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Sowell: The 'Trickle-Down' Lie
Creators Syndicate ^ | January 7, 2014 | Thomas Sowell

Posted on 01/06/2014 12:02:09 PM PST by jazusamo

New York's new mayor, Bill de Blasio, in his inaugural speech, denounced people "on the far right" who "continue to preach the virtue of trickle-down economics." According to Mayor de Blasio, "They believe that the way to move forward is to give more to the most fortunate, and that somehow the benefits will work their way down to everyone else."

If there is ever a contest for the biggest lie in politics, this one should be a top contender.

While there have been all too many lies told in politics, most have some little tiny fraction of truth in them, to make them seem plausible. But the "trickle-down" lie is 100 percent lie.

It should win the contest both because of its purity — no contaminating speck of truth — and because of how many people have repeated it over the years, without any evidence being asked for or given.

Years ago, this column challenged anybody to quote any economist outside of an insane asylum who had ever advocated this "trickle-down" theory. Some readers said that somebody said that somebody else had advocated a "trickle-down" policy. But they could never name that somebody else and quote them.

Mayor de Blasio is by no means the first politician to denounce this non-existent theory. Back in 2008, presidential candidate Barack Obama attacked what he called "an economic philosophy" which "says we should give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else."

(Excerpt) Read more at creators.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: billdeblasio; economics; newyork; newyorkcity; newyorkslimes; newyorktimes; sowell; thomassowell; trickledown
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1 posted on 01/06/2014 12:02:09 PM PST by jazusamo
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To: abigail2; Amalie; American Quilter; arthurus; awelliott; Bahbah; bamahead; Battle Axe; ...
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2 posted on 01/06/2014 12:03:29 PM PST by jazusamo ([Obama] A Truly Great Phony -- Thomas Sowell http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3058949/posts)
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To: jazusamo

‘Trickle-down’ is a Reagan era term.

In any case proof is in the results. Lets see how NYC fares under him.


3 posted on 01/06/2014 12:05:48 PM PST by sickoflibs (Obama : 'If you like your Doctor you can keep him, PERIOD! Don't believe the GOPs warnings')
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To: jazusamo

The libs use the term trickle down to torpedo ANY effort to let the taxpayers keep more of their OWN money.

It is regrettable that the Pope now demagogues using the same types of terms in his attacks on free market capitalism. I expect this from Democrats, but not from the leaders of my own Church.


4 posted on 01/06/2014 12:08:31 PM PST by Trapped Behind Enemy Lines
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To: sickoflibs

Trickle down was used long before Reagan.

We don’t give more to the wealthy. They create more, and are compensated more for that wealth creation.

They create wealth by their work, by their courage, by their investments, and to some extent by their luck.

When you see a Marxist asserting that there is surplus value, that just means he has identified something that he wants to steal.


5 posted on 01/06/2014 12:10:03 PM PST by donmeaker (A man can go anywhere on earth, and where man can go, he can drag a cannon.)
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To: sickoflibs

Trickle down was a term used by the media during the
Reagan era. What Reagan said was a rising tide lifts
all boats.


6 posted on 01/06/2014 12:10:38 PM PST by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: jazusamo

I’m sure no one is advocating “giving” the wealthy or him income earners more, just taking/stealing less of what they make. Course expecting a liberal to understand the difference between “giving more” and “stealing less” is like trying to teach a pig calculus.


7 posted on 01/06/2014 12:11:08 PM PST by Still Thinking (Freedom is NOT a loophole!)
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To: Still Thinking

Yep, liberals always put it terms of “giving” more to the rich and they know they’re lying.


8 posted on 01/06/2014 12:15:01 PM PST by jazusamo ([Obama] A Truly Great Phony -- Thomas Sowell http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3058949/posts)
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To: jazusamo

They might not be “lying”, but just representing the case from their assumption that all wealth belongs to the collective and not the individual who earned it.


9 posted on 01/06/2014 12:16:43 PM PST by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: donmeaker
RE :”We don’t give more to the wealthy. They create more, and are compensated more for that wealth creation.”

OK, over at MSNBC which has the best and brightest minds LOL they keep saying its those who spend most of their $$$ who REALLY create the wealth, like those getting unemployment comp and earning minimum wage, which ‘stimulates economic activity’.

And more wealth that is created by ‘putting more $$$ in their pockets’, by taking it from the rich.

And the rich take ‘unfair’ advantage of that by making too much $$.

You disagree ?/

10 posted on 01/06/2014 12:16:50 PM PST by sickoflibs (Obama : 'If you like your Doctor you can keep him, PERIOD! Don't believe the GOPs warnings')
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Please bump the Freepathon or click above and donate or become a monthly donor!

11 posted on 01/06/2014 12:18:11 PM PST by jazusamo ([Obama] A Truly Great Phony -- Thomas Sowell http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3058949/posts)
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To: jazusamo

Also what is annoying is even when you explain to leftists that lower tax rates yield HIGHER revenues, they are still opposed to lowering rates because their desire to punish people exceeds a desire for an efficient economy. BHO did precisely this in 2008. When someone explained to him in a debate that lower capital gains taxes yielded higher revenues, he STILL wanted the higher rates in place.


12 posted on 01/06/2014 12:18:18 PM PST by Trapped Behind Enemy Lines
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To: sickoflibs
Trickle Down is from the Reagan Era (*genuflects*), and it worked beautifully

The libtards lie about what it means, and they lie about its success.

They tell people that it means that the government GIVES money to rich people and the rich people are supposed to give it away to poor, but they didn't...

What it really means is that the government DIDN'T TAKE AWAY as much from businesses, and in turn they had more capital to hire and grow their businesses... And that was an ewnormous success! (look at how even the libtards have to acknowledge that the 80’s were a period of huge growth)

I stopped listening to Larry King when I heard him agree with some libtard saying how bad “trickle down’ was and Larry's response was “They didn't trickle...”

13 posted on 01/06/2014 12:18:52 PM PST by Mr. K (If you like your constitution, you can keep it...Period.)
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To: Trapped Behind Enemy Lines

“It’s a matter of fairness” I believe was the direct quote - by which he meant, it’s necessary to punish YT.


14 posted on 01/06/2014 12:19:28 PM PST by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: MrB

You may well be right, they are for the most part socialists.


15 posted on 01/06/2014 12:20:54 PM PST by jazusamo ([Obama] A Truly Great Phony -- Thomas Sowell http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3058949/posts)
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To: sickoflibs
‘Trickle-down’ is a Reagan era term.

I was thinking Nixon.

16 posted on 01/06/2014 12:22:56 PM PST by Carry_Okie (0-Care IS Medicaid; they'll pull a sheet over your head and take everything you own to pay for it.)
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To: jazusamo

The choice is clear:

Trickle down wealth or flooding up poverty.


17 posted on 01/06/2014 12:23:03 PM PST by taxcontrol
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To: jazusamo
to give more to the most fortunate

Did you catch that? Like the 'fortunate' are fortunate because its been given to them.

18 posted on 01/06/2014 12:25:51 PM PST by tbpiper
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To: jazusamo; MrB
You may well be right, they are for the most part socialists.

Actually, you are being too kind by half.

All Liberals are socialists, at least half of them qualify as Communists.
19 posted on 01/06/2014 12:26:00 PM PST by SoConPubbie (Mitt and Obama: They're the same poison, just a different potency)
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To: SoConPubbie

Most leftists see the government as an instrument of punishment and plunder to be used against the people they envy and those that refuse to recognize their superiority.


20 posted on 01/06/2014 12:27:15 PM PST by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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