buybuydandavis comments on On Walmart, And Who Bears Responsibility For the Poor - LessWrong

13 Post author: ChrisHallquist 27 November 2013 05:08AM

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Comment author: buybuydandavis 24 November 2013 08:49:10AM *  -1 points [-]

If you read the articles you cite, you'd see that they refer primarily to Charles Murray and Milton Friedman.

The only reference to a prominent US liberal I see is one to Martin Luther King Jr.

It would be great if more liberals got on the train, but from your comments, they're not really on board.

And they tend to think the ongoing existence of people living in poverty is a bigger priority than shrinking the government regulatory state.

Problem is, if they're of the disposition to meddle in people's lives, it seems unlikely that the poor will be left out of their tender ministrations. Keeping the current punitive welfare programs intact would keep all the perverse incentives, but at a higher benefit level, making for an even larger trapped and dependent class.

Comment author: Jack 24 November 2013 07:39:35PM *  1 point [-]

If you read the articles you cite, you'd see that they refer primarily to Charles Murray and Milton Friedman.

The articles I cite were written by progressive pundits. And the biggest organization dedicated to it is mostly made up of socialist academics.

The percentage of self-identified libertarians who support a basic income guarantee is certainly higher than the percentage of liberals who support a basic income guarantee. Hell, it's probably higher than the percentage of liberals who have heard of a basic income guarantee. I don't even know that that is indicative of some special trait about libertarians --not having any political power or influence makes it much easier to defend only the best ideas. But if you want to claim victory for your tribe, no one will stop you.

Libertarians 1, Progressives 0! Go Greens! Down with the Blues!

Problem is, if they're of the disposition to meddle in people's lives, it seems unlikely that the poor will be left out of their tender ministrations. Keeping the current punitive welfare programs intact would keep all the perverse incentives, but at a higher benefit level, making for an even larger trapped and dependent class.

I already agree with you.

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