--- In LibertarianEnterprise@yahoogroups.com, "Zack Bass" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > That would imply that THEFT also increases Total > Wealth, as long as the Thief values what he steals more > than the Owner values it; for the Owner's decrease > in Satisfaction is exceeded by the > Thief's increase in Satisfaction. >
Libertarians are fond of pointing out that our Government produces No Wealth. This is an example of Theft. Socialists claim that The Government can put money stolen as Taxes to better use than the proper Owners of that money. In some cases that is undoubtedly true; but it does not Produce Wealth any more than any other Theft (unless that Government is able to run Factories, which come to think of it the Socialists also advocate). So... if a Thief steals a drug addict's money and invests it in a Fortune Cookie Factory, is Wealth eventually increased? It is certainly Morally Wrong to do so, but... Hmmm. Yes, it seems that such an act can increase Wealth. However, it is still true that the Act of Stealing does not Produce Wealth; only a later Act may or may not do that. And whatever you can claim (in terms of Wealth Production) about an Act of Free Trade can also be claimed about an Act of Theft.
