Theory:
Government gets money from the people by taxing, borrowing, and printing. People get their money by farming or scavenging. Scavengers these days are too afraid to go to jail for plunder, so they importune government with their capacity to effectively use recovery funds. Socialists shortened the phrase to “need.” If needs aren’t obvious, government has to make them up to perpetuate its own scavenging racket. Farmers, on the other hand, are too busy providing for themselves and the scavengers to ask anybody for anything.

True Story:

The City of Asheville is calling for proposals from local organizations and agencies for a community portfolio of projects to be considered for funds available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The project portfolio will be available . . . to demonstrate the community’s capacity to effectively use recovery funds. . . . Although there is no deadline for submissions, it is strongly encouraged that projects be considered as soon as possible while final passage of the act is considered.

Comprehension Test:
1. Create a predator-prey diagram for the situation, assuming equal initial numbers of farmers and scavengers, that the breeding age of scavengers is one-third that of farmers, and that one farmer can feed ten scavengers before turning into a scavenger.
2. Repeat the exercise with government doubling the standard of living for the scavengers, meaning the farmers can now only feed five scavengers before succumbing. Include an 80% rake for government.
3. Repeat Exercises 1 and 2 with a talking head saying, “Hope!”
4. Explain why it is important for the scavengers to dream up lots of projects while government is trying to make up its mind about the bill.