HigleyTo905
出典: くみこみックス
Politics Versus Economic Reality: We'll All Lose
In the West there is quite obviously a battle between the politics and the economics. It's clearest is Europe where - all most as you - the economists are saying the Euro is condemning many to long-term austerity and inevitable poverty and is therefore unworkable - but somehow the politicians don't appear to have it: or do they think the alternative is worse? And the reason for this issue is most of all the commitment to excessive government spending primarily driven by the welfare state. As well as in the USA, that great bastion of free enterprise and also the American dream, is incorporated in the middle of the battle to create the very same welfare state to people shores whilst ignoring escalating public debt.
In Democracy in America (published in 1835 in France), Alexis de Tocqueville wrote "The American Republic will endure before the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the general public using the public's money." Which seems to be happening today. De Tocqueville is interesting because at that time France, and indeed the remainder of Europe had primarily aristocratic rule and that he would be a liberal who supported the thought of democracy. But he was worried about the long run effect of this democracy on sensible economics: "From that moment on, the majority always votes for that candidates promising the most benefits in the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy."
A fascinating development in that the EU - in a desperate attempt to save the Euro - has decreed that member states should have a well-balanced budget. Obviously the main reason they did not possess a balanced budget was because politicians desired to bribe their voters as well as their financiers (these day almost exclusively big corporate).
Nevertheless the EU is fulfilling De Tocqueville prophecy by attempting to sideline democracy - both in Greece and Italy an attempt by democratically elected leaders to even think about the possibility of leaving the Euro resulted in their instant removal by scheming EU apparatchiks as well as their replacement by so-called Technocrats. If the EU has its own way I suspect the Greek election due soon is going to be postponed as will every other election that threatens a vote which will destabilise the union.
Obviously the total absurdity of the EU is whilst it clamps down heavy heavily on rising budgets in EU members states its own budget expands exponentially with screams of protests if anybody suggests otherwise.
But the simple concern is this - can democratically elected governments really cut the cash they're spending to the voters and ever hope to be elected again? Clearly the very first prerequisite would be that the politicians are willing and then can result in the argument - and win it - using their voters. Nowadays, with politicians who use opinion polls instead of conviction his or her guiding light, that seems a big ask. Or perhaps is it conviction of the wrong kind - a conviction towards the liberal democratic model that believes their state should 'take care' from cradle to grave. The situation in the US appears to be the most peculiar - with Europe as an example of what happens when an excessive amount of is spent of social largesse it is extraordinary the united states appears to be following the same model. You don't have to be a member of the Tea Party to determine something needs to be done about US government spending - and surely the priority ought to be obtaining the budget balanced before adding to it!
The UK's electorates obsession with the NHS (free healthcare) is an example of the problems of trying to alter something that is sacred cow - yet most accept it is not efficient. Even referring to NHS reform has government pollsters inside a lather of despair.
So in the west the politics is ruling the roost: maybe we ought to say the little head is ruling the large head because as everyone knows that economics is like a river: it may be dammed, diverted and siphoned however it keeps coming and in the end those trying to stop it must be overwhelmed.
Now you ask , when will economics win? I grew up in Eastern Europe after economics eventually won the Cold War. That suggests to me Europeans will ultimately be living in some form of protected enclave where those outside have all the latest gadgets and they'll be tied to a classic ipad: buildings won't be repaired and infrastructure will creak and barely work. The inevitability of economics shows that is where the EU is heading: a failing totalitarian state.
The truth is as to have state spending - we have to generate enough wealth to invest in that spending. That's the economics of it. Furthermore that wealth must also must grow and be easily available to reinvest in new projects to create more wealth to help keep paying your bills. In the socialist/communist system the need to invest is ignored and inefficiencies sidelined in the have to keep up with the system.
In the UK the Blair/Brown years saw a vast numbers shuffled onto welfare dependency known as disability. This was no different to the communist regime allocating every participant of the workforce employment - regardless of whether a brand new employee was needed. It made Communist business hopelessly inefficient when it comes to manpower: whilst pushing people into welfare dependency just gets in cost to the tax payer - net effect is identical - less and less money for investment and for that reason fewer, and finally no new jobs.
