Tuesday, 26 April 2011

Random Adam Smith quote of the day

"Civil government, so far as it is instituted for the security of property, is, in reality, instituted for the defense of the rich against the poor, or of those who have property against those who have none at all."

The Wealth of Nations, 1776, from here.

3 comments:

dearieme said...

So the obvious way to pay for it all is by taxing those potentially thieving buggers who have no property. That's what the Lottery is for, I assume.

Mark Wadsworth said...

D, the Lottery is a tax on gullibility. The taxes levied on the poor to fund the lifestyles of the wealthy are called 'rents' and 'income tax'.

chefdave said...

Fred Harrison quote of the day:

"Without access to natural opportunities, the celebrated right to enjoy the product of one's labour, thrift and ingenuity becomes a cruel joke"

Amen.

(pg 248, The Corruption of Economics)