Categories: Economy

The Economy Is Not A Zero Sum Game Love

In this case, Conservative politicians can sidestep the thorny issue of gaping economic inequalities. “Levelling up” implies improvements for the needy without any redistribution of wealth or opportunity from the wealthiest. This, by definition, is impossible.

Back in 1750 the GDP per capita for the UK (from Angus Maddison’s numbers) was around $1,800 a year. Today it’s around $39,000. Yes, that’s after accounting for inflation.

It would appear that the economy is not a zero sum game.

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Tim Worstall

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  • Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime... While not adverse to a bung for improved infrastructure and training, am not so keen on subsidising the living standards of slackers. Some people seem to think levelling up means taking the bread out the mouth of my kids and stuffing it in theirs.

    • Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and his 73 grandchildren will bewail your patriarchal white-privileged despoiling of the enviromment.

      • "When Imogen West-Knights moved to Stockholm, she learnt that the absence of light can do strange things to you" Financial Times.

        Says it all really....

  • Double barrel name, check
    Oxbridge, check
    Bonkers, check
    The Guardian, check
    Poisonous ideas designed to entrench her own privilege, check

  • Does the author actually believe it is impossible? That the Bezos billions have come not from newly created wealth but from a reduction in my wealth? How would that have happened? I have never been forced to give money to Amazon, I have chosen to do so because buying the thing made me better off. And what does she/he think GDP growth is?

  • You do have an interesting piece of blurb at the bottom of every webpage:

    Newspaper is your news, entertainment, music fashion website. We provide you with the latest breaking news and videos straight from the entertainment industry.
    Contact us: contact@yoursite.com

    Did you write that yourself, or pay an Indian to do it?

    • I had the same question about these emails: "new reply have been posted by the David Moore" Though the article before the user name implies Greek, not Indian. Clearly some default messages need to be rewritten. But rejoice, the Edit button is back!

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Tim Worstall

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