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As a side note, I dislike the term "government money," since it makes it easy to forget the the money ultimately comes not from the government but from the peop

As a side note, I dislike the term "government money," since it makes it easy to forget the the money ultimately comes not from the government but from the people. "Taxpayer money", on the other hand, has a pejorative connotation, since it is often used derisively. Maybe "public money"?

Alex3917 18y ago
Except for that the money doesn't come from the people, since it is fiat money as opposed to money being collected via taxes.
- gravitycop 18y ago
  Except for that the money doesn't come from the people, since it is fiat money Don't you mean "seigniorage" money? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seigniorage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seigniorage as opposed to money being collected via taxes. Isn't seigniorage a type of tax? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seigniorage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seigniorage seigniorage is also referred to as an inflation tax [...] the "inflation tax" is paid by those who hold the existing currency, which results from their holdings of currency becoming devalued through inflation because of the introduction of additional money supply.
  - Alex3917 18y ago
    "Isn't seigniorage a type of tax?" Yes, but it's not a tax on the people, it's a tax on dollar holders.
- fauigerzigerk 18y ago
  That's a fair point to make in relation to a loan that must be repaid. But actual government debt has to be backed by a claim to someone's labour and that someone is the tax payer. If there is no such backing all that fiat money will quickly lose its value.
corentin 18y ago
There's no such thing as "public" money; it always comes from private pockets and ends up in (different) private pockets. I can't see what's pejorative about taxpayer money. That's whom it comes from.
- lunchbox 18y ago
  Just saw this comment. >There's no such thing as "public" money; it always comes from private pockets and ends up in (different) private pockets. That is just a play on words. Of course individuals are "private"; it's in their capacity as taxpayers (rather than volitional payers) that they collectively constitute the public. "Public" and "private" are terms from economics with established meanings. >I can't see what's pejorative about taxpayer money. That's whom it comes from. I don't want to get into a big discussion on this, but this is a good example of the distinction between connotation and denotation (http://classweb.gmu.edu/bhawk/101/semiotics/decon.html http://classweb.gmu.edu/bhawk/101/semiotics/decon.html).
  - corentin 18y ago
    And what's the connotation with "taxpayer money"?

Alex3917 18y ago

Except for that the money doesn't come from the people, since it is fiat money as opposed to money being collected via taxes.

gravitycop 18y ago
Except for that the money doesn't come from the people, since it is fiat money Don't you mean "seigniorage" money? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seigniorage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seigniorage as opposed to money being collected via taxes. Isn't seigniorage a type of tax? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seigniorage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seigniorage seigniorage is also referred to as an inflation tax [...] the "inflation tax" is paid by those who hold the existing currency, which results from their holdings of currency becoming devalued through inflation because of the introduction of additional money supply.
- Alex3917 18y ago
  "Isn't seigniorage a type of tax?" Yes, but it's not a tax on the people, it's a tax on dollar holders.
fauigerzigerk 18y ago
That's a fair point to make in relation to a loan that must be repaid. But actual government debt has to be backed by a claim to someone's labour and that someone is the tax payer. If there is no such backing all that fiat money will quickly lose its value.

corentin 18y ago

There's no such thing as "public" money; it always comes from private pockets and ends up in (different) private pockets. I can't see what's pejorative about taxpayer money. That's whom it comes from.

lunchbox 18y ago
Just saw this comment. >There's no such thing as "public" money; it always comes from private pockets and ends up in (different) private pockets. That is just a play on words. Of course individuals are "private"; it's in their capacity as taxpayers (rather than volitional payers) that they collectively constitute the public. "Public" and "private" are terms from economics with established meanings. >I can't see what's pejorative about taxpayer money. That's whom it comes from. I don't want to get into a big discussion on this, but this is a good example of the distinction between connotation and denotation (http://classweb.gmu.edu/bhawk/101/semiotics/decon.html http://classweb.gmu.edu/bhawk/101/semiotics/decon.html).
- corentin 18y ago
  And what's the connotation with "taxpayer money"?