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No, the real question is why do you think that "the government" is entitled to a percentage of your money, and why you think they can spend it better than the p

No, the real question is why do you think that "the government" is entitled to a percentage of your money, and why you think they can spend it better than the private sector.

ykevinator 7y ago
Because they pay for sewage and libraries
- GarrisonPrime 7y ago
  Much less efficiently than the private sector could.
huffmsa 7y ago
Unless you pay a private firm to drill a well and put a septic tank in the ground. Cost a few thousand dollars, and a few hundred every few years to have them come and pump the tank. I pay Amazon ~$10 a month for access to more reading, listening and video content than most major university libraries have access too. No late fees either. Of course sewage is better handled at the municipality level in dense areas, and I'm not okay with private firms having control over access to information, but Federal level governments are highly inefficient.
- michaelmrose 7y ago
  Anyone who thinks Amazon is a fit replacement for libraries hasn't thought the matter through much. If one has 12-48k to pay rent this year a few hundred for a machine, about 1k for internet access then one can pay 10 a month to access a worse collection a homeless man could check out at the library. Access to the rest of human knowledge is available for 10 to 100 a pop.
  - huffmsa 7y ago
    A cellphone, a cheap data plan + prime will run you ~$500 at the most. Or ~$1.50 a day. And you get the rest of the internets knowledge included. No hours of operation, no librarians giving you dirty looks
wincy 7y ago
Because someone at some point started thinking that social outcasts who are wholly unable to maintain even the most tenuous of social connections/support networks shouldn’t starve in the streets with their children, and instead of charity the government can be seen as “the good guy” by just giving out stolen money instead of money freely given. It weakens the power of churches, makes the politicians more powerful since they’re controlling the bread and circuses. It’s a win win for those in power.
neffy 7y ago
Well I´ve worked in the private sector most of my life, and I have observed it to be well staffed with human beings. And human beings, in my experience, can be lazy, venal, honourable or hardworking, in both the private and the government sector. But the last time I checked, the private sector only cared about the people with money, whereas the government is required to care about everybody.
- huffmsa 7y ago
  But that means the private sector only has to focus on what makes them money,and they must do it well, or else they go away.

No, the real question is why do you think that "the government" is entitled to a percentage of your money, and why you think they can spend it better than the private sector.

ykevinator 7y ago

Because they pay for sewage and libraries

GarrisonPrime 7y ago
Much less efficiently than the private sector could.

huffmsa 7y ago

Unless you pay a private firm to drill a well and put a septic tank in the ground. Cost a few thousand dollars, and a few hundred every few years to have them come and pump the tank. I pay Amazon ~$10 a month for access to more reading, listening and video content than most major university libraries have access too. No late fees either. Of course sewage is better handled at the municipality level in dense areas, and I'm not okay with private firms having control over access to information, but Federal level governments are highly inefficient.

michaelmrose 7y ago
Anyone who thinks Amazon is a fit replacement for libraries hasn't thought the matter through much. If one has 12-48k to pay rent this year a few hundred for a machine, about 1k for internet access then one can pay 10 a month to access a worse collection a homeless man could check out at the library. Access to the rest of human knowledge is available for 10 to 100 a pop.
- huffmsa 7y ago
  A cellphone, a cheap data plan + prime will run you ~$500 at the most. Or ~$1.50 a day. And you get the rest of the internets knowledge included. No hours of operation, no librarians giving you dirty looks

wincy 7y ago

Because someone at some point started thinking that social outcasts who are wholly unable to maintain even the most tenuous of social connections/support networks shouldn’t starve in the streets with their children, and instead of charity the government can be seen as “the good guy” by just giving out stolen money instead of money freely given. It weakens the power of churches, makes the politicians more powerful since they’re controlling the bread and circuses. It’s a win win for those in power.

neffy 7y ago

Well I´ve worked in the private sector most of my life, and I have observed it to be well staffed with human beings. And human beings, in my experience, can be lazy, venal, honourable or hardworking, in both the private and the government sector. But the last time I checked, the private sector only cared about the people with money, whereas the government is required to care about everybody.

huffmsa 7y ago
But that means the private sector only has to focus on what makes them money,and they must do it well, or else they go away.