The Stadium That Theft Built

John Stossel ably presents Atlanta's publicly-financed stadium -- which will host Super Bowl LIII -- as an example of the economic consequences of wealth destruction famously described in Frederic Bastiat's essay, "That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen:"

Image by elisfkc, via Wikipedia (license).

So this Sunday, when Atlanta politicians brag about their beautiful stadium, and clueless media claim that it created lots of jobs, let's also remember the jobs the subsidies destroyed...

The problem isn't just Atlanta, and it isn't just sports.

Most every time government presumes to tell us where and how our money should be spent rather than leaving it up to free individuals, it creates a loss.

And every time the government does this, it is stealing from us. That's all I would add to this otherwise insightful and timely piece.

We can and should celebrate excellence on Super Sunday, but let us spare a thought for the folks in Atlanta who were robbed so some pack of politicians could pretend to be great benefactors. That's obscene, no matter how trifling the amount taken from any one individual by the government, and no matter what the excuse.

Theft is wrong, especially when performed by the government -- the very agency whose mission is in large part to protect us from it.

-- CAV