Say that the government eliminated all tariffs, price supports, price limits, etc. tomorrow and, on top of that, made it illegal for all future administrations to use them (or the threat of them) ever again. What then? What would be the effect on what industries, jobs, future trade negotiations if any?
Who would be the immediate beneficiary? What if other countries continued their tariffs, subsidies, etc. while we renounced all of them? What would happen?
If you don't want to pay taxes to support, say, education of other people's children that's ok. Then I don't want to support the building of a road that goes to a new development which I will never visit. I have no problem stopping subsidies for industrial agriculture that goes to enrich the likes of ConAgra. We should also stop publicly funded R&D going to enrich high tech startups. There certainly is no reason for public funds to go to exploration for the likes of Big Oil companies or even the availability of the publicly developed internet going to enrich retailers.
Is that the kind of transfer you are talking about?
The cost of war is one thing but going to war in and of itself is a bad thing. If we were attacked by Iraq few people would have a problem invading and occupying Iraq. It isn't the money or even the percentage of GDP so much as the stupidity, incompetence and corruption of the entire enterprise.
Say, for example, the Postal Service is now in competition with someone, say FedEx, for first class service. Would FedEx be required to deliver to every single address in the US as the Postal Service is? I suspect FedEx would cherry pick urban addresses and leave the rural ones out completely as they are not cost effective. That would leave the Postal Service with an expensive obligation and no easy pickings to subsidize that. Either the Postal Service would go even more into the red than it is today or they would have to give up delivering to everyone. Some people would never get mail. Is that a good idea?
There is plenty of private retirement funding in IRAs of all kinds, insurance and 401Ks. Private, defined benefit plans are going by the wayside. I don't think that many people wish to have nothing but SS to rely on in their old age but it is there if they need it.
Making SS mandatory also makes your much reviled transfer payments less likely. It would be nice if people were responsible enough or rich enough during their decades of work to save for retirement but it would be nice it people didn't go to war for profit either. There is fantasy and then there is reality.
Why should the public be taxed to fund private, for-profit schools? If you wish to send your child to a private school, nothing is stopping you from doing so. If you cannot afford to do so then do not demand transfer payments from me to subsidize your choice.
See, we can all play this game. |
