of some government spending, but it involves compromise between differing perspectives on what government should be doing.

TheOtherHobbes 9y ago

This is the standard myth of personal irresponsibility which excuses "punishment" for failure. The reality is that the opposite is not just possible, but encouraged - right-wing governments in the US consistently use economic policy to prevent social mobility, economic freedom, and the kind of collective social investment that generates long-term social, political, and economic benefits. It's all about concentrating economic power among an increasingly narrow sub-group, and economically disenfranchising the rest of the population. https://www.oecd.org/eco/Decoupling-of-wages-from-productivity-Macro-level-facts.pdf https://www.oecd.org/eco/Decoupling-of-wages-from-productivi...

spiderfarmer 9y ago

Well, I am forced to pay for my jobless neighbor. I also pay for the road between me and him. I also pay for the guy on the corner with mental health problems and for the cops that are patrolling the streets at night. I am more than happy to pay for everyone, because it's this system that enables to me to focus on my job. And I voted for a system like this. Just like my parents, my neighbor, the guy on the corner and my jobless neighbor. It's not holding anyone back in any way.

kbutler 9y ago
You're not paying for everyone - a significant chunk of the transfers you're endorsing are paid by deficit spending, so you're still signing up other people who don't get to vote to pay for what you want. Of course there are probably government spending you disapprove of (long-term prison sentences for drugs, war on drugs, "bridge to nowhere", and military/foreign wars are likely candidates) Everyone disapproves of some government spending, but it involves compromise between differing perspectives on what government should be doing.