[ExI] Private and government R&D

[Stathis Papaioannou]

2009/7/1 Rafal Smigrodzki <rafal.smigrodzki at gmail.com>:
> On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 10:09 AM, Stathis Papaioannou<stathisp at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> We potentially have this situation: 100% of the population is be
>> willing to be taxed for a particular project on the understanding that
>> everyone else will also be taxed, but 0% of the population is willing
>> to contribute to the project voluntarily if they know that no-one else
>> need contribute. Therefore, a project that everyone supports and is
>> happy to pay for is never undertaken.
>
> ### No, this is not something that everyone supports - it's something
> everyone wants to pretend they support, and shifting 99.999% of its
> cost on others (especially the rich) is just the way to have your
> hypocritical cake and eat it too. If people really want something,
> like building a cathedral, they *will* pay on their own.
>
> Don't confuse your desire to pretend you are good with actually being good.

I'm not good, I admit that I'm bad. I don't give to charity, but I
agree to be taxed, and demand that the *government* use the tax money
eliminate the need for charity. Actually I don't even quite agree to
be taxed, since I try to minimise my tax whenever I can. I would
actually prefer it if everyone else were taxed, but an exception is
made just for me. That isn't going to happen, so second best is that I
get taxed along with everyone else.


-- 
Stathis Papaioannou