In a fair society everyone would get the same amount of slices. — Purple Pond
I'm not saying that there should be no inequality. People who work harder and do honest work should get more than those who don't. All I am saying is that the scales are tilted towards the wealthy in that they have an unfair advantage over people who aren't wealthy who work equally hard, and that negatively effects the poor.You are saying that in school, the kid that works hard, studies every night, forms study groups with his or her peers, attends all office hours, and works his or her ass off; deserves the same grade as the kid who slacks off and plays video games and skips class.
The business owners who works 20 hours a day to build their business, cares for their employees, provides genuine value to the community, deserves the same as the business owner who rips off his customers and cheats his employees. — fishfry
All I am saying is that the scales are tilted towards the wealthy in that they have an unfair advantage over people who aren't wealthy who work equally hard, and that negatively effects the poor. — Purple Pond
Limit the amount of inheritance outside of spouse to a maximum, say $1 million dollars for entire estate. — Cavacava
the gilded age of the 1920's — fishfry
This only makes sense if you think the government should be allowed to confiscate the work of someone's lifetime. — fishfry
The offspring aren't only getting money from their parents. They're getting the best education, the best work ethic and values, and so forth. — fishfry
[this] solution is nothing more than a government grab of the assets of productive citizens that does nothing to solve the underlying problem of growing inequality. — fishfry
The last step is to distribute the tax revenue among the workers in the form of inexpensive college costs, excellent trade school programs, guaranteed government loans for tuition where needed, supplementation of local school budgets, infrastructure, solid public health programs, research programs into major diseases, social security, and so forth — Bitter Crank
You know this is true. — fishfry
Labor creates all wealth. — Bitter Crank
I think you will find that a lot of children of the super rich are not all that productive — Bitter Crank
This only makes sense if you think the government should be allowed to confiscate the work of someone's lifetime. Only a committed Statist would think this is a good idea. For one thing, it would not solve the problem. The offspring aren't only getting money from their parents. They're getting the best education, the best work ethic and values, and so forth. Your solution is nothing more than a government grab of the assets of productive citizens that does nothing to solve the underlying problem of growing inequality.
A redistribution of wealth into regions most in need of assistance to adjust to change (the poorer countries, of course) could be arranged. Will it? Don't hold your breath. — Bitter Crank
Marx? Perhaps we'd have to agree to disagree. Marxism has been a disaster everywhere it's been tried. Seen Venezuela lately? — fishfry
Just the regular rich. The silicon valley CEO married to the Palo Alto physician. Their kids go to good schools and learn to start businesses in their teens. Those are the people I'm talking about. — fishfry
What really sets entrepreneurs apart from everyone else? It's not their resourcefulness, imagination, ability to foresee trends, or their belief in their own ideas, according to a recent piece on Quartz. It's the mouthful of silver spoon they were born with. "The most common trait among entrepreneurs is access to financial capital," the piece notes, citing a wide range of research.
universal basic income — Purple Pond
Modest proposal:
Limit the amount of inheritance outside of spouse to a maximum, say $1 million dollars for entire estate. — Cavacava
I agree with you. Btw, congratulations for your family's new purchase of a car! (Y)Ack! I almost lost my coffee reading your post Cavacava!
If MY choice is to work my entire life, to leave my family set on finances, who the f*#& are you to decide that outside of my spouse, my children will only be entitled to $1 million dollars of my PERSONAL estate, that might be worth well over $20 million? Who is the recipient of the remaining money?
What motivation would there be for me to work that hard in life, pay taxes on that work in life, pay property taxes for the land I own and run my ranch on, which the government will be happy to tax me on while I am living, only to have it taken from me upon my death?
Talk to me about the motivation to work hard enough to employ others, only to have the government take away their very jobs, when I as their employer dies and my estate is decimated.
I am listening.... — ArguingWAristotleTiff
Empires are built on blood, since loyalty is only extracted, in the last instance, through blood relations. Limiting inheritance is not a good thing.Limit the amount of inheritance outside of spouse to a maximum, say $1 million dollars for entire estate. — Cavacava
Government bureaucrats who never worked a day in their lives X-)Who is the recipient of the remaining money? — ArguingWAristotleTiff
As far as I'm concerned, that is a good development. It means that we (the middle class) are spared of golddiggers - who would want to marry a golddigger anyway?One of the recent trends is "assortative mating," in which upscale professionals mate and create privileged offspring. We have rampant inequality, worse even than the gilded age of the 1920's. — fishfry
Well, from my experience, most entrepreneurs do not come from families with money, quite the contrary. Usually "wantrepreneurs" from families with money don't do very well, since they have other interests (sex, drinking, partying, you get the idea). They are like Trump - not great, but they have the support of an already existing empire, which can afford a lot of mistakes. It's good to work with such people, since many times they are stupid with money >:) - they don't realise the value of money.Why doesn't Any Kid, USA succeed? — Bitter Crank
Empires are built on blood, since loyalty is only extracted, in the last instance, through blood relations. Limiting inheritance is not a good thing.
Everyone else profits from empires, because they create lasting order, when well-administred.Do you really want to live in an empire? Under the arbitrary rule of people who have flat out misconceptions of what it is to be poor and struggling....eat the rich. — Cavacava
That is why they will lose their empire, obviously.in my opinion over time this creates an aristocratic class of non productive, landed gentry. — Cavacava
Existence is arbitrary though. That is precisely part of its beauty. Not to be arbitrary is to be monotonous - it is what Nietzsche would call being nihilistic.No autocratic/blood/tribal rule can be just regardless of how well ordered, because such rule is always arbitrary. — Cavacava
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