Merry Christmas, some good news for a change

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Turns out things aren’t so bad

I spent most of my life worrying we were doomed, but all the while, things were getting better.

 

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Published by Don Tabor

I am a former Chairman of the Tidewater Libertarian Party and was the 2007 LP candidate for the 14th district VA Senate. Previously, I was the Volunteer State Director for the FairTax. I am married 50 years with two grown children and 5 grandchildren.

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19 thoughts on “Merry Christmas, some good news for a change”

  1. A superb article.

    I suppose it is gilding the lily to mention it, but doing more with less on a social, national or global scale is exactly what basic economics would predict for systems that reward the making of profits. The explanation is difficult to convey to those who are conditioned to think of profit as immoral, but demonstrable evidence of doing more with less on a grand scale is it’s own proof in a way.

    Thank you for sharing this item, Dr. Tabor.

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    1. There is nothing immoral about profit, per se. After all, it is the incentive and source for innovation. The bedrock for free market capitalism.

      It is in regards as to how it is often attained.

      “The rate of profit… is naturally low in rich and high in poor countries, and it is always highest in the countries which are going fastest to ruin.”
      “It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion.“

      Adam Smith

      “ The important point about Smith’s system, on the other hand, is that it precluded steep inequalities not out of a normative concern with equality but by virtue of the design that aimed to maximize wealth. Once we put the building blocks of his system together, concentration of wealth simply cannot emerge. In Smith, profits should be low and labor wages high, legislation in favor of the worker is “always just and equitable,” land should be distributed widely and evenly, inheritance laws should partition fortunes, taxation can be high if it is equitable, and the science of the legislator is necessary to thwart rentiers and manipulators.”

      https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/adam-smith-and-inequality/

      London School of Economics

      Bottom line is that any criticism of profits will often get a knee jerk response and accusations of Marxism. This is without necessarily logic nor thoughtful insight.

      As far as the world’s poor doing better, that might be true in relation to raw numbers. Yet prosperity is still limited to those nations with the least autocratic leadership, freest elections and robust, if flawed, press. And it helps to live in a naturally temperate climate in most cases.

      IMHO

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      1. You have to keep in mind that the context for Smith was the waning days of Merchantilism, essenially cronyism as national policy.

        Profit is not right or wrong based on the amount or rate, it is right or wrong only to the extent that force or fraud are employed to obtain it, and that especially includes government force and fraud.

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      2. To put your post into context, you are in fact suggesting a socialist “spread the wealth” dynamic that promotes everyone getting the same reward regardless of effort. There are no rich people, except the autocrats, in your utopian world, only more poor with no incentive because there is nothing to gain.

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        1. I did not write that, imply that or insinuate that.

          I said that profits were a good thing and necessary for free market capitalism.

          I also quoted Adam Smith (no relation I assume) with regards to profit, wages and taxes. In addition, a quote from a blog at the London School of Economics regarding modern capitalism and Smith.

          But you can obviously write whatever floats your boat.

          Merry Christmas and Happy New Year if we don’t chat before.

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    2. RE: “It is in regards as to how it is often attained.”

      The puzzle for you, then, is to determine what fraction of any given profit is attained rightly, and what fraction wrongly.

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      1. It is not a matter of fractions. It is a matter of business ethics and legalities. If a chicken processor uses all illegal immigrant labor to keep prices low and profits high with comparison to his competitor, I would have an issue with that.

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      2. RE: “It is not a matter of fractions.”

        Do you mean that a given instance of profit is either wholly acceptable or wholly unacceptable? Wouldn’t that violate your first premise that there is nothing immoral (unacceptable) about profit per se?

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  3. Well, now for the Happy Year News — 2019…. Tax Year news, that is.

    So, after the HUGE Trump tax reform that “reformed” the 2017 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ into the ALL NEW “1040 For Everybody” (+ plus 6 new Schedules[1-6], at 1 page of paper each), the IRS has yet MORE exciting “reforms”.

    Good News — All new for the year 2019 is the 1040-SR (SR stands for Seniors). Yep, we have our very own, easy to fill out 1040 for those over 65. Apparently, the only differences between the 1040 and the 1040-SR are;
    1) they put the Standard Deduction Chart in the blank space on the front page of the 1040. This means we don’t have to fill out a worksheet counting all of the age and blindness boxes for addition deductions, It’s printed right there at the bottom of page 1 of the form, and
    2) the form is in black and white — easier to see for our tired ol’ eyes, and cheaper to print (oh yeah, I save $25 on a color ink cartridge — that’s nearly one prescription copay).

    Bad News — the 1040-SR uses the same instructions and all other schedules as does the 1040.

    More Good News- You’ll also be happy to know that the Schedules have been “reformed” into just 3 schedules with two parts each, and that the Capital Gains has reappeared on the 1040! YEAH! Don’t have to fill out Schedule 1 just for that 1 line.

    So, no color ink, and fewer pages, H&R Block just cut overhead.

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    1. But has the Virginia GA updated the tax tables to be in line with the federal ones so I don’t end up owing the state $821 as I did last year? Or do I just wait for my AUG/SEP check that doesn’t make up the difference?

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  4. Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah (yes, I’m Jewish), Fesitvus, and so on!

    I was looking forward to consuming two massive Chinese take-out meals (lunch and dinner) and hoping to avoid Rabbis that recognized me…
    …yet my Christian bride of 34 years done went and cleaned our refrigerator hunting for “whipping cream” to spike her one cup of coffee…
    …which I’ll find later on…
    …after closing the cabinets she open and turning off the lights she left on…
    …shortly after she leaves to clock-in to watch the mentally disabled…
    …all because she was willing to work today to care for the mentally/physically disabled…
    …whose families left them behind.

    My bride and I have yet to disparage each other because of our political/religious differences….but too many make a habit of doing that very same thing.

    Why?

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    1. Our Chinese takeout plan went out the window when we went to Sumo for Christmas Eve dinner. We also had pork tenderloins for dinner on the first night of Chanukah.

      We have also been married for 34 years and we have never disparaged each other for our personal beliefs. In fact, we find a great deal of compromise to avoid uncivil discussions about things we see differently.

      It is easy to do here because we don’t have to live with those we disagree with. The social media age has done a lot of good. But it has also taken away the idea of civil disagreement.

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