General Discussion

badtoworse

(5,957 posts)

54. I never said we don't need any public sector jobs

Tue Jun 12, 2012, 08:09 PM

Jun 2012

There are functions that are needed and are the proper role of government. I do believe that the private sector is more important because it generates the money that gets taxed to pay for those public services. A country without a healthy. vibrant economy will not create enough wealth to pay for public services. Look at Greece - because of tax evasion and a collapsing economy, they will likely run out of money in July and will be unable to pay salaries, pensions, buy fuel, etc. Another poster pointed to Somalia as a country with a private sector but no functioning government - that is not a desirable situation as anarchy prevails (it may well come to that in Greece as well).

Both sectors are needed, but the private sector pays the bills.

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Why is the "private sector" better than the "public sector"? [View all] kentuck Jun 2012 OP

It's a matter of scapegoating and ignorance. tblue Jun 2012 #1

As if everyone in the private sector walks on water.... kentuck Jun 2012 #2

I got a public sector job in 1972.....when all my friends went to college....my parents couldn't a kennedy Jun 2012 #9

AND most of the so-called "private sector" jobsl contract with the government and steal nanabugg Jun 2012 #34

Private gives much better odds for exploitative profit TheKentuckian Jun 2012 #3

Nailed it. freshwest Jun 2012 #4

It goes back to at least that idiot Reagan Art_from_Ark Jun 2012 #14

I concur in the opinion of TheKentuckian. nt hifiguy Jun 2012 #49

Ka-Ching n/t Strelnikov_ Jun 2012 #83

You have hit on the reason that the greedy capitalists were so afraid of the Soviet Union. MnExpat Jun 2012 #5

The USSR collapsed because of its dynasty of brutal dictatorships. Zalatix Jun 2012 #7

Marks and Engles both agreed that revolution sometimes has comes from the barrel of a gun MnExpat Jun 2012 #15

The "European moneyed familys" would that be the JOOOOOOOS?? tritsofme Jun 2012 #65

I would expect that kind of MnExpat Jun 2012 #69

Give me a break. tritsofme Jun 2012 #82

what? tralala Jun 2012 #70

The Soviet Experiment might work in an ideal world. Bake Jun 2012 #44

You would be justified in saying that if the Soviet Union didn't last ~65 years tralala Jun 2012 #76

65 years is NOTHING. Bake Jun 2012 #77

Plus the fact they became terminal tralala Jun 2012 #78

The problem could have been the pesky anti-Semitic dictatorship thingy. Zalatix Jun 2012 #97

Perestroika was a *result* of their failure, not the reason for it. joshcryer Jun 2012 #114

Sears and Roebuck lasted longer Nuclear Unicorn Jun 2012 #88

If private sector employees didn't first earn the money and pay taxes... badtoworse Jun 2012 #6

And if you didn't have a teacher to teach you how to read... kentuck Jun 2012 #8

I went to private schools and I have done quite well. badtoworse Jun 2012 #27

Corporate charters aren't created generally to benefit the public. mmonk Jun 2012 #32

The same is true for public sector workers. Who do you think public employee unions represent? badtoworse Jun 2012 #33

If the private sector can provide a service more efficiently.. girl gone mad Jun 2012 #62

A great many services would be more expensive if we did that jmowreader Jun 2012 #101

Nobody ever got a job before there were public school teachers to teach them how to read. slackmaster Jun 2012 #90

I never went to public school... badtoworse Jun 2012 #107

If the federal government didn't first spend the money into existence.. girl gone mad Jun 2012 #21

The concept of money existed before the government started printing it. badtoworse Jun 2012 #30

Countries without governments don't do so well. CJCRANE Jun 2012 #46

See Post No. 54 badtoworse Jun 2012 #55

The money Americans use today.. girl gone mad Jun 2012 #56

In my (non-economist) opinion money derives its value from the good and services you can buy with it badtoworse Jun 2012 #105

Stick to engineering. U4ikLefty Jun 2012 #109

Wow, you get a lot of things really wrong here. girl gone mad Jun 2012 #115

Seashells, salt, or flakes of metal found in streams slackmaster Jun 2012 #91

Shame on you for inserting logic into this Puzzledtraveller Jun 2012 #29

Customers pay private salaries - what goes around comes around. CJCRANE Jun 2012 #45

I'm assuming you're paid in dollars. girl gone mad Jun 2012 #57

The amount of dollars in circulation is based on Nuclear Unicorn Jun 2012 #93

So you believe we don't have a government that spends money into the economy? girl gone mad Jun 2012 #96

Just for the purpose of education.. girl gone mad Jun 2012 #98

Without the police and the courts, your private business is dead. JoePhilly Jun 2012 #51

I never said we don't need any public sector jobs badtoworse Jun 2012 #54

The private sector doesn't generate money. girl gone mad Jun 2012 #58

Again I return to the Defense Industry. JoePhilly Jun 2012 #68

The private sector provided the money that enabled the government to do those things badtoworse Jun 2012 #106

Nobody ever conducted business before there were police or courts slackmaster Jun 2012 #92

Yeah, we saw the results of that scenario. U4ikLefty Jun 2012 #110

Yes, the police and courts have sure fixed that one slackmaster Jun 2012 #111

When I did an assignment for the government way back when in 2004, I saw the memo Laura PourMeADrink Jun 2012 #10

Yes. Privatization = corruption. It's about pay-offs to buddies and campaign supporters. JDPriestly Jun 2012 #20

This is an important point. It's not just abstract philosophy and ideology for the privatizers. limpyhobbler Jun 2012 #24

absolutely...explains school vouchers - friends own private schools - more people go - more Laura PourMeADrink Jun 2012 #61

The private sector is where republicans get to pay you the least jp11 Jun 2012 #11

As a proud public employee Rain Mcloud Jun 2012 #12

Imagine a Repub Presidency, Judiciary, Senate and House at the same time. Zax2me Jun 2012 #13

It's not especially in a service economy you get low paying jobs like fast food and retail with no craigmatic Jun 2012 #16

Because rich people can make a killing exploiting the private sector. n/t lumberjack_jeff Jun 2012 #17

people trumpet how "inefficient" big government is ibegurpard Jun 2012 #18

because the upper 20% makes money on it. HiPointDem Jun 2012 #19

It's a combination of hatred for paying taxes... LeftishBrit Jun 2012 #22

CORRECT Skittles Jun 2012 #23

i am sure as shit happy those firefighters keeping my happy self safe tonight are public employees fizzgig Jun 2012 #25

Because we are run by small town plutocracies that want to get their hands directly Baitball Blogger Jun 2012 #26

It is more RW bullshit libtodeath Jun 2012 #28

Because ideologues have kept repeating the mantra... ljm2002 Jun 2012 #31

There is no CEO getting rich off of the public sector tabbycat31 Jun 2012 #35

Lots of companies get government contracts and government subsidies... CJCRANE Jun 2012 #48

The CEO of Lockheed Martin would beg to differ. JoePhilly Jun 2012 #52

Both are necessary 4th law of robotics Jun 2012 #36

True, and what else are people ready to give up? kentuck Jun 2012 #37

To choose one example: 4th law of robotics Jun 2012 #41

I would agree. kentuck Jun 2012 #43

I've encountered bat crazy libertarians who have suggested just such a thing Nuclear Unicorn Jun 2012 #94

I'd consider them no different than hardcore 4th law of robotics Jun 2012 #95

The idea is that the one must pay for the other--the "public sector" is not self-supporting. nt Romulox Jun 2012 #38

I would say they are investments... kentuck Jun 2012 #40

I don't disagree. But the fact remains... nt Romulox Jun 2012 #42

But the fact is not accurate. girl gone mad Jun 2012 #64

The public sector is funded with tax revenue. It's not controversial. nt Romulox Jun 2012 #67

This is not true at the federal level. girl gone mad Jun 2012 #80

The banks are not self-supporting. Public money bailed them out. CJCRANE Jun 2012 #50

Private sector would have no dollars without public sector. girl gone mad Jun 2012 #63

I don't disagree (at all). The point STILL remains: the "public sector" requires tax revenue to Romulox Jun 2012 #66

You've set it up as if the two sectors are in competition for money. girl gone mad Jun 2012 #75

No, I did not. I won't argue points only *YOU* have made. nt Romulox Jun 2012 #86

Or using gold backed paper. dkf Jun 2012 #112

Yup tralala Jun 2012 #72

It seems to me that the teaching profession is supporting the entire structure of civilization aint_no_life_nowhere Jun 2012 #103

Because ... ananda Jun 2012 #39

The argument that private enterprise is less bureaucratic is absolutely ludicrous. randome Jun 2012 #47

too true ThomThom Jun 2012 #53

He is targeting the wrong "Public Sector" Overpaid Congressmen and Senators is where the fat needs Tuesday Afternoon Jun 2012 #59

Both sectors do some things better than the other Hippo_Tron Jun 2012 #60

If the public sector doesn't include nationalized industries tralala Jun 2012 #71

If "the public sector is "sponging" off of the value produced by the private sector..." kentuck Jun 2012 #73

The government pays people to provide services and/or create goods. girl gone mad Jun 2012 #79

The government pays for its services/employees out of tralala Jun 2012 #81

This is an incomplete view of the role of the government in a modern economy. girl gone mad Jun 2012 #84

If divide & conquer didn't work, politicians and corporations wouldn't use it. nt shcrane71 Jun 2012 #74

There's a good book called "The Gardens of Democracy" gulliver Jun 2012 #85

Well, without a private sector, the public sector could not exist IndyPragmatist123 Jun 2012 #87

Tax revenue doesn't fund spending at the federal level. girl gone mad Jun 2012 #104

I guess I must have not paid attention during my 6 years of economics studies IndyPragmatist123 Jun 2012 #116

It's not better. It's much bigger and much more important to the economy in terms of job creation. slackmaster Jun 2012 #89

If you want people beholden to you Aerows Jun 2012 #99

BIGGER and EASIER BRIBES for politicians ProgressiveEconomist Jun 2012 #100

Because Reagan said it...and Clinton said it...and it's what is WINNING in Political America. KoKo Jun 2012 #102

I've worked in both... TroglodyteScholar Jun 2012 #108

I don't think that it is, necessarily. But you can regulate out cronyism from the private sector. joshcryer Jun 2012 #113