As Republicans are fond of pointing out, lower taxes means more revenue for government, so this nation, which taxes less than 2% of its population, must have a bajillion dollar budget for everything from health care to its military. Since taxes are what keeps businesses from thriving, this nation must be a bustling paradise of commerce, so wealthy that its streets are paved with gold, and Americans must be clamoring to emigrate there looking for a better life, while employers beg the government to let more workers in because the economy is booming so fast that every citizen is employed. This nation is... uhm.... Pakistan.
Uhm, which, I might point out, is not a paradise. As in, the vast majority of the citizenry lives in abject poverty, misery, and ignorance, in a situation so bad that even the Taliban look good by comparison. As a result, the nation is wracked with violence. The money-starved government, starved of resources by low taxes, cannot afford to pay its employees, so corruption is a major problem as the only people who will go to work for the government are those willing to get their pay another way -- i.e., via corruption. Unemployment is over 14% and underemployment is probably double that. The educational system is so impoverished that the majority of classrooms lack textbooks and qualified teachers. And rather than educated people flocking to Pakistan to make their fortunes, the flow is actually going the other way -- educated Pakistanis fleeing the corruption and violence do everything in their power to emigrate to Britain, Australia, or Canada to get away from the horror of daily life in Pakistan.
But I forget, if we do to our government what the Pakistanis did to theirs, we won't have the same result. Even though every other country (Mexico, anybody) that has tried the cut-taxes-to-get-economic-growth thingy has gotten the same results as Pakistan, why, this time will be different, because... because... look! Unicorns! And cotton candy trees! Alrighty, then!
-- Badtux the Snarky Penguin
That's a good question. Show me a country with a booming economy and very low taxes.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't exist!
Somalia is the Libertarian Paradise Rand Paul dreams of.
ReplyDeleteI heard on NPR last week that when you get off the plane at the airport you are required to show your passport, and register the calibre of your weapon.
You are also strongly urged to hire muscle before leaving the airport.
Regards,
Tengrain
Well, as the hunchback said - and I hope I'm remembering this quote correctly: "Suck fuck shit piss cunt crap!"
ReplyDeleteWASF,
JzB