The wealthy are killing us.

I know that we have discussed this before but, so far, no one has presented anything explaining what the problem is with so few people having a lot of wealth. Please look over the linked article and let's settle this conundrum once and for all. Once we have made a decision we can call Washington with our plan to solve the inequality.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-01-15-19-02-51

 

On the one hand, I dont have much issue with it. Its their money, they've earned it, and every single one of us wish we could be them.
On the other, I've now seen first hand how much their desire to have more affects every single person working for them. My old company went through a MAJOR acquisition. Obviously the end goal is for the owner to make more money, but he's already worth something like 15 billion dollars. In order to achieve that acquisition, a lot of people (myself included), were either laid off, or the numbers were put so out of wack that no one was hitting (20-40% yoy growth, when the industry is flat at best), which affected their income. Both of these of course affected peoples mental/physical wellbeing, and the local economy. All so the owner can potentially make a few billion more dollars. At some point we need to ask, how much is enough?

I definitely side toward the first point, but having lived through the second, I can definitely see an argument in the how much is enough thought process.

 

"something, something, something they worked for it and deserved it"

NOTHING justifies that level of inequality. NOTHING.

 

Anyone else see the irony on the meeting taking place at a Swiss ski resort? "They have too much money, lets go to the chalet and discuss"

 

Interesting reference in the link to the Panama Papers. Since I turned off the TV and news, it was the first for me to read. Seems HRC campaigned to go after these tax avoiding scum but interestingly, her husband was one of the listed.

The Kubrick story makes me want to agree, he earned the mansion, why should his family lose it due to owing taxes in both the US and UK?

As for a plan, I think we could steal Lenin's body and resurrect a new commie regime. As long as I'm in the elite cadre.

 

"Presenting its findings on the dawn of the annual gathering of the global political and business elites", I dont think Oxfam was actually at the meeting, just gave their report to coincide with the meeting. If I'm reading it right.

 

A wal-mart worker in the USA making $10.00 an hour would be upper middle class in some countries. The only people in the US who have a true concept of what being poor is really like are the ones living on the streets. People in section 8 housing would be considered middle class in other areas of the world.

When has the government stealing someone's income ever produced a "level playing field"?

 

"said Winnie Byanyima, executive director of Oxfam International, who will be attending the meeting in Davos"

 

Actually, I did, but you dismissed it (pretty sure without listening). Check your search function because I supported the contention with an video essay from Joseph Stiglitz. Or read this (or, more likely, don't).

 

So what? It's hardly the fault of mega successful entrepreneurs that those 3.5 billion people live in countries that are essentially worthless and can't provide any kind of future for their own people. So you think we should take away the wealth of our own people and distribute it to piece of shit countries that are so sad they can't even feed their own citizens? It's not a reflection of inequality. It's a reflection of how utterly pathetic many countries are. If Chinese dirt farmers barely have a pot to piss in, that's China's fucking problem not Mark Zuckerberg's. Those men deserve every cent of their wealth. I'm tired of all this communist propaganda. Bunch of fucking crybabies.

 

But think of the children!

 

Interesting that Stiglitz's plan is basically the same as HRC's; tax the rich and free college, healthcare, housing for everyone.

 

"First up is the attempt to tame what is called rent-seeking—the practice of increasing wealth by taking it from others rather than generating any actual economic activity" Ironic.

" The world that Stiglitz envisions in his book, one where all citizens can enjoy the promise of education, employment, housing, and a secure retirement seems at once like the realization of the American dream and an unattainable utopia."

So here is what happens: one entity has wealth (whether that's a corporate or individual), a government seeks to take that wealth what is the next logical progression?

Fact is if you have wealth you have means. If someone attempts to take your wealth you have two options: try and effect change to preserve wealth (lobby etc.) or go somewhere more conducive to keeping or growing wealth. We see it all the time with business and oppressive regulation, if a state is opressive, either through taxation or regulation a company up and moves somewhere where the taxation or regulation is friendly. There are no shortages of states who welcome the ancillary benefits wealth brings. These ultra wealthy individuals and corporations are multinational pretty easy to up and move to greener pastures.

 

Came here for this. ^^^^

Was not disappointed.

 

"Joseph Stiglitz’s diagnosis is flat-out wrong when he argues that the middle class is declining because the rich are getting richer. That zero-sum view is atavistic mercantilist nonsense"
https://www.google.com/amp/www.forb...the-cause-of-middle-class-woes/?client=safari

 

Nice google-fu. Yeah, the rules aren't stacked at all. You do know that Forbes is in the business of the business interests, right? I'll take the Columbia dude over the Grove City College dude, thank you. But please, by all means, keep thinking that the trends are not a) real; and b) economically unhealthy.

And all you Bonapartistas, lets get ready for another supply-side dream to come true. It's just around the corner!

 

Yeah, but they now call it the Golden Trickle, ...down.

 

government wealth redistribution policies to make it "fair" is what's killing the middle class