Wealth Distribution in the United States

[M14 Shooter]

You must pay taxes if you want a system that works,

Not at all true. Government, and the 'system' created by it is a convenience; one needs government for our current 'system', but it is not al all necessary for a system that 'works'. There's nothing that government does that the people cannot do themselves.

you must use those taxes to support people fallen on hard times. providing social services keeps people from resorting to crime or simply dying in poverty in this so-called free nation

No, you do not "must" do this. You're describing a luxury, one created by abundant wealth. None of these programs are "necessary" in any way shape or form.

 

[M14 Shooter]

They idea that you can forceably take wealth from others to give to yourself or your friends is one of the most evil concepts created by man. That is why it has been a capital crime through much of history.
Robbers are dangerous.

Indeed.
Socialism, in that it ceates a condition of involunraty servitde, is the antithesis of liberty.

 

[MitchMan]

The problem and massive error that most people make concerning the issue of wealth distribution, is that they do not realize that the actual distribution of wealth happens early on in the economic process. Just as an example, every time a surgeon gets $6,000 for a four hour heart operation, that overpayment is an inequitable distribution of the patient's wealth. Every time a fan pays $150+ for a professional basketball game's ticket, that overpayment is an inequitable distribution of the fan’s wealth, every time a client pays a CPA $350 to do a simple itemized 1040, that overpayment is an inequitable distribution of the client’s wealth. Every time a client pays an attorney $400+ an hour for the attorney’s time, that overpayment is an inequitable distribution of the client’s wealth. Every time a fan pays $200+ to go to a rock concert, that overpayment is an inequitable distribution of the fan’s wealth. Every time you pay $90 for a prescription medication that is sold in Europe or Canada for $20 USD, that overpayment is an inequitable distribution of your wealth. And, every time you got a $100,000 home loan that was packaged in a mortgage backed security by the shadow banking system that was sold to an investor for $120,000, that was a distribution of your wealth. When a CPA charges $175/hr to a client and then only pays the staff accountant who does the work only $20/hr, that is an inequitable distribution of both the client’s wealth and the staff accountant’s wealth. Same for the common situation wherein the attorney charges his client $400/hr and pays his staff attorney who does the work only $40/hr, that is an inequitable distribution of the client’s wealth and the staff attorney’s wealth.

The above is merely a few of the many, many instances of the real and true gross examples of the inequitable distributions of wealth. Actually, the larger amount of money flowing in inequitable directions against the vast majority of people is in the smaller and infinitely more numerous instances that we all pay for smaller dollar items.

The right wingers limit their idea of ‘redistribution’ inequities to demonizing those on welfare, unemployment compensation recipients, minimum wage earners, and the progressive income tax rates.

The right wingers all ignore the 800 lb gorilla in the room which is that the top 1% of the wealthiest people in our country own 34% of the country's wealth, the top 10% own over 71% of the wealth, the top 20% own 85% of the country's wealth and the bottom 60% own only 4% of the wealth and the bottom 40% own less than 1% of the wealth. Do you know what that graph looks like? This is an abomination!

The USA is the second worst offender in the world with the worst level of lopsided concentration of wealth and income at the top. Yes, we are worse than all the Latin American countries. This inequitable and economy-wrecking lopsided concentration at the top trumps all their mealy mouthed arguments. Only 4% of the nation’s wealth is owned by the bottom 60%! Please! People, you have to look at the big picture. And, the big picture is screaming at you.

The right wingers will persist and focus their disdain on the poor, the entitlement receivers, the minimum wage earners, unions, regulation, and the progressive income tax rates. However, these are the things that are the only measure being used right now to make up for the detrimental effects of the vast majority of wealth and income being concentrated in the hands of the few at the top. And, these elements are not going to be enough as they are now. Too many people are suffering right now.

The biggest joke of all is how the disingenuous right wingers have created a ‘boogie man’ out of so called ‘big government’. They aren’t genuinely concerned with the size of government, otherwise, the republican presidents wouldn’t have grown government so big during their respective administrations. It’s a ruse. They just want less business regulation, and lower tax rates for the top earners, a bigger intrusive armed forces to secure their advantage-taking in this country and in other countries.

Did you all know that the top 10% own 91% of all the voting corporate stock? Can you logically see who runs the corporations and how those owners want the corps to influence politics, hence legislation? It’s right there, people! That’s the statistic that matters in the big picture.

The problem lies within our political, economic and legal environment in our country that has been overtaken to favor the few at the top…and continues to so at this time. The answer is to take back our country and make it a truly functioning democracy where the best interests of the people as a whole is what rules the day and takes precedence over the interests of the few at the top. And, in this democracy, we should do it by making political gains and much better and more frequent messaging by liberals and moderates. The right wingers are not a lost cause, they just need an education, lessons on accurate deductive reasoning, and they have to be morally persuaded that greed is not good because they are not getting that from their understanding of the bible.

 

[Avatar4321]

They idea that you can forceably take wealth from others to give to yourself or your friends is one of the most evil concepts created by man. That is why it has been a capital crime through much of history.

Robbers are dangerous.

Where on this thread has anyone advocated "Forceably taking wealth"??

You are being overly dramatic

You advocate it every day all over the board.

What do you think the "Redistribution of Wealth" is? It's using government force money from people to give to others.

 

[rightwinger]

They idea that you can forceably take wealth from others to give to yourself or your friends is one of the most evil concepts created by man. That is why it has been a capital crime through much of history.

Robbers are dangerous.

Where on this thread has anyone advocated "Forceably taking wealth"??

You are being overly dramatic

You advocate it every day all over the board.
What do you think the "Redistribution of Wealth" is? It's using government force money from people to give to others.

No, I'm afraid that is not how it works.

The wealthy did not get wealthy by forcibly taking it away from other people. They increase wealth by getting the rules changed to make it easier to obtain and maintain wealth. Tax rates, incentives, protections, labor laws, tariffs, environmental laws...all help protect wealth

 

[M14 Shooter]

The problem and massive error that most people make concerning the issue of wealth distribution, is that they do not realize that the actual distribution of wealth happens early on in the economic process. Just as an example, every time a surgeon gets $6,000 for a four hour heart operation, that overpayment is an inequitable distribution of the patient's wealth (etc)

Overpayment? Inequitable?
According to whom, and how is he a competent judge?

The right wingers limit their idea of ‘redistribution’ inequities to demonizing those on welfare, unemployment compensation recipients, minimum wage earners, and the progressive income tax rates.

Based on the idea that people are responsible for themselves, and to force someone to provide means to someone else is, at best, involuntary servitude.

The right wingers all ignore the 800 lb gorilla in the room which is that the top 1% of the wealthiest people in our country own 34% of the country's wealth, the top 10% own over 71% of the wealth, the top 20% own 85% of the country's wealth and the bottom 60% own only 4% of the wealth and the bottom 40% own less than 1% of the wealth. Do you know what that graph looks like? This is an abomination!

According to whom, and how is he a competent judge?
Seems to me that, by defintion, the wealthy have a significant amount of wealth and the unwealthy... don't.
The only 'solution' for your perceived problem is to take from the haves and redistribute to the have nots - from each according to his means to each according to what you think are his needs.

The biggest joke of all is how the disingenuous right wingers have created a ‘boogie man’ out of so called ‘big government’.

The government big enough to give you everything you need is also big enough to take away everthing you have.
:shrug:

They aren’t genuinely concerned with the size of government, otherwise, the republican presidents wouldn’t have grown government so big during their respective administrations.

False premise.
You necessarily, and incorrectly, equate "Republican" with "right wing".

 

[MitchMan]

M14, are you a competent judge?

I wonder about your judgment.

The only 'solution' for your perceived problem is to take from the haves and redistribute to the have nots…

“Perceived problem”, really? Tell me, M14, do you think that the lopsided concentration of wealth and income at the top is a problem or do you think that it is not a problem at all, and merely a perception of a problem. Or, do you think that the fact that the top 10% owning 71% of the nation’s wealth and the bottom 60% owning only 4% is not lopsided? Man up, let the world know what you think specifically. Judgment, M14. Let us know your judgment on this with enough courage to be specific.

The government big enough to give you everything you need is also big enough to take away everything you have.

Quoting Atlas Shrugged now. Oooo. What intellectual acumen. Seems like more ‘boogie man’ fodder, actually. You know, it’s the US government that has the biggest and best armed services in the world that serves to protect us all. It’s the government that educates millions, enforces the rule of law, it is the major player in supporting our infrastructure, keeping our food and water, medicines, products and services, airways, communications, transportation and workplaces safe. It is our government that distinguishes us from the rest of the world and distinguishes us in the history of mankind. Instead of unpatriotically undermining it with your ‘boogie man’ scare tactics and tired old simplistic mantras, why don’t you promote making the government better, like a genuine patriot would.

Artificially supporting the weak, slow, stupid, old, and sick creates an unnecessary, unsustainable strain on already limited resources and, on the whole, weakens the species.

M14, are you a Nazi sympathizer? You post the above with everyone of your posts. Do you really believe that the “weak, slow, stupid, old, and sick should be discarded by “severing” any and all support? Judgment, M14, judgment.

M14, are you a competent judge? Are your posts filled with competent judgment? Man up and take a stand and answer the question directly, if you have the courage, that is.

 

[M14 Shooter]

M14, are you a competent judge?

Red herring.

You're trying to deflect the discussion, rather than address what was put to you.
Of course, its easier to do that than have to acrually think, so its no surprise that you've done so.

Get back to me when you can actually address what I said.

 

[MitchMan]

M14 Crapshoot, it's official, you are a coward and a fraud. Man up, boy. You were asked straight forward questions. Answer the questions. Take a stand. Your being a mealy mouthed noncommital critic constitutes a vacuous existance and one without real substance. Don't be afraid to be truly visible. You are not fooling anyone.

 

[Intense]

Where on this thread has anyone advocated "Forceably taking wealth"??

You are being overly dramatic

You advocate it every day all over the board.
What do you think the "Redistribution of Wealth" is? It's using government force money from people to give to others.

No, I'm afraid that is not how it works.

The wealthy did not get wealthy by forcibly taking it away from other people. They increase wealth by getting the rules changed to make it easier to obtain and maintain wealth. Tax rates, incentives, protections, labor laws, tariffs, environmental laws...all help protect wealth

That kind of corruption does involve Government RW. Corporations, one can fight in a Free Society, should we need to, Totalitarian Government controls All sides of the Equation, We lose. Monopoly, is a Government creation to protect It's own interest. Free Market, influences outcome in a better, more competitive way. Government has a role, RW, as an Impartial Referee, maintaining the Integrity of the Playing Field. An Impartial Referee has no business picking winners and losers or stacking the deck, or determining outcome before the game is played.

 

[M14 Shooter]

M14 Crapshoot, it's official, you are a coward and a fraud.

Says he who did not address the responses given to him, deciding to, instead, engage in red herrings and personal attacks.

But, that's to be expected - when the talking points run out, "useful idiots", such as yourself, are left with nothing much to say.