Confirmed! Rich People Live Off The Work Of Others!

[kiwiman127]

No, I'm not whining at all. About taxes or anything.

I'm laughing at the left's concept of "fairness" and their overall view of the world. It's really childlike.

So you're laughing at the millions of people who have experienced no wage growth after inflation, while the wealthy reap all the rewards that include the "grunt work" by the working Middle Class and working poor that helped drive the bottom-line?

Yeah, that's really funny!

So how do you explain the very American ideal: ' Life, liberty, and the pursuit of property' ???

A fair wage for a fair day's work. Oh, I guess that doesn't apply anymore.

 

[Sunshine]

So you're laughing at the millions of people who have experienced no wage growth after inflation, while the wealthy reap all the rewards that include the "grunt work" by the working Middle Class and working poor that helped drive the bottom-line?

Yeah, that's really funny!

So how do you explain the very American ideal: ' Life, liberty, and the pursuit of property' ???

A fair wage for a fair day's work. Oh, I guess that doesn't apply anymore.

There are many different routes one can take in the pursuit of property. There is no requirement that it involve either wage nor 'a day's work.' One can be a savvy investor, a showman, a landlord, a broker.......etc. Often those who pursue property in the larger ways will work far more than just the 8 hour day. I have many friends who drool over how well I do. And I keep telling them, that I didn't do it in the 8 hour day. My days getting here were often closer to 20 hour days and sometimes even 24 hour days. You aren't going to make really good money watching the clock. There's no pay scale for clock watching that I know of.

 

[Sundial]

You're still whining about paying taxes, aren't you?

You've already said life's not fair. Or does fairness only matter when you're applying it to you?

No, I'm not whining at all. About taxes or anything.

I'm laughing at the left's concept of "fairness" and their overall view of the world. It's really childlike.

So you're laughing at the millions of people who have experienced no wage growth after inflation, while the wealthy reap all the rewards that include the "grunt work" by the working Middle Class and working poor that helped drive the bottom-line?

Yeah, that's really funny!

What you have to understand is that the real injustice is rich people having to pay taxes. The sooner you mindless drones understand that, the better.

 

[bripat9643]

Who said I opposed it?

I'm in favor of the system - particularly the part where men with guns come and make you pay your taxes.

We are perfectly aware of that. Taking money from people at gun point is what liberalism is all about.

 

[Sundial]

Who said I opposed it?

I'm in favor of the system - particularly the part where men with guns come and make you pay your taxes.

We are perfectly aware of that. Taking money from people at gun point is what liberalism is all about.

No. It's about universal education, healthcare, equality, and advancement for everyone. You're looking at it through a narrow-minded prism that encourages you to think that your own short-term self-interest is the the only thing that matters.

It's particularly sad, since chances are you're not even rich yourself. You just listen to too much AM talk radio.

 

[bripat9643]

Who said I opposed it?

I'm in favor of the system - particularly the part where men with guns come and make you pay your taxes.

We are perfectly aware of that. Taking money from people at gun point is what liberalism is all about.

No. It's about universal education, healthcare, equality, and advancement for everyone. You're looking at it through a narrow-minded prism that encourages you to think that your own short-term self-interest is the the only thing that matters.

It's particularly sad, since chances are you're not even rich yourself. You just listen to too much AM talk radio.

Everything liberals accomplish or wish to accomplish is at the point of a gun. Liberals are thugs. If they want something, they see no reason why they shouldn't take it. Al Capone was a better man than your average liberal.

My self-interest is what matters to me. I have yet to encounter a credible argument as to why I should put anyone else's self interest before my own.

Care to give it a shot?

 

[daveman]

Who said I opposed it?

I'm in favor of the system - particularly the part where men with guns come and make you pay your taxes.

We are perfectly aware of that. Taking money from people at gun point is what liberalism is all about.

No. It's about universal education, healthcare, equality, and advancement for everyone. You're looking at it through a narrow-minded prism that encourages you to think that your own short-term self-interest is the the only thing that matters.

It's particularly sad, since chances are you're not even rich yourself. You just listen to too much AM talk radio.

What makes you qualified to determine and dictate what others' interests are?

Oh, that's right. You're a liberal.

 

[Sunshine]

We are perfectly aware of that. Taking money from people at gun point is what liberalism is all about.

No. It's about universal education, healthcare, equality, and advancement for everyone. You're looking at it through a narrow-minded prism that encourages you to think that your own short-term self-interest is the the only thing that matters.

It's particularly sad, since chances are you're not even rich yourself. You just listen to too much AM talk radio.

Everything liberals accomplish or wish to accomplish is at the point of a gun. Liberals are thugs. If they want something, they see no reason why they shouldn't take it. Al Capone was a better man than your average liberal.

My self-interest is what matters to me. I have yet to encounter a credible argument as to why I should put anyone else's self interest before my own.

Care to give it a shot?

That's a really interesting post. It really should be its own thread. In nursing, we are taught 'others before self.' But in the real world of work no nurse will be punished if she does not do CPR on the HIV patient who is bleeding from the mouth and nose. And hospitals will be severely fined if OSHA finds any needles that are not safety needs or if they find recapped needles. There will also be a fine if OSHA sees a nurse doing a procedure that involves blood/body fluids without gloves. So whatever reaction time there is to saving a life, it includes the donning of safety gear.

 

[Sundial]

We are perfectly aware of that. Taking money from people at gun point is what liberalism is all about.

No. It's about universal education, healthcare, equality, and advancement for everyone. You're looking at it through a narrow-minded prism that encourages you to think that your own short-term self-interest is the the only thing that matters.

It's particularly sad, since chances are you're not even rich yourself. You just listen to too much AM talk radio.

Everything liberals accomplish or wish to accomplish is at the point of a gun. Liberals are thugs. If they want something, they see no reason why they shouldn't take it. Al Capone was a better man than your average liberal.

My self-interest is what matters to me. I have yet to encounter a credible argument as to why I should put anyone else's self interest before my own.

Care to give it a shot?

Nope. You don't care about injustice unless it's happening to you. I understand completely.

There's no credible argument that you should feel differently, because it comes down to basic psychology, not argument. You either care about others, or you don't.

If only all Republicans were as honest as you.

 

[Sundial]

We are perfectly aware of that. Taking money from people at gun point is what liberalism is all about.

No. It's about universal education, healthcare, equality, and advancement for everyone. You're looking at it through a narrow-minded prism that encourages you to think that your own short-term self-interest is the the only thing that matters.

It's particularly sad, since chances are you're not even rich yourself. You just listen to too much AM talk radio.

What makes you qualified to determine and dictate what others' interests are?

Oh, that's right. You're a liberal.

I have no idea what you're babbling about.

The reason you have to pay taxes is that men with guns will come and arrest you if you don't: that's self-interest for you.

It makes my heart warm to think about it.

Alternatively, you and the other profit-takers (assuming you are one) can go live on an island somewhere. Or maybe Somalia. It's your choice.

Maybe Galt's Gulch is taking reservations.

 

[ShackledNation]

The IRS report for the richest 400 Americans shows that only 6.5% of their income came from wages and salaries. The rest - 93.5% - came from unearned income. "Unearned income" is the profits that accrue to the rich by virtue of their ownership of things. When corporate profits, for example, go up, the wealth of the rich increases.

The rich themselves do not create those profits, though. The profits are mostly created by the people who work at the corporations - the profit "creators", so to speak. The rich benefit from the hard work of others, but they mostly don't participate - not unless they feel like, anyway.

Link: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/07intop400.pdf

You bring up an interesting point about "unearned income" which I feel is quite often misunderstood by many people. The underlying assumption in your argument is that unearned income is somehow unjustly acquired, and that those who obtain such income do not themselves create it, but take it from hard workers. Therefore, the income should be redistributed.

Unfortunately, calling unearned income "unearned" is a complete misnonmer, and overlooks how that income comes into being and the vital purpose it serves in the economy. The only reason these workers have jobs and produce products in the first place is because some investor provided the company the funds of doing so (or the company had the funds left over from profit).

"Investors do not produce any actual physical product; they make the planning of production more rational. The efforts of "workers who produce real goods" are wasted if production plans are defective. Successful capitalists can shift production toward goods that consumers want most urgently. Profits derive from the sale of goods that garner the highest revenues from consumers over costs. Few people can predict market trends. Investors can earn or lose billions because their decisions determine whether the work of millions of ordinary people is productive or a waste of time."

Unearned income is, in fact, earned. Without it, an economy would cease to provide goods people demand. This is precisely why the soviet union failed and people suffered such poverty. Government planning is far inferior to entrepreneurial planning driven by profit.

 

[Sundial]

The IRS report for the richest 400 Americans shows that only 6.5% of their income came from wages and salaries. The rest - 93.5% - came from unearned income. "Unearned income" is the profits that accrue to the rich by virtue of their ownership of things. When corporate profits, for example, go up, the wealth of the rich increases.

The rich themselves do not create those profits, though. The profits are mostly created by the people who work at the corporations - the profit "creators", so to speak. The rich benefit from the hard work of others, but they mostly don't participate - not unless they feel like, anyway.

Link: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/07intop400.pdf

You bring up an interesting point about "unearned income" which I feel is quite often misunderstood by many people. The underlying assumption in your argument is that unearned income is somehow unjustly acquired, and that those who obtain such income do not themselves create it, but take it from hard workers. Therefore, the income should be redistributed.

Unfortunately, calling unearned income "unearned" is a complete misnonmer, and overlooks how that income comes into being and the vital purpose it serves in the economy. The only reason these workers have jobs and produce products in the first place is because some investor provided the company the funds of doing so (or the company had the funds left over from profit).

"Investors do not produce any actual physical product; they make the planning of production more rational. The efforts of "workers who produce real goods" are wasted if production plans are defective. Successful capitalists can shift production toward goods that consumers want most urgently. Profits derive from the sale of goods that garner the highest revenues from consumers over costs. Few people can predict market trends. Investors can earn or lose billions because their decisions determine whether the work of millions of ordinary people is productive or a waste of time."

Unearned income is, in fact, earned. Without it, an economy would cease to provide goods people demand. This is precisely why the soviet union failed and people suffered such poverty. Government planning is far inferior to entrepreneurial planning driven by profit.

There's no assumption that unearned income is the same as income unjustly acquired - at least not by me.

My assertion is that income is a product of laws created by men; and that it reflects the capacity to consume. NOT the value of the input.

Some people contribute a lot, and have little - or no income. A homemaker might be an example of that. Or an inventor who invents something important, but doesn't get paid for it. (For example, if he works at a company that assigns patents to itself.)

Anyway, I'm late. But I do agree with that much, anyway.

 

[dblack]

There's no assumption that unearned income is the same as income unjustly acquired - at least not by me.

No? Then what did you mean by "Confirmed! Rich People Live Off The Work Of Others!" ?

 

[Sundial]

Thinking about it some more, "unjust" can mean "unfair," or it can mean "unjustified."

Profits obtained from ownership may be "unfair", without being unjustified.

 

[Wiseacre]

If rich people put money in a bank it earns interest.

If rich people put money into a US Treasury Bond, it earns a dividend.

If rich people invest money in a US company, it earns a capital gain or loss.

If rich people don't do these things, a whole lot of other people won't have a job, and they won't be earning anything.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

If rich people put money in a bank it earns interest.

If rich people put money into a US Treasury Bond, it earns a dividend.

If rich people invest money in a US company, it earns a capital gain or loss.

If rich people don't do these things, a whole lot of other people won't have a job, and they won't be earning anything.

good except Treasury Bond money is used by liberals to finance welfare payments and other government waste while private sector money is used to create jobs and new products.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

My assertion is that income is a product of laws created by men; .

Before there were laws the more you hunted and gathered the more income you had. A law reflects this process it does not create it.

Aristotle is often considered the first conservative because he understood this process and because he didn't think liberal thinking could improve upon it.

 

[daveman]

No. It's about universal education, healthcare, equality, and advancement for everyone. You're looking at it through a narrow-minded prism that encourages you to think that your own short-term self-interest is the the only thing that matters.

It's particularly sad, since chances are you're not even rich yourself. You just listen to too much AM talk radio.

What makes you qualified to determine and dictate what others' interests are?

Oh, that's right. You're a liberal.

I have no idea what you're babbling about.

Of course you don't. Liberal self-importance is hard-wired in. You just automatically think you know what's best for everyone.

The reason you have to pay taxes is that men with guns will come and arrest you if you don't: that's self-interest for you.

It makes my heart warm to think about it.

Yes, leftists tend to get giddy when armed government agents enforce their wishes.

Alternatively, you and the other profit-takers (assuming you are one) can go live on an island somewhere. Or maybe Somalia. It's your choice.

Maybe Galt's Gulch is taking reservations.

Or you could move to Cuba. It seems to be more to your liking than America.

 

[daveman]

If rich people put money in a bank it earns interest.

If rich people put money into a US Treasury Bond, it earns a dividend.

If rich people invest money in a US company, it earns a capital gain or loss.

If rich people don't do these things, a whole lot of other people won't have a job, and they won't be earning anything.

If rich people give their money to leftists, as the leftists demand, it'll be pissed away on patchouli oil and Birkenstocks.

 

[daveman]

My assertion is that income is a product of laws created by men; .

Before there were laws the more you hunted and gathered the more income you had. A law reflects this process it does not create it..

And if you didn't hunt or gather, you starved.