All subsidy measures, all schemes to redistribute income or to force Peter to support Paul, are one-eyed as well as shortsighted. They get their immediate appeal by focusing attention on the alleged needs of some particular group of intended beneficiaries. But the inevitable victims – those who are going to be asked to pay for the new handout in increased taxes (which directly or indirectly means almost everybody else) – are left out of account. Only one-half of the problem has been seen. The cost of the proposed solution has been overlooked.