Why the "seen, unseen" parable doesn't always work

[Boshembechle]

Fiscal conservatives/libertarians often say that government spending/wealth transfers don't grow an economy, but this is not true if the tranfers are to a targeted group. Let's assume the government taxes all tax-paying Americans (165 million) at one penny. That produces a little more than a million dollars in revenue. If that revenue is dispersed to 5000 people, that is 200 hundreds dollars each.

Considering a penny is basically worthless in today's economy- and that 200 dollars can go a decent way- I would say that the transfer is definitely a net gain for the economy.

[erowe1]

Fiscal conservatives/libertarians often say that government spending/wealth transfers don't grow an economy, but this is not true if the tranfers are to a targeted group. Let's assume the government taxes all tax-paying Americans (165 million) at one penny. That produces a little more than a million dollars in revenue. If that revenue is dispersed to 5000 people, that is 200 hundreds dollars each.

Considering a penny is basically worthless in today's economy- and that 200 dollars can go a decent way- I would say that the transfer is definitely a net gain for the economy.

First of all, do you have any actual reasons for your conclusion? Or did you just dream it up?

Second of all, how does any of this relate to the Seen and the Unseen?

[acptulsa]

Let's assume the government taxes all tax-paying Americans (165 million) at one penny. That produces a little more than a million dollars in revenue.

Tax Tick Fallacy Number One.

No, theft does not produce one penny of revenue. Not ever.

Mining raw materials produces revenue. Growing things produces revenue. Turning raw material into useful goods produces revenue.

Theft redistributes revenue. It doesn't produce one iota of anything.

Now explain why our stolen pennies always seem to find their way into the pockets of the wealthiest five thousand people in the nation and we might believe you know enough about how government really works to lecture us on the subject.

[Acala]

Nobody ever argued that theft didn't benefit SOMEONE. But because it is a coerced transaction it doesn't benefit EVERYONE.

What you have proposed is essentially a version of Zeno's paradox of Achilles and the tortoise. "If you take a million dollars and divide it up into small enough parts, the value just vanishes." But that is false. All that happens is that the value reaches a level at which it ON ITS OWN is exceeded by transaction costs. But none of the people you are stealing money from have only a penny. They all have enough pennies to exceed transaction costs and the penny becomes part of a transaction.

Additionally, the analysis actually works the other way in reality. Government takes a penny for this and this and this and on and on until people are paying half of their income in taxes even though it is just a penny per "cause". Pennies are not without value.

[euphemia]

Taxes are not revenue. But perhaps you would like to explain why you feel you should decide where those hard earned pennies go. Two hundred dollars represents several days of hard work for me. These days it seems like quite a few people have their hands in the cookie jar and don't want to bake once in a while.

Equal protection under the law and equal representation means that everyone pays their fair share.

[erowe1]

Taxes are not revenue.

Howso?

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Fiscal conservatives/libertarians often say that government spending/wealth transfers don't grow an economy, but this is not true if the tranfers are to a targeted group. Let's assume the government taxes all tax-paying Americans (165 million) at one penny. That produces a little more than a million dollars in revenue. If that revenue is dispersed to 5000 people, that is 200 hundreds dollars each.

Considering a penny is basically worthless in today's economy- and that 200 dollars can go a decent way- I would say that the transfer is definitely a net gain for the economy.

I totally agree with this. The food stamp program especially puts money back in the hands of the small farmer.

[acptulsa]

I totally agree with this. The food stamp program especially puts money back in the hands of the small farmer.

Puts a damned sight more money in the hands of Monsanto, ADM and their ilk.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Boshembechle, You are more eloquent than I, so please outline how food stamps help the economy, the small farmer, and the consumer.

[euphemia]

Howso?


In the sense that while the call it revenue, it is more accurately called plunder.

[erowe1]

In the sense that while the call it revenue, it is more accurately called plunder.

That's true. But plunder is revenue for the one doing the plundering.

[Cleaner44]

Fiscal conservatives/libertarians often say that government spending/wealth transfers don't grow an economy, but this is not true if the tranfers are to a targeted group. Let's assume the government taxes all tax-paying Americans (165 million) at one penny. That produces a little more than a million dollars in revenue. If that revenue is dispersed to 5000 people, that is 200 hundreds dollars each.

Considering a penny is basically worthless in today's economy- and that 200 dollars can go a decent way- I would say that the transfer is definitely a net gain for the economy.

In theory, you may be on to something. For example you have now made 162 posts here and each one is basically worthless, but together they make up a mass of socialist nonsense so large that it can't be ignored. It has become a bulk of unsubstantiated and incorrect statements that have earned you two neg rep bar that will likely soon be three. Much like the cattle that defecates in a field, the single pile of dung seems insignificant, but over time it can become quite the large pile of bullshit.

I think you may be onto something.

Thanks for the perspective.

[pcosmar]

I totally agree with this. The food stamp program especially puts money back in the hands of the small farmer.
Not near as mush as in the pockets of Corporate Farms.

I don't see a lot of EBT scanners at farmers markets. But they are common in all the Chain Stores.

[Acala]

I totally agree with this. The food stamp program especially puts money back in the hands of the small farmer.


I'm sure that's why the banks administer the program and charge a fee on each transaction - to help the small farmers.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

The OP posted the same thing on an LSU site, but switched some of the words and numbers. Looks like he plays a liberal on the LSU site:

http://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/p/51132212/Which-of-the-following-is-better-for-the-economy.aspx


The OP, however, seems to play a liberty minded member on this forum:

http://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=194264.0


Looks like he's made a few more pennies on the LSU site. OP, which internet forums pay the most per post?