17 September 2009

Con-se... Wait, What?

People who are raised learning there are no consequences for their actions cannot even fathom that any consequences ever exist:

Radical: "Tax the Rich! Take all their money and give it to the poor!"
Common-Senser: "And when that's all gone, what then?"
R: "Tax 'em more! Take all their money!"
CS: "It's all gone."
R: "Then take more from them!"
CS: "No, there is no more to take. It's all gone."
R: "Oh. Then we won't need money! Everyone will just trade. You know, barter."
CS: "You can do that now. You don't need to take money from anyone else."

This post inspired by "I'd Love to Change the World" by Ten Years After, specifically the lines "Tax the rich/Feed the poor/'Til there are no/Rich no more."