A Milestone And A Millstone
By Mitch Berg
It’s unclear who actually first used the aphorism “Democracy can only survive until the people discover they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury”. I’d always thought it was De Tocqueville, but a cursory search shows it could also be anyone from King George III to Jessica Simpson. I just don’t know.
And, given yesterday’s news that Americans depend more on government than ever before…
Without record levels of welfare, unemployment and other government benefits as well as tax cuts last year, the income of U.S. households would have plunged by an astonishing $723 billion — more than four times the record $167 billion drop reported last month by the Commerce Department.
…and get more in bennies than they pay in taxes…
Moreover, for the first time since the Great Depression, Americans took more aid from the government than they paid in taxes.
…it’s really a lot less important to know who said it, and more important to see if the unnamed sage was correct.
Because we may just find out, here.
March 4th, 2010 at 9:03 am
And this is without gov’t run healthcare. Actually, that is a big part of the push for socialized medicine. Then, every election would be about who can promise the most free stuff. And has Bush 43 found out, not matter how hard you try, you can never outspend the Democrats.
March 4th, 2010 at 10:13 am
Your democracy is an illusion. America is a debtor nation that owes $12 trillion. The Berg family is responsible for about a million of that debt right now. And the vig is gonna be a killer.
March 4th, 2010 at 10:28 am
Brings to mind the prophet Hosea. This country is full of cheap whores, willing to sell their votes and their quiescence for a Kwiki-Mart hotdog and a bag of stale chips. I think I now know what it must have been like to live in the late 70s.
March 4th, 2010 at 10:58 am
Trust me, Uncle. It sucked rancid cheese curds.
March 4th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Look at how the Greek and Portugese public-sector unions are reacting to cuts/freezes in their pay and benefits. Look at how the peaceful denizens of Cal/Berkeley reacted to a tuition increase. Will citizens react differently when they don’t get the same treatment (health care, scholarship, pay, etc.) as some wealthy, connected white guy? Meet the new boss, same as the old boss, etc.
March 8th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Your democracy is an illusion. America is a debtor nation that owes $12 trillion. The Berg family is responsible for about a million of that debt right now.
Nah, I figure only about $112,500 for the three of them. Before interest, of course.