But in reality prices aren't as uniform as you make them out to be. In different markets in the US you pay different amounts for gasoline.
That has to do with regional COGS.
In the medium run a larger amount is discretionary, and in the long run much of it is discretionary.
Only if you accept a huge change in American society... far more than a change to more efficient vehicles.
My "profits" aren't my savings, but my after tax income.
You need to change your thinking... the old adage is "pay yourself first". If you think of yourself as a profit driven corporation, then the only thing that matters is the money you save. Every 'corporation' has the discretion to spend money (cost) on hundreds of things, but those all come off the net profit. They are valued on the money they earn after expenses, not before. The same is true of individuals. Investments count as well...
On the other hand the government gives you a lot of services, not the least of which is our entire (hopefully stable) economic system
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Are economic system is not a government service. Its something the government participates in, helps, harms, protects, redirects, etc., but it isn't a gift from the government.
We could start with currency... you want to try the barter system for efficiently exchanging goods in the US? We could move on to the Federal Reserve, the SEC, the FDA, the Treasury, the FDIC...
Not a gift but certainly a service. |
