tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9093436161326155359.post5831961826810381929..comments2024-03-28T06:43:02.954+00:00Comments on Variable Variability: Politics is not rationalVictor Venemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02842816166712285801noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9093436161326155359.post-6050866895421722022017-03-01T09:58:48.141+00:002017-03-01T09:58:48.141+00:00Completely independent of whether it is fair or no...Completely independent of whether it is fair or not the unpopularity of Clinton should have been a warning, rather than pretending it is an advantage ("she has been tested"). Reality is what it is. The decade long vilification campaign made it even easier to run an effective negative campaign. <br /><br />The Democrats should have run a candidate that can win rather than someone who "deserved it" (because she had raised so much money for her colleagues).Victor Venemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02842816166712285801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9093436161326155359.post-33248799631680395792017-03-01T04:49:29.734+00:002017-03-01T04:49:29.734+00:00One reason for Clinton's unpopularity is that ...One reason for Clinton's unpopularity is that ever since Bill Clinton was elected President the right has waged a campaign of accusations against the Clintons. The fact that they have never been able to make any of it stick doesn't matter. Repeating the same lies over and over just works its way into people minds regardless of the lack of evidence for them.Dave Werthnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9093436161326155359.post-36750997507629542012017-02-23T15:31:01.098+00:002017-02-23T15:31:01.098+00:00That the taxes paid by corporations are in the end...That the taxes paid by corporations are in the end paid by people sounds like a weird argument to me. The same can be said for the taxes I pay. Maybe even more so because I will die, while corporations are immortal and can keep on accumulating capital and power eternally.<br /><br />I presume libertarians made up this argument to plead for lower or no corporate taxes. You could use the same argument for high corporate taxes because apparently they would not notice it. ;-)<br /><br />If you were trying to make me say that we should not just end corporate rule you are right, we should also end the class warfare against the middle class and the poor. And the world has many more problems; most of them can, however, be solved easier without running this marathon without a heavy backpack of corruption on your backs.<br /><br />Corporations lobby for a lot more policies that go against the interests of most humans than just tax cuts. Recent examples of Trump regime decrees would be the deregulation of Wallstreet, which will lead to another 2008 economic crash, and that US Oil companies can now bribe poor countries to add to the corruption and less free markets all over the world.<br /><br />Free markets are not in the interest of corporations.Victor Venemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02842816166712285801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9093436161326155359.post-80574568770957181822017-02-21T23:12:10.212+00:002017-02-21T23:12:10.212+00:00> Can you explain why "tax incidence theor...> Can you explain why "tax incidence theory" is important?<br /><br />One that one point (I'll reserve the rest and let others comment): yes, sort of, but you'll find many people better versed in economics to explain it better. I believe the ultimate theory is that only real persons pay taxes in the end. Corporate taxes are actually levied on persons; either their workers, their customers, or their owners. If you accept that, then the "shift in the tax burden" becomes a somewhat different question.William M. Connolleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05836299130680534926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9093436161326155359.post-13064547000059516512017-02-21T22:30:19.960+00:002017-02-21T22:30:19.960+00:00"Corporations "Darwinistic" purpose..."Corporations "Darwinistic" purpose is to make money." Exactly. And it is our role as humans to make sure these amoral machines do not do this over our backs because if they are allowed to, they will. Stopping government corruption is truly not over-regulation. A complete stop would reduce the amount of regulations a lot.<br /><br />My reading of Adams is that if possible they will collude to enrich themselves without having to provide better services and products. Thus the government has a role to prevent that, a role that the corporations are trying to demolish with their political influence. If you want to reduce collusion, you need to start with breaking their political power. <br /><br />Can you explain why "tax incidence theory" is important? Are you suggesting that corporations are not lobbying for tax cuts for themselves? Or that this shift in the tax burden did not happen? Or are you suggesting corporations do this although they do not get any benefits from this? The latter would conflict with your IMHO correct claim "Corporations "Darwinistic" purpose is to make money."<br /><br />I love Darwinism, one of the most beautiful theories I know, but do not think we should base our morals on it. <br /><br />Somewhat as an aside, but we should especially not base our morals on the primitive Smithian cartoon the social Darwinists have made of Darwin. <a href="http://variable-variability.blogspot.com/2011/11/drawinian-or-smithian-competition.html" rel="nofollow">Darwinian competition is much richer as Smithian competition.</a>Victor Venemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02842816166712285801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9093436161326155359.post-49296326108206251892017-02-21T22:03:07.470+00:002017-02-21T22:03:07.470+00:00> everyone should get one vote
Of course; that...> everyone should get one vote<br /><br />Of course; that's democracy. I wasn't arguing against that by querying your "Lets work to end corporate rule". After all, you think we already have corporate rule in a 1-man-1-vote democracy.<br /><br />> even Adam Smith warned about corporate rule being bad for the economy<br /><br />I think you have nuances wrong there. AS (correctly) warned that whenever businessmen ganged up in private their talk turns inevitably to enriching themselves at the expense of the public. But he wasn't talking about corporate rule, I think. Perhaps you have a different section in mind.<br /><br />> a shift of the tax burden from corporations to humans<br /><br />I think you need to look up tax incidence theory; e.g. <br />http://stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/stumbling_and_mumbling/2010/04/corporate-tax-incidence-some-evidence.html<br /><br />> Corporations should...<br /><br />I'm rather keen on Darwinism. Things "should" do the thing they're built to do. Having to constantly divert things away from what they "want" to do is asking for over-regulation. Corporations "Darwinistic" purpose is to make money.William M. Connolleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05836299130680534926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9093436161326155359.post-77596030125942287472017-02-21T21:31:17.348+00:002017-02-21T21:31:17.348+00:00Even if I were so native to think corporations wer...Even if I were so native to think corporations were a positive force, even Adam Smith warned about corporate rule being bad for the economy, they should keep out of politics. They abuse that power to make higher profits, which hurts honest companies focusing on providing good products and services and which has led to a shift of the tax burden from corporations to humans. <br /><br />In a democracy humans should determine what the government does. Just like I would not give someone with an opinion I like double votes. Just like I abhor the voter suppression that goes on the USA. You seem to like the political preferences of the corporations; the politicians suppression voters probably also rationalize it by thinking that the remaining voters have better preferences. <br /><br />Everyone has their own perspective and interests and everyone should get one vote when agreeing on what the government should do. If that leads to bad results, e.g. Trump, so be it. That is democracy.<br /><br />Corporations should work on efficiently providing better services and goods. Their managers should not be distracted from their key role in our society by lobbying the government.<br /><br />(Thanks for highlighting the typo. Fixed.)Victor Venemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02842816166712285801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9093436161326155359.post-37259636717550898292017-02-21T20:51:56.461+00:002017-02-21T20:51:56.461+00:00> Lets work to end corporate rule
Why? Corpora...> Lets work to end corporate rule<br /><br />Why? Corporations are in favour of free trade and free movement of workers. Many (certainly more than pols) are in favour of carbon taxes.William M. Connolleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05836299130680534926noreply@blogger.com