etienneleclerc Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Here Robert Reich makes what I think are 7 pretty solid arguments against a conservative, small government. Any rebuttals? Are any of his points valid? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csekavec Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Who cares? All this arguments are predicated on the use of force against me. And he clearly puts peaceful economic activity in the same category as violent economic activity. "solid?" Ha! What you call arguments are just him asserting "wrong" 7 times. He doesn't make a single argument. I'd have been jaw droppingly surprised if he had (given 2:46 to make them) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfessionalTeabagger Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 No 1 isn't even a claim small government people generally make. It's a progressive re-branding of supply-side Reaganomics. N0 2 is refuted by the fact that America has historically had the lowest taxes but by far became the richest most powerful country ever. Citing a post-war boon doesn't refute that and many if not most companies had lots of way to escape those high taxes. People who make this claim only mention the high tax rate, not the actual tax revenue. No 2 is a fallacy. It doesn't follow that because there will be less government jobs as a result of shrinking government that those jobs will then not exist. The market will come in to fill the need. What's better is that it will actually RESPOND to need and not to government estimates of what's needed. No 4 The government ran up the debt in the first place. Government spending is less efficient at increasing the economy. I think any financial adviser would agree you should get rid of your debts as soon as possible. No 5: Government is the reason healthcare is so expensive in the first place. Historically healthcare was very cheap. Most administrative costs are incurred by government. No 6: This is retarded. He just say's "it's solid...". There's nothing to rebut. I'd like to know how you think this is AN argument, never mind a "solid" one. No 7: What's "unfair" mean? The costs he lists low income paying are there because of government. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fractional slacker Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Reichsssssssssssh's "arguments" are solid if you value central planning/socialism which, as csekavec pointed out, assume coercion and violence as a reasonable means for the "leaders" to gain resources AKA tax revenue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirgall Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 https://fee.org/articles/5-economic-myths-that-just-wont-die/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A4E Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 I am very happy that I can no longer be braInwashed by appeals to confident authority and little to no evidence. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Mister Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 The problem here is of definitions and values. Reich bases his arguments (more like assertions really) on what "creates jobs" or "helps the economy", without defining what that exactly means, or why it should be our highest value. Also, so many of these arguments, like with regards to debt/GDP or medicare or social security, amount to something like "sure, the government is totally bankrupt and none of its programs are sustainable, but GIVE US MORE FUCKING MONEY, just a little bit more, and we can smooooooth it all out". It's like your heroin addict cousin asking to borrow money so he can straighten himself out. Give me a fucking break. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luxfelix Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 How do we know he's actually the one drawing, and that the images aren't added in post...? Yeah, definitions would help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaeroden Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 i could pull a tom woods and make an entire podcast series of why robert reich is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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