Dilbert is Getting Serious About The Deficit

Either I’m really easily entertained, or Dilbert’s Scott Adams is a very smart guy.

I repeat the words of Mr. Adams every now and again, most recently a couple of months ago when the creator and author of the world’s most spot-on comic strip shared his opinion on how to fix the budget deficit.

In case you aren’t familiar with his back-story, Dilbert’s creator isn’t just a comic strip author. Before becoming one of the rich and famous he so often criticizes, Scott Adams was a well-educated cubicle dweller. The dude understands business and what works (and doesn’t work) about it.

Scott Adam’ latest proposal to fix the economy and budget deficit is to give the rich extra rights. Extra votes in [something constitutionally acceptable]. Essentially, make the rich preferred stockholders in this company we call the US of A.

It’s a wacky idea, right? Except it just might work.

Remember that the rich, like anyone, fight to have “more”. Never mind that they are already disproportionately so far ahead of everyone else as to make that idea difficult to explain; the rich want to stay rich, or as the old saying goes, the rich get richer.

But socialism vs. capitalism debates notwithstanding, it’s starting to look like the rich can’t get much richer without the economy and parts of our society toppling. And what Scott Adams has suggested is that if we give them extra rights, the rich might be made willing to part with some money in exchange. Essentially, we sell rights to the rich. Kind of like selling radio spectrum range to broadcasters or oil drilling rights to energy companies in exchange for exclusive . . . something.

But in this case the something is a higher tax rate, with the revenue fed back to all the people who need the money rather than merely want it.

Think that qualifies as business change?