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Couldn't you argue that 100% of federal spending is aimed at improving people's living standards (military, police, firefighters, global economic trade relation
by xnull2guest 12y ago
Couldn't you argue that 100% of federal spending is aimed at improving people's living standards (military, police, firefighters, global economic trade relations, etc)?
What specifically do you mean by the 60%?
- baddox 12y agoYou could also argue that it's much closer to 0%.
- hueving 12y agoI suspect that's the number with military backed out. But even that isn't the right thing to do because the military is essentially a big employment program.
- Terr_ 12y agoYou took the words right out of my mouth. Pretty much everything can be ultimately justified by a "it improves or preserves living-standards" if enough mental leaps are made. Subsidies? Living standards through economic growth. Military? Living standards better if not conquered. Improved if we conquer or control something good. My Dictatorship? Only I can be trusted to give the people the living standards they need.
- refurb 12y agoI made a rough estimate of direct payments to individuals through welfare, Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. The problem with saying all of the budget improves people's living standards is that it gets you nowhere. I just drew the line at direct payments.