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The U.S. gives out billions of dollars every year to all kinds of businesses. If having an open competition to win grants is socialist, then we're already a soc

The U.S. gives out billions of dollars every year to all kinds of businesses. If having an open competition to win grants is socialist, then we're already a socialist country. In any case, attacking this as a "socialist" idea is an ad hominem attack. Not that its the best idea ever, but calling it "socialist" doesn't detract from the merits of it one way or the other.

fierarul 16y ago
The OP said he likes something and perhaps it looks like something socialist, I've answered saying that that is socialist and that I do not like it and that I would support something else. I don't see it as an ad hominem, nor was it intended. Just two disagreeing opinions. Actually, this is just a recent annoyance of mine. In my country (Romania) the government just released something like this: they are giving away 10.000 eur to new companies started by young people, based on some form of contest (they read a business plan, etc). This annoys me for multiple reasons, but one if very personal: I am disqualified from that contest because I already have a company. So I am literally paying taxes that are wasted so another guy gets free money from the government based on how good he is at writing business plans (or bribing). What they could have done instead is say: all companies with young owners get a 10.000 eur tax deduction (maybe, for example, if they create one extra workplace). This way, you have to actually prove that your company is profitable, not that you are good at writing business plans.
- onwardly 16y ago
  Didn't mean to misinterpret your comment. I see how you're upset that "your" tax money is being given to someone else to start a business, but its probably worth noting that only some excrutiatingly small % of your taxes are going to this. I think that other governments can and should learn from experiments like the one in Romania. But from a policy perspective, it seems like a somewhat reasonable way to spur new company creation.

fierarul 16y ago

The OP said he likes something and perhaps it looks like something socialist, I've answered saying that that is socialist and that I do not like it and that I would support something else. I don't see it as an ad hominem, nor was it intended. Just two disagreeing opinions. Actually, this is just a recent annoyance of mine. In my country (Romania) the government just released something like this: they are giving away 10.000 eur to new companies started by young people, based on some form of contest (they read a business plan, etc). This annoys me for multiple reasons, but one if very personal: I am disqualified from that contest because I already have a company. So I am literally paying taxes that are wasted so another guy gets free money from the government based on how good he is at writing business plans (or bribing). What they could have done instead is say: all companies with young owners get a 10.000 eur tax deduction (maybe, for example, if they create one extra workplace). This way, you have to actually prove that your company is profitable, not that you are good at writing business plans.

onwardly 16y ago
Didn't mean to misinterpret your comment. I see how you're upset that "your" tax money is being given to someone else to start a business, but its probably worth noting that only some excrutiatingly small % of your taxes are going to this. I think that other governments can and should learn from experiments like the one in Romania. But from a policy perspective, it seems like a somewhat reasonable way to spur new company creation.