http://townhall.com/columnists/WalterEWilliams/
2008/08/06/a_nation_of_thieves
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Browning’s concluding chapter tells us what the welfare state costs us. He acknowledges the non-economic costs such as infringements on liberty and strains on the political process, but focuses on the quantitative economic costs. The disincentive effects of Social Security have reduced the GDP by 10 percent, the federal income tax (as opposed to a proportional tax) by 9 percent and past deficits by 3.5 percent for a total of 22.5 percent. He guesses that welfare programs have reduced GDP by 2.5 percent. The overall effect of redistributionist policies has created incentives that have reduced GDP by a total of 25 percent. Without those, our GDP would be close to $18 trillion instead of $14 trillion.
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Welfare costs us in more ways than just money. It gives the politicians and bureaucrats control over people. And, like the young elephant, we think we need them!
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Reinke Faces Life 