Why the rich owe their fortunes to luck as much as to anything else

[Bloodline]

The concept is really simple -- most people get rich becuase they love what they do for a living. And they are good at it. And, as chance would have it, the things they like to do are in demand by others -- so they also are getting paid well.

Wht most "rich" people do for a "living" is operate/businesses/industries/corporations that employ poor people to manufacture/provide their goods/services. They get paid well by keeping the wages of the people who actually produce the revenue as low as possible.

Many other people have no such luck. They like to do things that others do not find all that valuable. Or they don't possess enough talents to compete with those who do. Those people have to work hard to earn a basic living and the money is the main thing that motivates them to work..

What do you mean "others do not find valuable?" Obviously the people who employ them and make their fortunes off of the toil, sweat, and sacrifice of these "other people" find their services valuable. They're just not willing to pay them a wage to reflect this because hey....it cuts into profits!

That is why the rich are so fortunate. And that is why asking them to pay higher taxes is only fair. Also that is why higher taxes would not discourage them from working -- remember, they are not providing their services just for money!

I believe that a society should reward people primary for their efforts -- and much less the end result, as the productivity can change dramatically between the different lines of work. The society should encourage higher productivity as well by allowing some inequality -- by letting people take home many times the average salary.

But there is nothing wrong if people making millions would have to give up most of their income in taxes.[/QUOTE]

Agreed!

 

[bripat9643]

It is called the tax code, and it is signed by people's representatives. Ever heard of democracy?

When did I agree to the tax code?

When did you agree to the Constitution?

I never agreed to the Constitution. It's not binding on me.

 

[bripat9643]

When did you agree to the Constitution?

The Constitution applies to the politicians and bureaucrats who take an oath to preserve and protect it and abide by its limitations, not to the population at large.

It also describes how laws are enacted. With the expectations that the population will be abided by those laws. So if you accept the Constitution, you have to accept the laws.

Your premise is bogus. In the first place, what does it mean to "accept" the Constitution? Virtually nothing. It certainly doesn't mean that I have ever explicitly agreed to the terms of the document. The Constitution is simply a fact. It's also a fact that I never agreed to it. The Constitution is not binding on me in any way.

 

[Avorysuds]

What a stupid fucking thread, posted by a stupid fucking person.

 

[akelch]

The concept is really simple -- most people get rich becuase they love what they do for a living. And they are good at it. And, as chance would have it, the things they like to do are in demand by others -- so they also are getting paid well.

Wht most "rich" people do for a "living" is operate/businesses/industries/corporations that employ poor people to manufacture/provide their goods/services. They get paid well by keeping the wages of the people who actually produce the revenue as low as possible.

Many other people have no such luck. They like to do things that others do not find all that valuable. Or they don't possess enough talents to compete with those who do. Those people have to work hard to earn a basic living and the money is the main thing that motivates them to work..

What do you mean "others do not find valuable?" Obviously the people who employ them and make their fortunes off of the toil, sweat, and sacrifice of these "other people" find their services valuable. They're just not willing to pay them a wage to reflect this because hey....it cuts into profits!

That is why the rich are so fortunate. And that is why asking them to pay higher taxes is only fair. Also that is why higher taxes would not discourage them from working -- remember, they are not providing their services just for money!

I believe that a society should reward people primary for their efforts -- and much less the end result, as the productivity can change dramatically between the different lines of work. The society should encourage higher productivity as well by allowing some inequality -- by letting people take home many times the average salary.

But there is nothing wrong if people making millions would have to give up most of their income in taxes.

Agreed!

So if you hire someone to roof your house and the next rain storm you have a dozen leaks and it damages your home you would just say "It's OK, I'm sure he did his best."

Good intentions and good effort mean very little to the consumer if the work isn't done right.