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Infrastructure is essentially a rounding error on most developed countries state expenditures. In many cases it's even self-sustaining due to licensing agreemen

Infrastructure is essentially a rounding error on most developed countries state expenditures. In many cases it's even self-sustaining due to licensing agreements with companies that managed the infrastructure in return for the toll revenue. The idea that the primary purpose of taxes is to provide infrastructure hasn't been true ever. The bulk of expenditures are social welfare programs and other similar handout and wealth transfer programs intended to punish the successful and reward the failures for political purposes. Social security, healthcare, education often comprise over 50% of expenditures in most first world countries. Interest and debt are also another major expenditure. The "core responsibilities of the state" , that is the military, justice system and internal security, infrastructure usually consume less than 20% of government expenditures.

vineyardmike 4y ago
> The bulk of expenditures are social welfare programs and other similar handout and wealth transfer programs intended to punish the successful and reward the failures for political purposes In America this is absolutely false in every sense. It’s not the majority of the budget. They aren’t punishing success and they don’t “reward failure”. If you don’t want to succeed because a subset of your income will go helping those with bad luck then you’re welcome to be a failure. > The "core responsibilities of the state" , that is the military, justice system and internal security, infrastructure usually consume less than 20% of government expenditures. Hmm who said that was the core responsibility? I think you’re missing a bit in the list… > We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
- johngladtj 4y ago
  If you're going to lie you should do so on things that aren't easily checked and disproved. [0] If the 6820 billion spent by the US government in 2021, 4394 billion were spent on income security, social security, health and medicare. That's almost 65% of government expenditures going directly to wealth transfer programs. Mind you that doesn't account for all such programs (notably that value excludes education, housing, agricultural subsidies,etc...) So the real rate is actually higher. The us is not unique in these ratios in the western world. [0] https://preview.redd.it/us-government-revenue-spending-and-deficit-in-2021-v0-gcf42vjczhe91.png?auto=webp&v=enabled&s=98f4dc864b0fdf8b41486ed4099410b48b300988 https://preview.redd.it/us-government-revenue-spending-and-d...

vineyardmike 4y ago

> The bulk of expenditures are social welfare programs and other similar handout and wealth transfer programs intended to punish the successful and reward the failures for political purposes In America this is absolutely false in every sense. It’s not the majority of the budget. They aren’t punishing success and they don’t “reward failure”. If you don’t want to succeed because a subset of your income will go helping those with bad luck then you’re welcome to be a failure. > The "core responsibilities of the state" , that is the military, justice system and internal security, infrastructure usually consume less than 20% of government expenditures. Hmm who said that was the core responsibility? I think you’re missing a bit in the list… > We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

johngladtj 4y ago
If you're going to lie you should do so on things that aren't easily checked and disproved. [0] If the 6820 billion spent by the US government in 2021, 4394 billion were spent on income security, social security, health and medicare. That's almost 65% of government expenditures going directly to wealth transfer programs. Mind you that doesn't account for all such programs (notably that value excludes education, housing, agricultural subsidies,etc...) So the real rate is actually higher. The us is not unique in these ratios in the western world. [0] https://preview.redd.it/us-government-revenue-spending-and-deficit-in-2021-v0-gcf42vjczhe91.png?auto=webp&v=enabled&s=98f4dc864b0fdf8b41486ed4099410b48b300988 https://preview.redd.it/us-government-revenue-spending-and-d...