Governments are the largest employer in America. Four million federal employes, state governments 5.5 million, and local governments have 14.2 million. Surely then, all 23.7 million employees of all three governments, must have invented something, since we are all saddled by them? Do these governments show a profit, since they employ so many? With no profit, a business cannot exist, regardless of size, from a huge corporation, to a hot dog stand. All three governments, collect $6.8 trillion in taxes each year, with the fed getting 64%, states 21%, and locals 15%.
Walmart has only 2.1 million employed in the entire world, but they show a profit. 8.4 million are employed by the trucking industry, not counting those who are self-employed, and they haul close to 90% of all haulage in America. Railroads, have only 148,000 employees, but between trucks and rails, they hall close to 100% of items we buy, and they both show a profit. So much for that.
What then, have governments invented? Money? No, because back in Biblical times, in the King James version of the Bible, the words ‘gold,’ and ‘silver,’ are used 737 times, and all uses, be they decor or used in sales or purchases, are valuable as in ‘money.’ In 1652, the site of Dartmouth College, was bought from Indians, for “Thirty yards of cloth, eight moose skins, fifteen axes, fifteen hoes, fifteen pairs of shoes, one iron pot, and other assorted goods.” From the book “Mayflower.”
Did governments invent electricity, light bulbs, electric motors, elevators, locomotives, computers, vacuums, dishwashers, washing machines, printing presses, ink, paper, electronics, such as TV, radio, telephones, satellites, printing books, magazines and newspapers?
Did government invent agriculture, manufacturing, stocks, clocks, birds, cows, pigs, cockroaches, mosquitos, trees, wheels, tires, fire engines, internal combustion engines, steam engines, or railroad tracks, airports, and highways? How about musical instruments, from huge pipe organs to piccolos? Music, notes, air compressors, recoding and playback devices? Alphabets, art in all forms, furniture, beds, mattresses, or pillows? Transportation items, such as cars, trucks, trains, and planes? Sewing machines, skyscrapers, subways, restaurants, wholesalers, mass production, cash registers, or microwaves? Retailing, advertising, Photography, cameras, motion picture projection, film, digital?
In 1955, state and federal employed only 1,151,000, not the 9.5 million they now have on their payrolls. As a kid, growing up in Washington D.C, the so called “Federal Triangle,” bounded between 14th St. to 6th St, and from Constitution Ave to Pennsylvania Ave, that was all of the federal government offices or ‘cabinet, positions. Now, the fed covers major parts of D.C. and equal amounts in major and even smaller cities. All in less than 70 years.
TO ANSER THE QUESTION of THE TITLE: IT IS NOTHING.
Correction: Governments have invented taxes, self-aggrandizement, cancerous growth, bureaucracy, inefficiency, deficit spending, valueless paper money, thoughtless, and seemingly brainless politicians, elections, myriad, pointless ‘offices,’ and political parties, neither of which, could pass ‘economics 101.’
Since no government has ever invented anything, and since we are 100% controlled by them, are we helpless? Is our president any smarter than Xi, Mussolini, Hitler, Roosevelt, LBJ, or Putin? (Biden has reached an all-time low, I think). JFK, and Reagan were smarter, and they did the best they could. Trump accomplished a lot, but his ego has always stood squarely in front of any social skills he may inwardly possess. What can we do to alleviate endless government growth, taxation, wars, and the like? Nothing, other than vote as best we can, save our surplus in gold and silver, live in a small town, have plenty of guns, stay in good health, and pray and hope for the best. Good luck!
Don Stott- don@coloradogold.com