Thread: An Idiots Guide to Inequality Part 1

From here.

An “Idiot’s Guide to Inequality.” (Nicholas Kristof)

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"An Idiots Guide to Inequality" - Part 2

*And the only way to fix that error permanently is rid ourselves of fixed-rate taxation above $100K of income yearly and institute a progressive taxation up to and including 100% beyond a certain megabuck income.

DISCUSS

 

And it seems that we keep wanting to adulate those who succeed by displaying their wealth - either in their sumptuous homes or helping needy Africans. (No offense, Bill & Melinda!)

And they become people we would like to emulate because, after all, being rich is one helluva lot nicer than being poor. Thus, in fact, as a nation we have missed the point, and we keep missing the point*.

It's not important who ends up on top-of-the-pile. What matters is how many are being crushed at the bottom. And, right now, this minute, there are about 44 million American men, women and children incarcerated below the Poverty Threshold ($24K revenue for a family of four).

That's the population equivalency of the states of California and Idaho ...

*Which is why two very rich people are both running for PotUS.

 

What's to discuss? Such claims are absurd.

 

You think the liberal claim that taxing the rich far more would solve the inequality problem is absurd? Do you think a robber is less inequal after he robs some rich guy?

 

No, I think the "liberal" claim that taxing EARNED INCOME far more would solve the inequality problem is absurd.

Probably. But that's just a red herring.

 

not at all. Liberals want to steal money from the rich for welfare for the poor to erase inequality. It is totally stupid and kindergartenish but it is the sum total of liberal thinking believe it or not. Any other solution is too complicated for them to understand so the reject it

 

Are you through with the silly strawmen? What you describe bears no relation to anything I have said.

 

you're a communist aren't you??

 

No. As you would know if you were actually reading anything I wrote.

 

so you want a nazi govt to kill millions and take their land but never their businesses(LOL) and you are not a commie.

 

Wrong four times, and then right once. You are improving.

 

so you want a nazi govt to kill millions in order to take their land but never their businesses(LOL) and you are not a commie.

 

No, I already told you: that statement is wrong four times, and then right once. I guess the observation that you were improving was a tad optimistic.

 

so you don't want a libnazi govt to kill million and take their land? What do you want?

 

Not much: just liberty and justice. Equal rights of all to life, liberty, and property in the fruits of their labor.

 

empty BS of course

 

You asked me, I told you the truth. You just have to find some way of not knowing it, because you have already realized that it proves your beliefs are false and evil.

 

Exactly. Anyone who sees our current level of inequality as being harmful to the nation has only this choice. And anyone who opposes such measures is actually in favor of preserving inequality for some idiotic, ignorant, right wing reason.

 

A DANGEROUS ROAD

It is the cancer eating us from within. And Americans are as blind to this cancer as they are to the fact that obesity shortens their life-span.

What can you do when a nation has been captured by Collective Ignorance of the facts? (In fact, lets be correct, only the minor half the voting nation!)

As regards running the nation, there is an answer to that question. Ask yourselves how many Americans have has a proper training in the running of government - that is, they have had a meaningful education in Civics Classes. Not about political currents, which - rightly or wrongly - are simply the manifestation of a berserk and antiquated electoral system.

But as regards governmental functions and the balance between the three principal elements: Executive, Legislative and Judicial - meaning further, what is necessary for the proper governance of the nation.

Because the American people have just taken a Very Dangerous Road - having given all three components into the hands of the Replicant Party - which:
*Handed the Great Recession to Obama on a Silver Platter.
*Then, two years later, refused all Stimulus Spending that would have put Americans back to work.

Can't agree, and I may have already commented this statement. Excuse me if I have.

You can't blame the hammer-and-nails-and-wood necessary to build a house just because the carpenter was incompetent. Besides, we haven't much choice - going back to "barter" is simply not on ...

 

Is it the intent of "An Idiots Guide to Inequality" to create more idiots?

Of course wealth inequality has increased, and will continue to increase. Inflation/debt has become the means by which we define growth.

While the aphorism "A rising tide lifts all boats" states an observable fact, only an irremediable idiot would expect it to increase or in any way change the size of the boats.

The costs of complying with the constantly growing rules and regulations is having a major impact on starting/keeping a business in the U.S.

Actually, growth occurs more quickly when a greater portion of the population is actively involved in production.

Existence = Entitlement?

 

Wealth inequality has very little to do with inflation or debt. It has everything to do with relative levels of taxation.

Bend your mind around to that simple notion, will you?

You are employing a trite saying to make a mountain out of a mole hill.

Non-progressive upper-income taxation (at flat-tax rates) do make the boats bigger (in terms of Wealth). It is "arithimatic" - get it?

When will you understand a matter of simple mathematics???

BS - not in the least. This is your pet-beef, and that of a good many small-businesses. The regulations are there for a reason. More often than not they are about saving lives or preventing accidents. But, like safety-belts in cars, a great many car companies refused them before they were enforced by law - because they "increased costs".

Of course, they did! But the cost was worth it!

Existence does include entitlement when the latter means universal Health-Care and Post-secondary Education. (And it takes no real intelligence to understand why.) Both benefit the nation as a whole, with the exception of wackos who think that EVERY PRODUCT/SERVICE MUST BE HANDLED BY A MARKET-ECONOMY REGARDLESS!

Those two services are central to lives of all citizens and not just those who can afford them!

Besides, if they apply to all businesses why the hell do you care?. The cost is inevitably paid by the consumer not the purveyor of goods/services.

Yes, of course, that does not take into account Foreign Trade where other countries may not have or enforce the same laws that protect undue harm. But, such is life. There is nothing we can do about it, for as long as Americans will go systematically after the lowest cost product, regardless of the circumstances under which it was produced.

Stop buying Chinese-made junk-products just because they are cheap. And watch China come around.

So, what is the irony of all this? That within TTIP (which will now be junked by Trump) there are guarantees that the Chinese were unwilling to accept - but they were not part of the negotiations either for that very reason. Those guarantees are/were intended to force China to let go of a number of its internal means of producing products that allowed them to be so inexpensive. (And their production was relatively more expensive elsewhere because of them.)

Now, all is fine, their "friend Trump" is in power, and the two "usurpers to the thrones of each government" will find common-ground for the best of friendships between the two countries and without TTIP ...

 

You mean you don't understand it. If you did, you would not say such foolish things.

 

I don't know that you have commented previously.

Your analogy doesn't apply. The carpenter doesn't buy government to develop his hammer and nails into something that is oppressive to the public good.

Capitalism, by its nature, exploits, is fraught with internal contradictions that doom it long-term, and is undermining democracy with its power to buy and control government. If not stopped or at least constantly controlled by the public via regulations, capitalism will degenerate in its last stages to fascism. But when allowed to grow and develop, it will buy government and put an end to regulations. And if not allowed to grow and develop, it will fail, and its failure will entail economic destruction for society at best.

Yes, in the early stages capitalism provided unprecedented growth and benefits and advancements. It was great. But it has run its course and the clock cannot be turned back. It's over. Time to develop a serious discussion about what economic system we need, and then make changes, while we can.