Don’t let people vote for their own “entitlements.” From el gato malo at boriquagato.substack.com:
a proposed constitutional amendment
do you want to be?
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury.
From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years.
These nations have progressed through this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to selfishness; From selfishness to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage.”
― Alexander Fraser Tytler
this is the clear state of america today and it’s quite literally about to sink us. deficits, debts, and entitlements are the whole ballgame. since the short term success of the gingrich congress on actually reining in spending in the 90’s, it’s been a one way ratchet that spikes every crisis but never goes back to previous levels. this is badly out of control.
(graphics from “federal budget in pictures.”)
this is deep dependency and you cannot just “tax the rich” to pay for it. the US already has the most progressive tax system in the OECD. our rich pay a greater share of taxes relative to their share of income than anyone else’s. the top deciles do not just pay “their fair share” they pay pretty much everyone’s share. the bottom 70-75% are net recipients of benefits.
analysis: mark perry
