Reason Writers on Freedom Watch: Matt Welch Talks About Whether We Owe Our Success to Government

On Friday, Oct. 28, Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on Fox Business Network's Freedom Watch with Judge Andrew Napolitano to discuss the philosophies of populist Democrat Elizabeth Warren the viability of a "Robin Hood" tax. Five and a half minutes:

Comments

[DEM]

The government can't redistribute wealth. It's been trying for about a century now, and it hasn't worked. It can redistribute income, sure, but that won't make the poor wealthier, as confirmed by decades of experience. Here we stand after a New Deal, a war on poverty, trillions upon trillions in social welfare spending, a highly progressive tax system in which the poor pay nothing, and the left's #1 goal remains more taxing and spending to alleviate the "problem" all the taxing and spending hasn't solved inthe first place.

[Federal Dog]

"and the left's #1 goal remains more taxing and spending to alleviate the "problem" all the taxing and spending hasn't solved inthe first place."

Inability to grasp that your own destructive nature is the problem you must solve must be deeply frustrating.

[Capitalism = Redistribution]

Trail of Tears, etal.

Capitalism is reliant on the aggression of big-government regulations on the Land that create artificial borders to prevent gamboling.

[Enjoy Every Sandwich]

I wish the left would stop trying to steal Robin Hood. Robin Hood wasn't some sort of proto-Marxist. Those "rich" he was "stealing" from were nobles (i.e. the government of that day) not capitalist CEOs, and the money he was stealing was tax money that he returned directly to the peasants.

[Old Mexican]

Re: Enjoy Every Sandwich,

I wish the left would stop trying to steal Robin Hood.

The Left has a penchant for defaming everybody, E.

[New World Dan]

Funny thing about Robin Hood. I've been watching the BBC series from a couple years ago, and I've been wondering how the economics of Robin Hood are supposed to work. Robin steals from the nobles, gives to the peasants. Nobles raise taxes and take the money back again. Wash, rinse, repeat. It's a viscious cycle, and the peasants are worse off due to the inefficiancy of repeated tax collections and the increasingly brutal efforts of the Sherrif's men.

[Tim]

I would say the same thing for Jesus Christ. They say Jesus was a socialist but when did Jesus propose an economic system that would lead to totalitarianism?

[Fist of Etiquette]

"There are very few principled politicians out there..."

-Matt Welse, Reason Magazine

[CE]

There are plenty of principled politicians out there. Their principles are just different from what the voters wish they were.

[If you were freedom principled]

...you wouldn't love Gambol Lockdown.

[Almanian]

Didn't Matt Welch have a book ghost written for him by Nick Gillespie or something?

[Mr. FIFY]

I sent a mail to Ed Schultz last night, after he ran a piece about how some troublemaker rabbled at Liz Warren and called her a "socialist whore".

I told Ed the guy was wrong for calling her a whore.

No response yet, don't expect one.

[chris]

Whore's have standards and live in the real world. Damn right he was wrong to compare a low life like Warren to streetwalkers.

[Mr. FIFY]

Exactly.

[The Derider]

You used an apostrophe incorrectly. I'm going to needlessly nitpick you and call you inferior.

Anyone have a picture of Nicholas Adams? I want to masturbate on it.

[P Brooks]

To be honest, I would not object to a small financial transaction tax dedicated specifically to oversight (and clearinghouse activities) if I thought it fell within the purview of my "fee for service" philosophy of government.

I am adamantly opposed to any such tax if the proceeds are to be destined for the general fund.

[Old Mexican]

Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on Fox Business Network's Freedom Watch with Judge Andrew Napolitano to discuss the philosophies childish platitudes of populist Democrat Elizabeth Warren[...]

More accurate.

[Joshua Corning]

I love the scifi back ground they they blue screened for Matt.

Every image of Matt needs a spinning flying saucer off to his left.

Seriously though I hate this show. I agree with it...but the production choices rubs me the wrong way.

I preferred Beck's chalk boards and incoherent rantings.

[CE]

A Robin Hood tax has no viability at all. Robin Hood lives in Sherwood Forest, with no known address, not traceable assets, and no known employer. I doubt he would pay the tax even if the Sheriff of Nottingham can ever find him.

[Sheriff of Nottingham]

even if the Sheriff of Nottingham can ever find him.

It certainly wasn't for a lack of trying that I couldn't find him!

[GILMORE]

The Welch shirt-tie-suit synchronization-issue currently remains lingering in the 'acceptable but still semi-discordant' category.

Its Ok, and to be honest, I think Olive-colored suits present a challenge, particularly when you are Matt, and only seem to own two ties, one of which was stolen from a party clown. Recommendation? White shirts. Maybe a grey tie. Or darker yellow/gold, burgundy or brown. Fall colors. Something more neutral/complementary than the ubiquitous shiny Cyan party-tie. Which might have even been at least slightly improved against white.

There's even *instructions* out there, bro. There's not some mystical secret on 'how to not look goofy'.

http://www.ties-necktie.com/bl.....Suits.html

Olive Suits = For your ties choose any brown, copper, burgundy, darker shades of yellow, and navy. Avoid bright colors that are more common in the spring and summer such as pink, bright orange and light blues.

Come on man, I'm rooting for you.

[Alan]

Warren says that business owners hired workers that the rest of us paid to educate. Considering the sorry quality of government education, shouldn't those business owners get some sort of compensation for that imposed cost?

Also, Warren claims the public paid for the roads that take goods to market, but many roads and railroads were paid for by business owners who wanted those roads in order to get their goods to market, and even now business owners pay various taxes connected to how much they use those roads - so once again, doesn't the government owe something to the capitalists who built infrastructure that the public gets to use at a reduced cost?

[Latanya]

it wasn't for a lack of trying that I couldn't find him.

[Mulberry Bayswater Bag]

There are some interesting points in time in this article but I don't know if I see all of them center to heart. There is some validity but I will take hold opinion until I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we want more!