That's such a clear argument against this sort of thing that it makes the current administration seem unintelligent. =)
I wonder how they feel buying RVs and big-screen TVs helps eliminate poverty, slow down climate change, and end war?
I'm not against RVs and big-screen TVs, but they are toys of the rich. They're status symbols. They're out there to be earned. If you can afford one, terrific. But the government should not even indirectly subsidize them. (In fact, I don't know if governments should subsize anything trade-related - agricultural subsidies are one of the many underlying factors behind the current food price / supply crisis.)
If they spent some of this money on ending poverty, it would help make everyone a little happier and more secure, rich and poor alike.
I have hope that the tanking of the economy will give rational technocrats a chance to rise to the top and get us out of this mess. Eventually we're all going to paint ourselves into a corner, and there'll only be one way out - when our decisions start to have immediate consequences, we'll learn to make better ones.
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Date: 2008-05-06 12:46 pm (UTC)I wonder how they feel buying RVs and big-screen TVs helps eliminate poverty, slow down climate change, and end war?
I'm not against RVs and big-screen TVs, but they are toys of the rich. They're status symbols. They're out there to be earned. If you can afford one, terrific. But the government should not even indirectly subsidize them. (In fact, I don't know if governments should subsize anything trade-related - agricultural subsidies are one of the many underlying factors behind the current food price / supply crisis.)
If they spent some of this money on ending poverty, it would help make everyone a little happier and more secure, rich and poor alike.
I have hope that the tanking of the economy will give rational technocrats a chance to rise to the top and get us out of this mess. Eventually we're all going to paint ourselves into a corner, and there'll only be one way out - when our decisions start to have immediate consequences, we'll learn to make better ones.