RE: Cutting Taxes to Spur the Economy

From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Wed Jul 09 2003 - 01:18:42 MDT

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    Brett writes

    > > > Human nature being what it is not all the recommendations for
    > > > employee cuts will be motivated by the higher good.
    > >
    > > With almost superhuman effort, I refrain from the requisite
    > > sarcastic comment here.
    >
    > You lost me Lee. Where are you going?

    Sorry Brett. The requisite sarcastic comment would be
    "Oh really? Are you telling me that some of the employee
    cuts might be for base motives? Surely you cannot be
    serious!", or similar words to convey my cynicism.

    > > > Some will want to settle old scores, remove competitors,
    > > > use the opportunities in the restructure to alter their
    > > > competitive position.
    > >
    > > Say it's not so!
    > >
    > > (After all, I'm only human.)
    >
    > In some cases it *is* so. (Double sarcasm if you like ;-)

    Well, DUH, of COURSE it's so!

    > *You* asked the question!? What gives?

    It was a rhetorical question---that is, when I said
    "what possible incentive would government (or government
    employees, etc.) ever have to cut spending?", I was just
    saying that they do not have incentives to cut spending.
    I am sorry that you took it so literally; that is not how
    it was meant.

    > Well I'm not quite that cynical. People's positive views of themselves
    > are something they sometimes want to retain too.

    Well, yes, but see Robin's recent comments on "views" of
    a person. People also will want positive views of themselves
    too, but often foment the most amazingly self-delusional beliefs
    to do so.

    Oops, sorry, I know what you think about "beliefs", but it
    is late and I am too tired to reword that.

    > There probably is such a thing as someone wanting to do a
    > real public service all things being equal.
    >
    > Anyway I thought *you* were the one that believed in altruism.

    Yes, but the kind of altruism that we are evolved for
    is not at all related to the kind of decisions bureaucrats
    make. We are evolved to feel sympathy for individual other
    people.

    Lee

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