One of, if not "the" single thing I hate about teaching is answering a "wrong question."
A "wrong question" is where the student asks a question that is based on false or erroneous premises, and thus it's not enough to simply answer the question. You have to:
1. Spend time explaining or deconstructing their false premises so they get the correct ones.
2. Explain to them the correct premises/how it works in the real world.
3. Then reanswer their wrong question, hoping to god they understood your deconstruction/rebuilding of their premises.
And I fear with this topic, I'm going to have to do the same. So in an attempt to be preemptive and efficient, let me explain a couple things about economics, so that when I do make my point EVERYBODY will understand.
First, understand there is no such thing as "money." Money really doesn't exist. It is only a means by which we track and account for how much labor somebody gave up for "payment." If you look at the economy all it is, is really people just exchanging their finite time on this planet in barter for goods and services that either extend, maintain or enhance their lives (write that one down because that sentence right there is worth about 12 college economics textbooks)
Second, understand there is nothing inherently valuable about money. The only reason "gold" or "paper dollars" have "value" is because they can be traded for something that DOES have genuine value. Food, gas, a desk, a computer, a video game, etc. etc.
Third (and this is VERY important), what is "wealth?" What makes a person or a nation "wealthy?"
I'll tell you this. It's not money. Because money is a piece of paper or rare metal. There is no inherent value to money. It is the STUFF MONEY CAN BUY that is WEALTH.
And it is here people are confused about economics.
Understand that a person who is "rich" or "wealthy" is not "rich" or "wealthy" because they have "a lot of money." They are rich or wealthy because they can afford STUFF and THINGS they can CONSUME to MAINTAIN, ENHANCE and EXTEND their lives (write that one down too for the "Economist Book O' Gold")
In short "wealth" is not the currency or money you hold. Wealth is all the stuff you can produce.
This is why Adam Smith wrote the book "The Wealth of Nations." He wasn't talking about billions of "dollars" or "yen" or "rupees." He was talking about all the stuff that improves and enhances our lives. He was talking about nations' abilities to produce things of value - food, booze, clothing, games, cars, electronics, styrafoam, trees, cattle, dogs, cats, minks, furs, jewelry, diamonds, motorcycles, etc. etc. etc.
Because if you think about it, a dollar doesn't do anything for you. It is the STUFF the dollar can purchase that does something for you.
So all the wars, all the votes, all the progressive taxation is NOT about somebody else's "money," it is about getting other people to forfeit their time to pay for the stuff you want to consume while sacrificing none of your time at all. It's about making other people pay for your "stuff." It's simply just slavery. This is the base level modus operandi of all humans and cultures since the dawn of man (you may also write that one down in the "Economist Book O' Gold.")
Now, since HOPEFULLY I've deconstructed your previous beliefs that economics is "all about the money" and made you realize it's all about "the stuff." So now let us talk about grocery stores.
I know a lot of you on the left think you're entitled to "basic" things. Food, clothing, and shelter. I've seen some people even proclaim they're "entitled" to health care, education, and even cell phones.
But let's get back to reality for one second.
Who provides "food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, and cell phones?"
If you are a liberal (and I'm not mocking you here) you believe in a philosophy or political ideology of the "Great Liberal Economic Oort Cloud." The reason you believe in this is because (and admit it please) you have been too lazy to bother with studying economics, how economies work, let alone - thinking it through. Therefore, you just throw up your hands into the air and think the government/business/industrial complex "figures it out" for you. There's this "highly complex" economic-political-social-governmental-god-like entity that is WAY too complicated for you to understand that just farts out jobs and only truly intelligent people like Barack Hussein Obama can understand.
But in reality, just like money, there is no government.
You TRULY fail to realize that the "government" is nothing more than you and me because we are all in this boat together, and we simply voted our neighbors, colleagues and friends into office. "We" are "the government." Therefore the solution to our current day economic problems....nay....EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR PROBLEMS resides within THE PEOPLE. The "government" cannot do anything just like "the corporations" cannot do anything because both are merely composed and controlled by us - the people.
So who provides the "food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, cell phones" and general "stuff" humans wage war over?
Not the government.
Technically not the "corporations."
It all boils down to people, because there is no other "entity" or "creature" on the planet to provide these things
By this time, I hope we're all still on the same page. We have thus far covered that it isn't money that matters, it's the actually goods or services MONEY CAN BUY that matters. STUFF matters. AND EQUALLY IMPORTANT we have dispelled the delusion that "government" or "corporations" are entities to themselves able to create "magically" jobs, employment, wealth and income. There are "technically" no such things as "governments" or "corporations" as they are nothing more than amalgamations of people.
People - you and me - your brother and your sister - your neighbor and your enemy - are ULTIMATELY responsible for this nation, for this country and for our economic success and future.
So since it is on the people, let's talk about two distinctly different types of people in our modern day America.
I like to be simple so I categorize the many groups of Americans into two simple categories:
Since there is no GLEOC and the success of this nation and all others depends on the individuals, you either carry your weight and support yourself or you don't.
"Parasite" is not meant to be a pejorative or mocking term. It is meant to be an ACCURATE term.
Take emotion, political bias, or whatever you want to use to excuse your erroneous thinking out of it, the definition of a parasite is some thing that lives off of others. And there's a ton in these here United States.
Anybody who collects a government check (bar social security, though, some will argue) is a parasite.
I don't mean that to be insulting, I don't mean that to be derogatory - it's simply the truth. If you collect a government check you are NOT supporting yourself and therefore living off the slave labor of others and are a BONAFIED PARASITE. You DO live off of others. If "others" didn't exist, you WOULD NOT exist, end of story, no discussion, take your bleeding liberal heart emotional-therefore-irrelevant arguments elsewhere.
However, that does not so much irk me as I am willing to accept as much as the next man that people get down on their luck.
What irks me is when 50% of the population collects a government check AND HAS THE AUDACITY TO DEMAND MORE, AND CRIMINALIZE THE HOST OF WHICH IT'S PARASITING OFF OF.
There is no end to the "rich doesn't pay their fair share" or the opposite side of the coin - woeismeism.
So a short message to all of you who think "the rich should pay more" to compensate you for;
YOU majoring in a stupid degree and taking on $100,000 in debt to pay for it
YOU breeding children you couldn't afford and never bothered to think about
YOU being too lazy to put down the booze/drugs to find reliable employment
YOU for choosing a cushy government job and daring to demand people who actually produce something of wealth to pay for your bloated government salary and pension
YOU for just be a pathetic, lazy, moronic parasite who expects other people to pay for you
"YOU" cannot live without "US."
WE produce the STUFF. WE are the people who actually produce the goods and services that have value and people want and need. YOU need US more than WE need YOU!
We're the ones that produce the groceries to keep your "WIC Accepted Here" BS grocery isle full of the food you need.
We're the ones that go to school for 10 years to become the doctors to provide you "free health care" when you decide to get knocked up for the 5th time before your 25th birthday.
We are the ones who engineer the buses and cars you ride to enjoy the roads WE designed with OUR MONEY you used for bus fare.
We are the only reason you live and exist today. Without us, you would not exist.
That's not an opinion.
It's not a "wish."
That's not political bias.
It's a fact you have been shielded from by liberal politicians and an ignorant voting population that votes to take our money to pay for your parasitic (again, not insulting - just true) lives.
You're not "independent." You're not "cool." And you're certainly not "oppressed" or "tyrannized" over. You're just parasites enslaving other people who actually produce STUFF and things of value.
Now, you can get all pissed off at all those rich people, and never spend a calorie of energy looking at how much they pay in taxes to pay for your parasitic existence, but here's another shocking bit of fact-
Hate us as much as you want, we're taking you with us.
You can vote to tax us to death. You can vote to make it illegal to be successful. You can villainize "profit" and "wealth" all you want. However, in the end, you WILL realize that we are your life line.
We are the ones producing the food, the clothing, the shelter and the STUFF you NEED TO LIVE.
We are the ones that are producing the doctors, the surgeons the nurses and the RA's to take care of you. The food that goes in your mouths and the 4 illegitimate childrens' mouths you have. We are the ones producing EVERYTHING you need to live. And you produce NOTHING in return (maybe more illegitimate children, who the hell knows).
But you DARE want to piss us off, or tax us to the point it is no longer in our best interest to play host to your parasitic lives? OR you DARE to attack us because you are envious, bigoted, and hate filled?
Because if we go down, we're taking you with us.
And what's funny, is we don't have to try because we're the ones producing all the stuff.
So I dare suggest for those of you who think you're "oppressed" or "disadvantaged" as you snort coke, knock up girl #14, get knocked up by guy #15, major in philosophy or some other obvious galactically stupid decision, to take your complaints and the consequences of your stupid decisions, shove them, and have a strong belt of STFU and be THANKFUL we're paying the taxes to shield you from the full costs, consequences and catastrophes of your inconceivable stupidity.