tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4464222071440015933.post6522696750886592617..comments2024-01-23T17:14:04.067-05:00Comments on Jaltcoh: Do tax increases discourage the wealthy from working hard?John Althouse Cohenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11703450281424023177noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4464222071440015933.post-38978078550753776012012-09-12T23:26:27.075-04:002012-09-12T23:26:27.075-04:00That's odd, since he's also made the same ...That's odd, since he's also <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/business/12scene.html" rel="nofollow">made the same argument</a> Posner makes about how tax increases might incentivize people to work more.<br /><br />Robert H. Frank always focuses on the status-seeking aspects of people's decisions to buy more or less expensive stuff. He seems to want to reduce the whole economy to consumers competing with each other. But the economy isn't just consumers. There are also sellers, who will tend to gain more, the more money consumers have to give them. If these sellers make more profits, they can hire more people, etc. It seems to me that many of Frank's columns repeat his one basic insight, which he overinflates as if it were the single most important point to be made about economics.John Althouse Cohenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11703450281424023177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4464222071440015933.post-40291395776442175442012-09-12T23:01:50.034-04:002012-09-12T23:01:50.034-04:00I am also partial to Robert Frank's argument t...I am also partial to Robert Frank's argument that we should raise taxes on high earners <i>because</i> it will make them work less. Couldn't find a really good statement of his view but <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/business/28view.html" rel="nofollow">this one's okay</a>.Grobsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05964699430818239961noreply@blogger.com