Liberals and Conservatives: Who Is Paying Whose Way?

Any number of conservatives claim that they are paying the way of others. They are wrong. The states that contribute more to the treasury than they get out of the treasury are majority Democratic; and the states that get out of the treasury more than they contribute to the treasury are for the most part Republican.

There are also activities that are crucial for prosperity that do not immediately generate income or are rewarded monetarily. Science is at the root of all technology – meaning, at the root of just about everything that business sells; and most scientists are liberals. The research that science practices is at the root of prosperity; but scientists themselves do not rewarded with big money.

Other activities that qualify the same way are infrastructure and education – fields likewise dominated by liberals and funded by the government.

There is a myth that conservatives own work. They do not. In science, in computer industry, and in manufacturing, Democrats dominate. And yes, scientists work hard – in many cases around the clock and for much less money than they merit.

Do conservatives own capitalism? Obviously not. Without science, which is a majority liberal endeavor, capitalism would be nothing more than exchange of basic commodities at the level it was in medieval Persia. Capitalism owes vastly to science. And that means: To liberals.

So whenever some conservative starts claiming that them damn liberals are taking his money, ask him where he would be without these damn liberals. Ask him where he would be without science. Ask him where he would be without roads and schools. Ask him how he would be able to make any significant amount of money without scientific knowledge that's at the root of all technology.

Why has this argument not been made in public discourse? I have no idea. But I am willing to make it now.