Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for February 23, 2010

The bones and bottle on the cave floor provides a good summary of this perfectly sound economic theory.

The key word is the last word – “was”, not “is”.

What happened was not a fair test!

All they do is harp and complain.

living beyond justifiable means, no end in sight. how’s that for theory. no wait, that’s a metaphorically twisted aphorism.

madkanga, this is not a test. if it had been a test…………. God, imiss the cold war. talking about cold war…..nice cave. electric and all the amenities

Sounds like a typical Communist to me. Hey, Cuba and North Korea, how’s that From-Each-According-to-his-Abilities thing working out for ya?

(I recently saw that the North Korean government has reduced the minimum height requirement for conscripts into their army… from 4’11” to 4’2”. Nationwide starvation will do that to you.)

Also- “Seemed like a good idea at the time!” Of course, you get the temperature moderation of being underground; near-constant 67oF or so. And yeah, that cave has been a set just recently for an art project.

And ain’t it nice the Koreans feel the need to conscript; we just give ‘em an alternative to poverty and unemployment (without health care, ‘unemployment insurance’, etc.)

I don’t think he’s talking about communism, I think he’s talking about supply-side economics. It’s caused recessions and sky-high deficits every time it’s been tried, but conservatives are full of excuses for why that’s really liberals’ fault.

Aren’t they the couple that were living around their car, naked in the woods a few months ago? They are really moving on up!

Seeing N Korea’s little sqirt leader next to big ol’ Bill Clinton last year was pretty funny. Little dude actually claims to get 2 or 3 holes in one everytime he golfs.

You live in a cave? Luxury! We had to live in a cardboard box, in the middle of the street. Work 25 hours a day…

I hope they’ve paid their estate tax on that cave

A major problem with trickle-down economics is that the rich waste their riches on luxury items, including drugs…

Then again, if poor folks got more money, a good-sized chunk of it would get wasted on necessities, such as food, clothing, shelter, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs…

In terms of overall efficiency (the greatest good to the greatest number), my guess is that the poor spend more wisely than the rich - being cold and hungry kinda does that to you…

Does he expect her just to cave in like she did when he proposed the plan?

Yeah, rich waste their money on luxury items. After all, it’s other rich people working in the factories to build those items, right?

Communism: where the government owns the corporations, and the working people get shafted.

Capitalism: where the corporations own the government, and the working people get shafted.

Looks like a fine summary of Keynesian economics to me. I suppose our children and theirs will know for sure.

Puddleglum, I think I love you.

THat was an old joke fromthe 50’s or 60’s: In capitalism, man exploits man, In communism, it’s the other way around!

Remember reading it in a 70’s mad magazine.

Keynes was pretty much on target.

The problem is that the politicians conveniently forget about the part where we pay down all that debt during the boom times…

You mean you didn’t live within your means, didn’t diversify your retirement portfolio, didn’t save enough to live for six months, didn’t pay down the mortgage, didn’t save for your children’s college, and didn’t drive the same sensible car for 8-10 years.? What were you doing during the good years? Weren’t listening to those economists.

@zev.farkas

You are correct sir. That’s why the projects are full of rich people.

I’m going to write some of these sayings down:

“… and the working man gets shafted,” “… it’s the other way around.”

But what ever happened to selling one of your cows and buying a bull? That beats owning nothing and getting sour milk any day. For all the problems of capitalism, it doesn’t deserve to be put on the same level as socialism or communism.

Quoted exactly, NON. Lew: I drive a 1998 LeSabre. I lost the bulk of my IRA when the ENTIRE diversified economy belched, lost my job of 31 years while younger guys earning less kept the same kind of jobs at my work and I had not union to defend my rights, spent a lot of my income putting my kids through schooling and that 6 months saved income, a year after my lay off, doesn’t look all that good. I’ve been living within my means for the last 15 years since the boss froze our wages and no one in a suit got theirs frozen. Got any more suggestions, Mr. Economist? The “tradition wisdom” gets chewed up when the Rich decide they want it all and the heck with the country.

“Eat the Rich” - title of a song but I can’t remember the singer/songwriter. I’ll get the butler to Google it.

Several different songs by that name, none of them the one I’m thinking of.

@freeholder1 Sadly your story can be applied to too many people in our society. I can remember when I was middle class but that was a long time ago. If there are bones and bottles on the floor, then he is still doing OK. She needs to do a little housecleaning and give encouragement to her man.

It’s hardly any easier for “younger guys” who still have jobs. I see my younger coworkers with frozen wages, no bonuses or raises, and the dreaded MUO (mandatory unpaid overtime) being applied. The companies are literally squeezing blood from stones where I work. Were it not for the fact I’m the only one who can make sense out of the absolute mess that management has made of our computer systems I’d be in the same boat; keeping up with the various certifications in computers and systems engineering cost me a lot up front, but it’s paying off big time now. That goes for any profession where they offer training in new techniques.

@Justice22 I agree. At least they have food, clothing, and shelter. So it’s a hole in the (stone) wall. I lived like that for most of my life and it kept me dry, warm, and safe. Stop being so picky, lady. Or would living on the streets be more to your liking?

Justice and HighPriest, wait, wait, wait… The economy is faltering because she hasn’t swept the floor and given “her man” a foot rub?

bleeep, so this whole economic fiasco is MY fault for failing to be a perfect woman … I apologize to you all!

I think you guys are missing the actual point of this strip; your reaction is a bit too “micro” when the humble setting, I believe, is merely part of the way Wiley is trying to point out the “macro” issue. tee hee

No, Michelle99, I’m not saying it’s her fault; I’m being literal about the strip. A cave isn’t much, but it’s better than nothing–which is what too many people have. Besides, as Wiley would say, “It’s a CARTOON!” I’m missing the main point deliberately.

copperdome, BINGO! and YEAH!, highpriest.

what the (insert group/person name) says to everyone else when it goes wrong… and all theories are sound, until you try them out….

Let’s see:

Economists have successfully predicted eight of the last five recessions.

A student was back visiting his econ professor once, several years after graduating. As he talked, he noticed the professor was working on the final for the same class the student had taken years before. When he asked if he could look it over and see how much had changed, the professor agreed. To his surprise, the test had several questions he remembered struggling with. He pointed this out to the professor, who shrugged and said, “I give the class the same questions every year.”

“But don’t you realize by now that every student has a copy of the test and knows exactly what you will ask?”

“Ah, but what you don’t realize is that in Economics, we change the answers every year!

“Someone find me a one-handed economist!” Harry Truman

An economist is someone who can analyze a successful business plan and prove to you why it will not work.

Fair enough, HighPriest. :) I was making a bit of a joke myself and I do agree having a roof over your head, even a stone one, ain’t such a bad thing.

I’ve just been noticing a lot of women bashing in some comments recently, especially relating to Victoria. Today’s strip could have just as easily been two guys in a bar having this same conversation. The cave setting just brings it home (tee hee again) a bit more and unless you want this to be a cave in Vermont (oh look, another can of worms opened), it’s gonna be a man and woman in this cave.

Wiley’s one of my all time favorite cartoonists and yeah it’s just a cartoon, but can you deny he wants his readers to THINK and not just react?

hey Wiley … you really provoke comment - well done

well - there is an advantage to cave living - no light pollution at night!

But lots of radon gas.

Thanks to all for great comments. By the way, I have seen European “Socialism” and also North Korean and Chinese Communism and there is a big difference. Give me a bit of socialism any day.

The new Fred & Wilma Flintstone ?

I once asked 2 economists a question and got 5 mutually incompatible answers.

chasm_b - Eat the Rich by Krokus

The problem with the theory of trickle-down economics is that the rich own all the sponges…

A highly respected economist once told me the definition of economist: someone who has no idea what they’re talking about, and makes you feel that it’s your fault.

I’d settle for a teaspoon of empathy and if that’s socialism, so be it – it’s better than let-them-eat-cake-trickle-down.

Was FDR a Republican or Democrat? He and his “new deal” were an exemplification of this:

” … does it slowly and over time, lulling you into a false sense of security…..always putting off the inevitable cost.”

trickle down, just the newest form of feudalism. Riches trickle down from the Kings to Barons and Earls, leaving most people to play the part of serf. When the conservatives speak of what America should be, It sounds like their dream state is Dubai, where a few live like sultans, while workers get housed like cattle