3 ms·

> Bureaucracies are generally incompetent in direct proportion to their size. Or so a particular group of wealth owners would like to have us believe. Fortuna

by brnt 5y ago

> Bureaucracies are generally incompetent in direct proportion to their size. Or so a particular group of wealth owners would like to have us believe. Fortunately, not everyone is drinking this koolaid.

frebord 5y ago
e40 5y ago
> Fortunately, not everyone is drinking this koolaid. This narrative has been pushed for many decades, since the 70's. I once saw a great post on reddit that gave tons of examples of government working. Really wish I saved that.
cosmojg 5y ago
I wouldn't mind if the government was slimmed down to being little more than the IRS, military, and a few regulatory bodies with either the current progressive tax system (better yet, that of the 70s) or a land value tax (at least 85%) with all of the proceeds redistributed equally among the population (i.e., UBI). Oh, and Pigovian taxes (e.g., carbon taxes). Lots and lots of Pigovian taxes. I don't think I needed to drink any koolaid to come upon this political stance, although I may have seen a cat or two.
- HarryHirsch 5y ago
  The super-rich don't need public health, public works, education, code enforcement and labour rights, but they do need a functioning military and property rights. And now we know the origin of the "nightwatch state" and why it's pushed so much by certain groups.
  - cosmojg 5y ago
    We definitely need a bit more than a night-watchman state. I should mention that I believe in the continued existence of public institutions, I just don't believe in their exclusivity. For example, I think the FDA should continue to exist. However, I would prefer it to be possible for pharmaceutical companies to align themselves with regulatory bodies other than the FDA so long as they made public their alignment. Then I, as the consumer, can choose whether I trust the FDA or its private competitor more, and buy my drugs accordingly. Simply put, I want a government which maximizes freedom, flexibility, and opportunity for as many people as possible.
cal5k 5y ago
Wealthy people generally have a pretty good handle on how to efficiently allocate capital. Unless it was inherited, most wealthy people alive today were not born that way. Government agencies and politicians have proven, by and large, to be incredibly inefficient allocators of capital. When the bloated arm of government expands into an area that's already well-served by markets, it impedes economic growth.
- epgui 5y ago
  I’m pretty sure (but have no direct evidence at hand) that most wealth is either directly inherited, or indirectly inherited as a result of being born in a privileged setting.

by brnt 5y ago

frebord 5y ago

e40 5y ago

> Fortunately, not everyone is drinking this koolaid. This narrative has been pushed for many decades, since the 70's. I once saw a great post on reddit that gave tons of examples of government working. Really wish I saved that.

cosmojg 5y ago

I wouldn't mind if the government was slimmed down to being little more than the IRS, military, and a few regulatory bodies with either the current progressive tax system (better yet, that of the 70s) or a land value tax (at least 85%) with all of the proceeds redistributed equally among the population (i.e., UBI). Oh, and Pigovian taxes (e.g., carbon taxes). Lots and lots of Pigovian taxes. I don't think I needed to drink any koolaid to come upon this political stance, although I may have seen a cat or two.

HarryHirsch 5y ago
The super-rich don't need public health, public works, education, code enforcement and labour rights, but they do need a functioning military and property rights. And now we know the origin of the "nightwatch state" and why it's pushed so much by certain groups.
- cosmojg 5y ago
  We definitely need a bit more than a night-watchman state. I should mention that I believe in the continued existence of public institutions, I just don't believe in their exclusivity. For example, I think the FDA should continue to exist. However, I would prefer it to be possible for pharmaceutical companies to align themselves with regulatory bodies other than the FDA so long as they made public their alignment. Then I, as the consumer, can choose whether I trust the FDA or its private competitor more, and buy my drugs accordingly. Simply put, I want a government which maximizes freedom, flexibility, and opportunity for as many people as possible.

cal5k 5y ago

Wealthy people generally have a pretty good handle on how to efficiently allocate capital. Unless it was inherited, most wealthy people alive today were not born that way. Government agencies and politicians have proven, by and large, to be incredibly inefficient allocators of capital. When the bloated arm of government expands into an area that's already well-served by markets, it impedes economic growth.

epgui 5y ago
I’m pretty sure (but have no direct evidence at hand) that most wealth is either directly inherited, or indirectly inherited as a result of being born in a privileged setting.