in article caqpdn$j8k$1@news.Stanford.EDU, mtfester@netMAPSONscape.net at
mtfester@netMAPSONscape.net wrote on 6/17/04 9:42 AM:

> Ernest Schaal <eschaal@max.hi-ho.ne.jp> wrote:
>> in article capi39$jvj$2@news.Stanford.EDU, mtfester@netMAPSONscape.net at
>> mtfester@netMAPSONscape.net wrote on 6/16/04 10:31 PM:
> 
>>> Not at all. Clearly, he recieves benefits (including tax SHELTERS), a
>>> legal system which favors him, etc.
>>> 
>>> None of the above apply to the poor.
> 
>> Even with tax shelters, Bill Gates pays a LOT of taxes, the extreme poor pay
> 
> And he get a LOT of benefits.

Yes, he gets a lot of benefits from the money he has earned, but no he does
not get a LOT of benefits from the US government. On the contrary, a large
fraction of the money he earns goes to benefit those who are less capable of
earning a fortune.

I don't expect you to be capable of understanding the economics or politics
involved, any more than I would expect Kaz to be capable of understanding
that it is possible to be critical of him without being a racist.
 
>> little or no taxes. The poor gets welfare, housing allowances, Medicaid,
>> free legal aid, food stamps. Bill Gates gets to pay for all that.
> 
> And paying for all that, he helps assure that these people are not more
> dissatisfied and out on the street than otherwise, he gets a
> disproportionate amount of benefit from such things as defense (both for
> protecting his wealth, and as contractors to his company), police
> (ditto), medical systems, etc.

Although Gates does benefit tangentially from the poor receiving benefits
from the government, that benefit to Gates is miniscule compared to the
benefit directly received by the poor.

Defense protects the lives of all citizens. As for police protection, Gates
can afford to pay for private protection services and such private
protection services to protect his life and property would be cheaper for
Gates than the protection he receives from the tax money he has to give.

On a per capita basis, yes Gates comes out ahead. But on the basis of actual
taxes paid, Gates and others in the higher tax brackets don't get benefits
anywhere near the level that they contribute. The amount of benefits that
they get from the government (indirectly and directly) is disproportionately
small compared to the taxes they pay (indirectly and directly).

I don't expect you to understand such simple principles of economics and
politics. 

>>>> (I hate shouting, but you simply aren't paying attention otherwise.)
>>> 
>>> I paid attention. You are simply wrong.
> 
>> No, you simply are letting your hatred of the rich interfere with your
>> judgment.
> 
> "hatred"?
> 
> This is odd, even considering the source...
> 
> Mike


I consider the source and thus I don't expect a rationale response from you.