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Ce qu'on voit et ce qu'on ne voit pas. That may exhaust my French phrase quota for the year, but it's worth it. The saying is the title of an essay by 19th century French economist Frederic Bastiat and means "that which is seen, and that which is not seen."
Bastiat's essay is most famous for the "parable of the broken window," in which a young boy shatters a shopkeeper's window and, after some initial outrage, the villagers conclude that the rascal helped the local economy. Why?
Because if no one broke windows, window makers would be out...
How Much is That Clunker In the Window?
Bobzmcishl wrote:
"Money Well Spent Actually
The car companies get to deplete inventory, buyers get a great deal, the economy is stimulated, we get gas guzzlers off the road and less oil is consumed, and cities and states get much needed revenue. Not a bad investment to help America and real American's. The cost is chump change - about what we spend in Iraq in one week. This program was intended to stimulate the economy and it is doing that. Once the private sector starts spending again our government can start to recoup the investment through increased tax revenues."
Excellent. Terrific example of the seen and unseen. Bobzmcishl has described for us the...