Cori is a hard-working corporate employee who dutifully contributes to America’s tax base. Nina is a low-income artist with Crohn’s Disease whose medical expenses make her a net parasite, despite also paying taxes. After a surprise performance of improvised music by soda-can virtuoso Cori, we discuss tariffs, security, Medicaid, FICA, “maxing out contributions,” Incidence of Taxation, employment benefits, monetary incentives, distortions, the Tragedy of the Commons, suckers, rationalizations, population collapse/explosion, and episodic disability. Is art, work? How hard is it to be poor? Can air be privatized? Like Life itself, our tax/benefits system isn’t fair, and it cannot go on forever. So a big Thank You to all American taxpayers who support unproductive, under-productive, post-productive, and ill members of society like your show-notes writer.
Links:
Terminator 2: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103064/
Tragedy of the Commons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons
The Economist on more people claiming entitlements: https://www.economist.com/britain/2025/04/02/the-tyranny-of-tiktokkers-who-turn-up
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