[quote=6packscaredy]coud it be that greater efficiency goes to support a greater load of “freeloaders” and that this is sutainable, sort of?[/quote]
Yes, it could. But is it possible in a country the size of the US? Maybe the ACA will provide some answers. A while back, the WSJ did a feature on the Nordic model of welfare capitalism. The notion of 60% tax would freak anyone out, but how is it that the Norwegians et al seem happy with it. By all accounts it is efficient and sustainable. If the US aspires to middle-classdom, isn’t that sort of socialism, and if all that means is that everyone pays higher taxes for tangible benefits organized efficiently by non-profit entities, isn’t that something worth exploring? How do you ensure “efficiently” run government? Well, democracy (when it works) is supposed to do that. Creating a system of accountability for politicians might help. US politicians sneer at their constituents, populace, and voters, treating them like fools. Special interests’ sway over legislators is tantamount to bribery and corruption, and when you consider the scale of it, the Chinese hangman would be kept in business for quite a while.
