tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776899.post114589318510923385..comments2024-03-06T03:15:58.539-05:00Comments on <b>THE NEW REFORM CLUB</b>: Republicans Bad, Democrats Worse, Hope MeagerHunter Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961831404331998743noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776899.post-1145932093908429722006-04-24T22:28:00.000-04:002006-04-24T22:28:00.000-04:00The laugh is in that the two guiding principles of...The laugh is in that the two guiding principles of modern leftism, egalitarianism and redistribution of wealth, are fundamentally at odds with each other.<BR/><BR/>We could institute a 100% inheritance tax and that would do nothing about inequality. 80+% of American millionaires are first-generation, many without college degrees.<BR/><BR/>Effort and merit beat privilege every time, at least in the USA, except perhaps against scions of the Kennedy family, who are the antithesis of effort and merit.<BR/><BR/>Caught a naturalized American (<I>nee</I> French) on TV recently. He said of Europe: You've got all these grand ideas about politics and economics. They're not working. Here's a new idea: work!Tom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776899.post-1145918952712829442006-04-24T18:49:00.000-04:002006-04-24T18:49:00.000-04:00Even in the form of primitive potlatches where the...<I>Even in the form of primitive potlatches where the wealthy put on extravagent feasts to feed the poor and thus spread their accumulated wealth through the tribe.<BR/></I><BR/><BR/>Surely you can come with an example that supports your claim; this one does not.<BR/><BR/>The redistribution you are speaking of here is done without coersion.<BR/><BR/>Perhaps your definition of redistribution is a different one?Barry Vanhoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04006891046091646808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776899.post-1145909574901625712006-04-24T16:12:00.000-04:002006-04-24T16:12:00.000-04:00"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of g..."A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the Public Treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits from the Public Treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy always followed by dictatorship."<BR/><BR/>---Alexander Fraser Tyler, <I>The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic</I><BR/><BR/>I can't blame Bush for the prescription drug benefit. Gore was promising one, so Bush had to, too. Well, I suppose I can blame him for keeping a campaign promise. A dangerous precedent.<BR/><BR/>Ever hear <A HREF="http://www.self-gov.org/library/christian-crockett.html" REL="nofollow">this story about Congressman Davy Crockett</A>, and his epiphany in 1830 that federal handouts, even for good causes, were against the constitution?<BR/><BR/>He lost the next election. And the one after that...Tom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.com