This has very little to do with BF's original topic. I so win.

But, I guess the original point about involuntarily being taxed for stuff like disaster relief and volcano monitoring is bordering on Jindalian weirdness.

I think the point is that we as a society have decided long ago that we will pool our resources to help each other through relief efforts and catastrophe prevention. Maybe states like Oklahoma don't care about earthquakes, and California doesn't care about tornadoes, but we've realized that as a "union" we look out for each other especially when its required the most.

Stuff like that.

Ahh, now I think we're getting somewhere. You misunderstand my position if you think my hypothesis is that government generally creates greater wealth than individuals as a general rule.

My general rule is that the free market does the wealth creation business better. My issue is, it doesn't seem to do much about solving some of society's largest problems, because they seem intractable, or at least less profitable than blending bacon and mayonnaise and selling it as Baconnaise.

My way of looking at politics isn't driven by economics, it's driven by a sense of empathy.

In this case, we're talking about the stimulus and this depression, I suppose. My chief concern isn't maximizing the amount of wealth we generate over the next ten years, it's minimizing the amount of suffering experienced in the next ten years.

I'm not sure what Austrians say as a perscription to fix unemployment -- I'm guessing they say don't "do" anything, it'll fix itself. Okay, but how many people will lose their homes? How many will go without healthcare? How many will lose their retirement?

If government action can drive down those numbers in the short term, in exchange for a little less prosperity in the future, I don't see why we wouldn't do it, especially if the people losing a little prosperity have some to spare.

Along the way, government is planning on building infrastructure that is, for the most part, nonrival (they benefit everyone) and nonexcludable (there’s no way to restrict the benefits to people who pay). Ya know, like the volcano monitoring Bobby Jindal complained about.

Most of what won't fall in that category will be aimed at the people who would suffer most, those who are already unemployed, receiving social security, receive Medicaid coverage, or some other form of government assistance.

Sounds like a perscription for softening the blow.

That's the standard I'm judging things by, and while that's not necessarily creating "wealth" per se, I believe it has value that everyone should appreciate.

If you believe the New Keynesians and even some Chicago School economists, it might even rekindle some private sector investment, though really I don't expect we'll have any recovery until Obama and Geitner decide what to do with the zombie banks, since that's where our breakdown really is.

I was about as speachless myself after watching his 'speech.' Talking down to everyone as if he was trying to explain his party to some 10 year olds. Acting like Katrina wasn't a republican fuckup. And last but absolutely worst, constantly saying the republicans 'went along with' the bad decisions and horrible fiscal spending of the last 8 years.

As long as they attempt to treat the nation like children and pretend they are cool with one of the two black guys in the party leading it and the only Indian guy the parties 'rising star'... it just shows how clueless the republican party in Washington truly is. I mean hell the party leader went so far to say the republicans need a 'hiphop reboot'.. I mean wtf is that? Besides laughable.

You guys can keep talking down to the citizens of this country like we are all children who don't understand anything. Meanwhile Obama keeps talking to us like adults. Lets see how far that gets you 4 years from now.

Seriously... attacking Volcano Monitoring is about as stupid as attacking fruit fly research.. or attacking the money spent to build up levees in Louisiana.



Edit: BTW John Stewart was on his game last night something crazy. His response to the Jindal speech was great, and the 'light baconaize' bit was 'rotflmao' material. Someone upload those!