"Thomas Sowell described the mechanism better than I can, observing that it is hard to imagine a more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting them in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong." Nothing like common sense thinking.
Did the bullet-train designers have anything to do with the Obama monstrosity that went from $350 million to $850 million? They do share the same politics.
Musk is a genius who has done more for the world than any other person.
Government can only spend. Government never produces. Government has wasted our nation into an unnecessary deficit. Government deserves less funds; never give politicians more funds to hand out with no accountability or consequences. Government needs to be cut from so many levels and manage only our defense and security.
AND - even if California were ever to complete the high-speed train from Los Angeles to San Francisco - IT WILL NEVER BE PROFITABLE LET ALONE PAY FOR ITSELF.
The corruption in California is so deep it is appalling. The push for a billionaire tax to pay for SEIU’s illegal alien union members healthcare and food stamps is part of this story. Now Newsom is trying to look like a hero to wealthy businessmen by saying he is against the one-time 5% (1%/yr for 5yrs) tax. Ro Khanna was for it and now looks like he is against it. In the meantime, LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt’s business was torched. Fires seem to be a common problem in CA. Any entrepreneur with half a brain will get out of California even if they aren’t billionaires because the middle class there will be shrinking as they will be hit hard to pay for illegals. Sanctuary is a costly government business scheme.
To be really fair, we shouldn't pick one of the best entrepreneurs of our age to compare to one of the worst governments in our country. But I'm persuaded that the argument holds true, if not so vividly, across the entire spectrum defined by the degree to which the decision-makers bear the cost of bad decisions.
When people complain that Musk "has" the unfair amount of a trillion dollars, what I think is that Musk has control of resources on that scale because many, many people trust him to do a better job with those resources than they would if they simply kept them or spent them on fun stuff to consume or use. I decidedly do not feel that way about any government.
The fact that politicians are openly advocating for taking money from people - wealth they haven't even liquidated because it is still in use - and not being rebuked from all sides immediately, is terrifying.
Our Government, Democrats in particular- are ALL about “other people’s money”, while they rob and plunder more and more for themselves in every crooked and corrupt manner imaginable.
When was the last time they ever even had a budget? It’s become like a relic of the past. And not surprisingly.
“Stewardship of other people’s money is a genuine moral duty, and the people now eyeing Elon Musk’s fortune are precisely the people who violated that duty when they extracted billions from California taxpayers under a specific promise and delivered them nothing.”
Not just bilked from Californians. The high-speed train(wreck) has also pulled in billions of federal money, and Trump has at least tried to temper that irresponsible outflow.
Politicians, most especially Democrat politicians, are a little like magicians. The only problem is, while they excel at making billions of $$ disappear, they cannot make it reappear at the end of the magic trick in the form of tangible results.
Unless we can count them (again, most especially Democrats) lining their pockets as tangible......
The bullet train and the rocket are the whole argument. One system spends other people’s money and pays no price for failure. The other risks private capital and must answer to customers, investors, physics, and reality. California gave us PowerPoints, viaducts, delays, and excuses. Musk gave us reusable rockets and stranded astronauts brought home. The confiscators want to punish the steward who produced value and reward the bureaucracy that burned it. That is immoral and stupid. Wealth is not just money sitting in a vault. In the right hands, it becomes industry, jobs, invention, and national power.
Excellent piece. And the video where Bernie finally endorses fossil fuels and President Trump shows that even buffoons like him can have a moment of enlightened wisdom.
"Thomas Sowell described the mechanism better than I can, observing that it is hard to imagine a more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting them in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong." Nothing like common sense thinking.
Did the bullet-train designers have anything to do with the Obama monstrosity that went from $350 million to $850 million? They do share the same politics.
Musk is a genius who has done more for the world than any other person.
Government can only spend. Government never produces. Government has wasted our nation into an unnecessary deficit. Government deserves less funds; never give politicians more funds to hand out with no accountability or consequences. Government needs to be cut from so many levels and manage only our defense and security.
AND - even if California were ever to complete the high-speed train from Los Angeles to San Francisco - IT WILL NEVER BE PROFITABLE LET ALONE PAY FOR ITSELF.
And will actually only go 10 mph faster than a car.
The corruption in California is so deep it is appalling. The push for a billionaire tax to pay for SEIU’s illegal alien union members healthcare and food stamps is part of this story. Now Newsom is trying to look like a hero to wealthy businessmen by saying he is against the one-time 5% (1%/yr for 5yrs) tax. Ro Khanna was for it and now looks like he is against it. In the meantime, LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt’s business was torched. Fires seem to be a common problem in CA. Any entrepreneur with half a brain will get out of California even if they aren’t billionaires because the middle class there will be shrinking as they will be hit hard to pay for illegals. Sanctuary is a costly government business scheme.
To be really fair, we shouldn't pick one of the best entrepreneurs of our age to compare to one of the worst governments in our country. But I'm persuaded that the argument holds true, if not so vividly, across the entire spectrum defined by the degree to which the decision-makers bear the cost of bad decisions.
When people complain that Musk "has" the unfair amount of a trillion dollars, what I think is that Musk has control of resources on that scale because many, many people trust him to do a better job with those resources than they would if they simply kept them or spent them on fun stuff to consume or use. I decidedly do not feel that way about any government.
How very true, Thank you for the post
The fact that politicians are openly advocating for taking money from people - wealth they haven't even liquidated because it is still in use - and not being rebuked from all sides immediately, is terrifying.
Our Government, Democrats in particular- are ALL about “other people’s money”, while they rob and plunder more and more for themselves in every crooked and corrupt manner imaginable.
When was the last time they ever even had a budget? It’s become like a relic of the past. And not surprisingly.
It should be a Law.
“Stewardship of other people’s money is a genuine moral duty, and the people now eyeing Elon Musk’s fortune are precisely the people who violated that duty when they extracted billions from California taxpayers under a specific promise and delivered them nothing.”
Not just bilked from Californians. The high-speed train(wreck) has also pulled in billions of federal money, and Trump has at least tried to temper that irresponsible outflow.
Florida's BRIGHTLINE passenger train line provides another useful comparison, does it not?
Privately owned and operated.
Started construction in 2012.
Nice passenger experience from Miami to points north.
(No, this is not an ad. I have zero connection to anything Florida.)
Politicians, most especially Democrat politicians, are a little like magicians. The only problem is, while they excel at making billions of $$ disappear, they cannot make it reappear at the end of the magic trick in the form of tangible results.
Unless we can count them (again, most especially Democrats) lining their pockets as tangible......
It is called GREED!
The bullet train and the rocket are the whole argument. One system spends other people’s money and pays no price for failure. The other risks private capital and must answer to customers, investors, physics, and reality. California gave us PowerPoints, viaducts, delays, and excuses. Musk gave us reusable rockets and stranded astronauts brought home. The confiscators want to punish the steward who produced value and reward the bureaucracy that burned it. That is immoral and stupid. Wealth is not just money sitting in a vault. In the right hands, it becomes industry, jobs, invention, and national power.
Isn't Elon Musks name in the Epstein files ?
You should go on the View and explain this. One problem, I don't think the first person who lands on Mars will ever return. Grok can explain it.
Excellent piece. And the video where Bernie finally endorses fossil fuels and President Trump shows that even buffoons like him can have a moment of enlightened wisdom.