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Life During Class Wartime

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Re: Life During Class Wartime

#51

Post by pitaj »

harimau777 wrote: post #19
AlexandrB wrote: post #18

The elephant in the room is why governments need more money: old age benefits like social security. I fear that taxing wealth will just be a tax on future investment while funnelling that wealth to the elderly. Already, folks are pushing to make the key asset owned by the old - housing - free from property taxes (if you're over 60, naturally)[1] which will only push housing prices up and drive more budget deficits th…

Even if the government took the money and burnt it that would be a net good for society since it would lower inequality and thereby decrease power imbalances.

Wow this is nuts.

Re: Life During Class Wartime

#52

Post by yabones »

For the vast majority of human civilization, all taxes were based on wealth. Your emperor, pharaoh, czar, or whoever was in charge sent a dude around to take a bit of everybody's stuff. Not how much income they made but how much stuff they actually had. It's only been the last 120-ish years that the idea that wealth and income were totally different things as far as taxation is concerned emerged.

I think almost everybody would be better off if taxes were something like 1% of total assets rather than off the top of your income.

Re: Life During Class Wartime

#53

Post by christkv »

In Europe governments make up such a big part of GDP now in some cases nearly half of it that it becomes silly to talk about the evil capitalist. We should be talking about the graft and poor spending of that money.

Re: Life During Class Wartime

#55

Post by 6AA4FD »

masfuerte wrote: post #14

I'm very surprised that Tim Bray isn't part of the richest 0.1%.

We are playing with two sets of dice, I realize mine are weighted and rolling higher than yours. Do I A- offer to switch dice B- not say anything C- offer to share D- decide not to play?

Re: Life During Class Wartime

#56

Post by ethanwillis »

roxolotl wrote: post #44
_ink_ wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are these practical ways to solve it? And who do you think will implement them? Especially when Billionaires control the opinions of a big chunk of the population.

You can read about the transition from the Gilded Age to The Progressive Era in US history for potential solutions. Anti-trust and political reform is a bit part. Political opinions were controlled undemocratically during that period as well through political machines. Direct election of senators, direct primaries, women’s suffrage were enacted to help with that.

And when these things aren't possible?

Re: Life During Class Wartime

#57

Post by pitaj »

zug_zug wrote: post #3

Yeah I'm glad somebody's talking about it. Wealth inequality seems like it will be THE defining issue of our lives (accelerated drastically by AI). I think there are many practical ways to solve it, and would love to see more proposals out there. Instead I tend to see nihilism or division.

My hot take is that wealth inequality is the least bad problem we could have, if it is even a problem at all.

What people are actually experiencing is not wealth inequality, but cost disease. Vital things (housing, healthcare, education) are more expensive - and that's mostly the fault of state action.

Re: Life During Class Wartime

#59

Post by 6AA4FD »

pitaj wrote: post #51
harimau777 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if the government took the money and burnt it that would be a net good for society since it would lower inequality and thereby decrease power imbalances.

Wow this is nuts.

The value of currency like other things is governed by supply, so destroying some does not damage anything real in the world, just increase the purchasing power of the other dollars in circulation.
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