An Example of the State of Higher Eduction

Published Wed, Mar 25 2009 10:54 PM | laminustacitus

            Among the classes that I am taking at the University of Massachusetts Amherst includes an introduction to political economy, and, ever since the first day of class, it has been not only disappointing, but consisting only in fallacies. Nevertheless, everything prior pales in comparison to a comment my professor made today in respect to taxing carbon emissions. Not even trying to hide his favor of such programs, he discussed different models of how such policies would operate, and how the government would handle the “profits” made. Skimming over suggestions that included the utilization of the tax-loot for disaster relief, he eventually came to the one that he favored: equally redistributing it in society. Moving on to another slide, he then displayed, if individual were taxed based on how much carbon they consume in their lives, how only the very rich would actually be paying more in taxes than they would be receiving from the subsequent redistribution of those taxes. In fact, my professor pointed out that the fact that over 50% of the voting population would be paid more than they would be taxed was a great feature to this program. Why? Because it only required over 50% to make this a law.

Comments

# Thedesolateone said on March 27, 2009 5:20 AM:

In reality it takes less than 50%, at least here in Britain. Labour has 100% of the power, but only 15-17% of the general population voted for Labour candidates in the 2005 general election. And given the fact that the Labour candidates are heavily whipped, the power essentially resides in a figure who was only voted for directly by less than 100,000 of a population of 60,000,000. Add to this the fact that Gordon was Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time, and that in essence he was only voted in as representative. If majoritarian democracy is bad - imagine how bad the minoritarian "democracy" we have here in Britain is.

# Thedesolateone said on March 27, 2009 5:21 AM:

Oh, and by the way I liked your post. Economics and politics as taught to me is awful. It appalls me every step of the way. My economics teacher is a neo-Keynesian/monetarist.

# DanielMuff said on April 19, 2009 9:57 PM:

My PoliSci 1 prof was a nut. I remember one day she walked into the classroom and said, "I've been thinking about the financial crisis for past few days. I figured it out. I was caused by greed."