How can anyone make judgements about these people without understanding who they are, specially here on a philosophy forum? Why would anyone do that? Why insist that — Brett
understanding the social/political/economic milieu in which they exist. — Bitter Crank
Many on this OP regard the 1% as a blight on the land, parasites and responsible for the hardships of the poorer members of the community. — Brett
The critical problem is that in heavily concentrating wealth among one to ten percent of the population the remaining 90% are starved for wealth. — Bitter Crank
But let’s assume the 1% didn't gain it, does that mean the 90% would have it instead? Where would it come from? — Brett
IF there were only workers and no owners (no 1%), THEN what there would be some sort of socialist economy operating. Yes, the 90% would have it instead. Workers and their children make up the majority of the population. They would keep the value of what they produced. They would be better off because they would possess the surplus value they produced. — Bitter Crank
Businesses almost always require borrowing in order to operate — Bitter Crank
They would be better off because they would possess the surplus value they produced. — Bitter Crank
If the capital of the world was spread around more or less evenly, then borrowing from those who have control of the capital wouldn't need to be a thing. — Pfhorrest
This would obviously be in the form of better wages, which I would agree with, but the capital has be accumulated first. Who produces it? — Brett
The people who do the work produce it, just as they do now; — Pfhorrest
either the workers sell the product at the inflated price to other workers and keep the profit for themselves, and all the other workers do the same, so all the workers end up with more money from their increased wages; — Pfhorrest
or else the workers sell at the production price to other workers, who end up keeping more of their money because of those those savings. Either way, the workers get more money. — Pfhorrest
No they don’t because they all have to pay the inflated price, which diminishes the value of their wages. — Brett
I don’t see how destroying the 1%, branding them as parasites or robbing them of their wealth will change things. — Brett
To achieve that they would need to do what 1% did, which is build a business from scratch and produce the same wealth that so many resent the 1% having. — Brett
How would you enforce this, how would you manage human behaviour? — Brett
Most of the time, most of us behave because we understand following group rules. — Bitter Crank
Edit: and you and Pfhorrest have drawn me off topic. — Brett
once again the profit motive will dominate, competition from others and inflated prices for all goods will grow. — Brett
So they just move into a ready made factory? Do they build a factory or buy it from someone? — Brett
So they just move into a ready made factory? Do they build a factory or buy it from someone?
— Brett
Either, but in either case whoever actually builds the factory should get the full payment paid for the factory. — Pfhorrest
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