Eric Takabayashi wrote:

> Ryan Ginstrom wrote:
>>If you count government debt as something that taxpayers pay (they certainly
>>do, unless the government goes out of business), then on average everyone
>>must pay their way by definition.
> 
> We are not talking about average. 

We aren't? You aren't? It would appear to me that Ryan is.

> But "on average", the national debt of 700,000,000,000,000 yen and annual
> revenue shortfalls of about 40% (less than 46 trillion in revenues vs 82
> trillion in expenditure for 2004) mean that people in Japan are not paying
> enough in taxes.

No it doesn't. It means that the public and private sectors are
currently borrowing to cover the gap between planned expenditures and
actual revenues at a rate slightly higher than say, 15 years ago (and
significantly lower than say 60 years ago, as a percentage of GNP). Note
for Eric, this is in economic parlance a positive statement, not a
normative one. Save the rant.

> I am well aware that companies and those who get or spend money are paying for
> me, my part timer wife, and my unemployed children. I appreciate it. I can't
> pay a million yen a year for school for each of my kids, or to build and pave
> the road to work or to build JR lines, highways and airports I sometimes use.

But you are also paying for the "JR lines, highways and airports" and
(of far greater numerative value) a myriad of other publicly funded
goods, services (whether they are in other parts of the country etc, or
in Fukuyama) and transfer payments that you will never use or be the
beneficiary of, hence the importance of averages, and of the combined
role of direct and indirect taxation. Considering income tax alone is
meaningless even in the context that you provided.


-- 
"Oh don't give me none more of that Old Janx Spirit/ No, don't you give
me none more of that Old Janx Spirit/ For my head will fly, my tongue
will lie, my eyes will fry and I may die/ Won't you pour me one more of
that sinful Old Janx Spirit"