01-08-2011, 04:58 PM
Rick-o wrote:
My beef really isn't at the guy who makes good through hard work and is out there solving the problems of the world. Hell, most of those folks probably don't give a flying flip about how much money they are making, as john dough remarks about one of his clients. I get that. When the revolution starts, most of those guys will probably get a pass. :villagers:
It's the heirs of the old money the was made several generations ago who now hold positions of influence and are making decisions that contribute to the eventual demise of our country (cough Walton heirs cough). I hate these worthless sacks of :censor: and I feel there are plenty of them out there that have one goal in mind, which is to amass as much wealth as possible, no matter what damage they cause to the rest of the world. I don't think a whole lot of those people are sitting on a beach for the rest of their lives having drinks served to them by gorgeous topless women! They are in our government, wall street, and corporate america, and I feel they are doing extreme damage.
Call me stupid, but that's what I believe.
I think you and I have the same fears and see the country going in the same direction. I admit that I had a huge head start in life simply because I came from an upper-middle class household and that going to and paying for ANY college was never an issue. If I knowingly had even a small trust fund waiting for me, I probably would have never worked a day in my life. A reasonable estate tax, unlike the joke one that was recently renewed, would be the easiest way to solve inequity problems in this country. There are a few people who have essentially "won the embyro lottery" by being born in ultra-wealthy families that are able to easily pass their wealth down. It does a disservice to the country and society and mostly to that individual. Some members of the Walton and Mars families inherited over a $1B and never worked a day in their life. I bet some of them are very innovative and could have started amazing businesses. It's their prerogative but I can't see how one can reflect on their life with any satisfaction if they just manage but don't create their wealth. I think that successful entrepreneurs are happy not because they made a ton of money but rather because they did something so valuable and the world rewarded them with money.
I think you are spot on on the problems with inequity and I agree with you. But I think the problem is with the way wealth is taxed and not on the people who create the wealth. We live in a plutocracy where wealth makes the rules. Unfortunately, there are some very vocal, short-sighted wealthy people who think the solution is to build more walls between the haves and the have-nots. If a revolt happens, I don't think the mob is going to discriminate between who started a business and who milked the system. They'll be out to extract their pound of flesh from wherever they can find it. The LA riots are a good example of mobs out to get whatever they can from whereever they can find it.