Ronald Reagan: Tax Subsidize It

Posted by admin on Thursday, September 24, 2020

Ronald Reagan Money Quote saying government response to everything is a financial response – including taxing and subsidies. Ronald Reagan said:
 

 

“Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it” — Ronald Reagan

 

 

In this quote, Ronald Reagan is satirically summarizing what he views as an overreaching and counterproductive approach to the economy taken by government.

His interpretation is that the government sees its role as taxing economic activity (“if it moves”), overregulating industries (“if it keeps moving”), and intervening through subsidies only when sectors are struggling (“if it stops moving”).

Reagan appears to be criticizing excessive taxation, regulation, and the selective use of subsidies as hampering free market dynamics.

The overall message seems to be a libertarian perspective that government intervention through these mechanisms often does more harm than good by inserting itself too aggressively into private business and commerce.

Birthday: February 6, 1911 – Death: June 5, 2004

James Dale Davidson: Taxes Worn

Posted by admin on Sunday, September 6, 2020

James Dale Davidson Money Quote saying politicians aren’t satisfied with just taxing away money, but want souls of voters. James Dale Davidson said:
 

“The politicians don’t just want your money. They want your soul. They want you to be worn down by taxes until you are dependent and helpless. When you subsidize poverty and failure, you get more of both” — James Dale Davidson

 

 

In this quote, James Dale Davidson is criticizing certain political philosophies and their effects. Specifically:

• He argues that politicians do not just want citizens’ money through taxes, but also want to diminish people’s independence and self-reliance through overtaxation until they are “dependent and helpless.”
• Davidson suggests that heavily “subsidizing poverty and failure” through welfare programs leads to more of both, as it does not incentivize self-sufficiency and can enable behaviors that contribute to economic troubles.
• His view is that high taxes and open-ended support diminish personal responsibility and individual initiative in a way that erodes civil society by making people reliant on the government.

Overall, the quote conveys Davidson’s perspective that some political approaches aim not just to raise funds but also to expand control and influence over citizens by cultivating dependency, which he views as weakening personal sovereignty and societal strength over the long run.