Redneck Review
No. 15 8/3/15
During this article, we should keep in mind the current 18+ trillion dollar federal debt which is common knowledge today! A little math tells us this is more than $45,000 for every man, woman, and child, in the U. S., with a population of about 350 million.
Recall also that Frederik Bastiat in his book, THE LAW, argued simply that taking from one something earned and giving to another who has not earned it, is theft, or in his words, PLUNDER. And when government does the taking and the giving, he chooses to call it LEGAL PLUNDER!
Remember also that Davey Crockett claimed that such money IS NOT YOUR TO GIVE, commenting on government officials handing out charity taken from taxes or borrowed in some way.
And do not forget Crockett's critic, Horatio Bunce, saying, "You will easily perceive what a wide door this would open for fraud and corruption and favoritism..." And added here is the thought that a REVERSE ROBIN HOOD EFFECT can easily take place, with many recipients of the government PLUNDER better off that many of the people PLUNDERED!
Finally, Bastiat argued that plundered money is taken in small amounts from a lot of people in the beginning to give to a few, but that eventually as larger and larger sums are taken, the plundered people begin demanding that they too get in on the plunder! Resulting inevitably in government being forced to borrow to meet all of the demands! So explains our huge national debt?!
Bastiat concludes in his book two things worth noting: 1)That in the mid 19th century when he wrote the book, he could already see some bits of legal plunder starting in the United States, and 2) Elections become a desperate effort by each group to plunder others and avoid being plundered themselves!
With this background, let's look at the situation around us today. I myself, have been accused of excepting farm subsidies, and have admitted to being funded with grants in education. It has even been suggested that I take the "Jake Wren pledge... to no longer apply for or accept any funds from government! The challenger then closed "You would have the government back in the black in no time!"
Unfortunately, it is not that simple! The LEGAL PLUNDER has gone on so long, and is so out of control, that single efforts on the part of an individual are drops in a huge bucket! Just a few statistics taken from the internet prove this point!
Our federal expenditures for 2014 totaled 3,504 TRILLION dollars, with social security and health care each consuming 24%, defense 17%, discretionary programs adding 17%, interest 6%, and other mandatory programs 12%. From that discretionary 17%, totaling $595,680 billion, in 2014, $84,624 billion was spent on food stamps, and $20 billion spent of the farm bill. And a final quote taking from that same web site, puts it all in perspective! "American taxpayers currently spend more than $20 billion per year on farm subsidies, the vast majority of which flow to the largest and wealthiest farming operations!" Hmm! Reverse Robin Hood? "Corruption and favoritism?!"
Jake Wren

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