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Political Redistribution of Wealth
I get weary — and we should all get weary — of accusations that this or that politician wants to “tax and spend” or that it’s wrong for the government to manipulate the distribution of wealth.
Everything government does involves taxing and spending and those two acts, perforce, redistribute wealth. The pertinent questions are (1) Tax whom? and (2) Spend for what?
Redistribution of wealth? The two presidents since WWII who are consensus picks for the POTUS hall of fame — Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan — -probably redistributed more wealth than their peers, albeit in different directions. Other presidents present the same choice with smaller numbers: Robin Hood or reverse Robin Hood?
Robin Hood was a thief and famous for calling out the abuse of taxing and spending powers by the government of Prince John acting as regent in the absence of King Richard. Robin Hood was outlaw, but only made so by the evil Prince John, who hoped to mete out the punishment for an outlaw — death — while King Richard was still leading a Crusade.
I never understood exactly why John believed that Robin Hood was the only loyal subject who could rat him out to King Richard, but I guess this was an early…
