Liberty Alone

There’s a spat going on between Tim Worstall (interested observer of economics and serial entrepreneur) and Richard Murphy (Director of Tax Research LLP) about economics and sundry other topics.

Murphy recently trotted out the abuse that Worstall is privileged, a term abuse beloved of the vulgar left which destroys all arguments in their mind.

Lets take a step back though – I don’t know much about the backgrounds of either man, but look at their current situations.

Tim: AFAIK still works in the metals business as a consultant, he also makes some money from his writing and works as UKIP’s press officer (last I heard anyway).

Richard: Director of Tax Research LLC – presumably his main source of income and I believe does some professional writing.

Looking at this it seems that Richard Murphy is the greatest beneficiary of privilege, although I daresay Tim benefits from some state interventions in the metals market, looking at the list of clients of Tax Research it seems that the majority are major beneficiaries of tax money.

Murphy benefits massively from privileges granted by the state (at the expense of us mere mortals who have to produce things people wish to pay for). It looks like he is the privileged one here – not surprising he argues for greater privileges for his friends and employers (in line with the economics he so detests).

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