the Rani of Jansi in a ode to the English who were stripping her of her rights in 1840 India.
You english have only 1 efficient person to do the work of 15 of my babu's who are now starving, that isnt our way."
Now you want to see if as a society we could be more efficient in allocation of wealth. I am an expert at listening to hard rock, drinking cuba libres and having sex, not an exactly marketable skill. I am a great bartender, good short order cook and tolerable computer thingy person. Since the computer thingy pays best I do that.
Since I make I pay taxes and pay the equivelent of babu's to do government work. How many times have you heard the phrase thank G_d for government work otherwise these useless aholes would be on welfare.
Now as to your slumlord. Is his name Weiner? if it is he is well known in Anchorage also. His cash is on deposit in a bank not under his bed. If that is the case his wealth is being used to make housing loans to new couples, startup new businesses and pay bank employee's. His trips around the world is employing maids, hotel managers and no doubt shrinks. After he dies his money will go to even more useless people who will be unable to take a dump without a paid attendent to flush for them. The money doesnt die, it just gets shuffled in a different way. Think of the economy as a river that wanders here, there and empties into the gulf or ocean. Moisture is picked up andf it rains in the headwater. The danger is if we dam the money by not spending. This makes manufacturing orders go down, job cutbacks etc. The depression was a great deflation not inflation, people wouldnt buy which put people out of work, which made them unable to buy which, well you get the idea.
thanx,
bill