Capitalism is economic tyranny Socialism is economic democracy.

Only if we remove inheritence and give everyone at age 18 the same amount of money to start

 

That was one of my searches, and I found one or two of that kind but not that exact one. But I'm good! Thanks.

 

How many? Statistics are available. Let's see you find those on welfare number more than 2 or 3 percent. Then check history and see how it has changed over the years, if at all.

 

inheritance is usually inconsequential, although I started out as an Army Private earning $78/mo and worked hard at my job and in school... retired now my kids will make out ok... nothing wrong with that at all

 

Really? you say this without knowing what kind of business I own?

The law doesn't prevent me from mothballing my assets. Businesses do it all the time. I worked for a corporation that did exactly that even though the government gave them millions of dollars to invest in building a facility to manufacture material for EV batteries. Shut it down completely and laid off all the workers.

 

Ask moms and dads with 20-somethings living in the basement

 

A good CPA is worth his/her weight in gold... my wife's clientele is very faithful... she saves them a bundle... stays with her even when we escaped California

 

You mean to say that people were working hard in the 70's and now they are not? That people that have to get 3 jobs to make ends meet are lazy bums? That the rich do not take advantage of the poor? That the lowering of taxes on the rich did not generate this scenario.

By the way, do I need to remind you that the last time we were at this height of income inequality was in 1929 and it caused a depression to occur. Does that mean that everyone that was not rich in 1929 was a lazy bum?

 

That's not what I said at all. There lots of high school dropouts with multiple jobs that are struggling to make ends meet. Rather than keep digging ditches harder and harder, they won't go to school and get an education or a skill set that will get them a better wage.

"This bill is too high!" said the dentist to his plumber.... "That's what I thought when I was a dentist" said the plumber.

 

Your post clearly stated that ""Income inequality" is dependent on the "Lazy Bum vs Achiever" ratio" and that means that the "record" income inequality is high right now because there are more lazy bums than ever.

I do not see that happening given that these days, just to survive and pay bills a person has to work multiple jobs. Working multiple jobs takes that person out of the "lazy bums" category. This means that the problem lies somewhere else and that is that there are no limits on the rich and they have taken it to the extreme, to the point that the 1% is making more money than the 50% of the population. Do you think that is the way it should be?

 

That puts you where .....? .....--in the top 20%?

 

But comprehension. Ya know? Note that I said IF the law ......

 

We are talking the OP and the Pilgrams were their own nation ans government and economy. How'd that socialism/communism work out for them? Here's a hint....like everywhere else it has been attempted.

 

So you say you don't know what you're talking about. Got it.

 

Yeah yeah yeah. I know a thing or two about tax accounting. You said a good accountant can put you in any tax bracket. Not true.

 

You misrepresent the OP.

 

You said the capitalistic system under which they did so was wrong and they should have been at the mercy of the government as to their jobs and standard of living.

I also began my work career in the early 1970's. Quit college as a biology major not seeing where that would take me where I wanted to go and got a job in construction first unloading boxcars of lumber in the Southern summer heat and cutting sheetrock all day. But I made myself more valuable to my employer and went from clerk to leadman and then seeing I wanted management worked my way up through lots of management jobs and then saw sales as my path and for 40 was in commissioned industrial sales. Total free market capitalism and now enjoy a very nice retirement with no debt having saved all my life and not living above my means. The LAST thing I ever wanted was government dictating my work or my standard of living.

 

How so it clearly lays out the socialist system of which I want no part.

 

Like most things in life, its not a yes/no or on/off answer. I realize lots of people view the rich with envy and jealousy because they can't keep up. These folks usually whine and complain about the rich. Others see the rich as role models that they wish to emulate. My grandfather was one of Tom Edison's techs in Menlo Park. We always felt he was a true American entrepreneur to be emulated, not some evil elite to be condemned. My college roommate grew up in Spanish Harlem in a urine smelling tenement with his seamstress mom and no dad around. He's an MD today. Another one of my roommates was the son of a coal miner. He's a happily retired Army Colonel today. If you want to whine and complain about the rich, you'll probably never be rich. If you want to plan and work towards success, you'll probably be a success.

 

No idea. But its not hard. Study hard in grammar school. Aim high. Play sports. Make good grades. Continue doing that in high school. Set your sights on a good college. Study something worthwhile like engineering. Or get a trade like electrician or carpenter... those are good too. Get a good job. Don't make babies until you can afford them. Save along the way. Buy a home when you can afford it.. not before. Its really not that hard. Don't do da dope. Love your wife and no one else. Love your kids.

 

Have a business on the side and claim losses... deduct like crazy (even those lottery tickets)...

 

Capitalism does not create an obstacle to what you refer to as 'talent'. Not in any way. If you're determined to be a poet, then you'll find a way to earn your keep so you can write poetry in your spare time. OTOH, if you're wealthy you can afford to be a full time poet. And that's just two possibilities ... the options are as many and varied as the individuals interested in poetry.

If you want to write poetry full time but can't afford it, welcome to reality. That's not a mistake of politics, it's a law of nature. No one has a right to indulge themselves just 'cause.

 

This is not about whining. This is about what is best for the nation and is good enough for everyone. In the 50'-70's, this country had limits on the rich in the form of higher tax rates. The rich were paying up to 70% of their income and that kept them rich but not excessively so and it kept the poor and middle class in a level where they could make livable wages without having to work excessively so. It was a good period for our nation as well as the country moved forward at a good pace and the standard of living was good for all. The rich still made much more than the middle and poor class but not to the extreme shown now.

What is needed is a nation that works for all, so that all can achieve their goals and reach their individual talent levels, which are not all about making money (art, knowledge, service, etc.). Right now, this nation is all about money, meaning that education, knowledge, art, standard of living, and anything not related to economic benefits is suffering. That is not what makes a nation great.

Perfect example is a artist (such as someone that creates beautiful things). His talent is dependent on his ability to dedicate time to his art but if he is starving, he cannot dedicate time to art, he needs to work to pay bills. As such, that talent is lost and we all lose because of it.

This country needs to give importance to all talents, not just the ones that bring income. If everything is keyed on making money, we become less of a nation. Is that what you want?

 

You went off on something about "Pilgrams", whatever that is. The OP is about Marxian ideas of socialism unless it specifies otherwise because Marxian socialism is the standard socialism today.

 

Neither of which are forced upon any of us, in a First World democracy. Don't like being poor? Do something about it. The good news is that you can, because capitalism. And if you never bothered doing something about your circumstances, don't complain - that's the life you chose.