Subject:
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Re: Conversation w/ a LEGO Rep
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Sat, 28 Aug 1999 00:27:27 GMT
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Viewed:
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1821 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Adam Howard writes:
> Yes, yes we have all that, but doesn't all of Europe have this too? Why • do
> the Serbs hate the Bosnians and Kosovars?
Oh yes - much of Europe has awful problems with prejudice. I wouldn't
say most people in the UK have a very good impression of Serbs either :)
Possibly the difference is - at least in the case of gays - that by and
large
mainstream politicians in the UK [1] no longer preach prejudice against
gays. A few months ago we actually had a bomb in London targeted at
a pub where gays frequent (as well as a couple targeted at ethnic
minorities).
The bomb was planted by an isolated individual, and the condemnation
of it came from all sides and right across the political spectrum. Anti-gay
prejudice exists but it is rapidly dying from mainstream culture. The news
reports we get from the USA seem to suggest that violence against gays there
is NOT universally condemned, and anti-gay prejudice is still encouraged in
large sections of the community and in at least one major political party.
Is that true or is that a distortion?
The one time I was in America, I was in Eugene, Oregon. I chatted for
a while to a couple of Democrat party members and learned from them that
the neighbouring town of Springfield was in the process of having a
referendum
about a proposal to deny gays certain civil rights. (Sorry, I can't remember
the exact details). I do remember though, I was horrified.
Having said that you are correct that all countries, to differing degrees,
have problems with prejudice.
> I think you overly socialized countries miss the point about lower taxes.
> With lower taxes people spend more money on goods and services, which goes
> back into the economy to support the hard working people who make the • goods
> and services, who then go out and buy more goods and services, etc. Taxes
> are still collected so tax revenue rises.
Hmmm - economic theory debate coming, for which I suspect none of us are
really
that well qualified. Having said that, your own argument appears to contain
the
seeds of its disproval. With lower taxes, people will spend *some* or maybe
even *most* of the extra money they have on goods etc. that increases demand
and helps the economy. If the Government taxes and spends it, then the
Government
is spending *all* of the extra money, hence buying even more goods etc. and
so
helping the economy even more.
You just presented a classic Keynesian multiplier argument (but didn't
follow it through properly). I'm touched
to realize that even amongst those arguing for lower taxes, Keynesian
theories are still used <grin>
Simon
http://www.SimonRobinson.com
[1] I'm swapping from Europe to the UK here
as Europe is a set of independent countries that are very different and my
knowledge outside the UK on this point is getting limited.
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Conversation w/ a LEGO Rep
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| Simon Robinson <simon@simonrobinson.com> wrote in message news:FH135q.M3B@lugnet.com... (...) (snip) (...) Yeah. Only when it's too late to nip the thing in the bud, then the rest of the world gets draged in kicking and screeming. (snip) (...) (...) (25 years ago, 25-Aug-99, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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