The rise of the overclass

[buck]

If ones wealth dies with them it is NOT stealing. If the estate is taken by the state for the good of the people it IS creating equality. If your contention is that it would be stealing the inheritance from the family I would very strongly disagree. The family did not create the wealth and so should not benefit from it any more than anyone else in the country should.

I am talking about true equality here.

We need to get right away from the idea that if your mummy is rich, so will you be mentality.

If I have worked hard all my life, and by merit proven myself valuable to the people who put up their money to create good well paid jobs, and I have bought a nice house in a good neighborhood, with a pool, two cars, and a cruiser in the harbour, raised sons and daughters and grandchildren used to this lifestyle, who have grown up to make you proud. Why should I give it all away to somebody who did little or nothing for himself.

[Rupert_Baehr]

The present system creates inequality by its very nature. The son of a millionaire can get through life without doing any work whatsoever and will still have a vast fortune to leave to any children that he may have. To create equality we need to break this cycle. The present system has produced riots and demonstrations in the recent past. We need to drastically limit inheritance NOW for the good of ALL the people. The politicians are talking about creating a fair society. Here I have the answer in a nutshell.

I really am bemused as to why you find this so difficult to understand.

 

If one person earns a million pounds which he leaves to his children, then although they could indeed just sit around and do nothing, eventually the money will be spent.

 

Yet -as is often noted on this forum - the sons of the wealthy tend to get good well-paying jobs and go on to become even more wealthy.

 

How does that fit with your argument that the sons of the wealthy sit around on their arses all day doing nothing?

 

If you were to pass a law prohibiting people from bequeathing their wealth (however they obtained it) to whoever they chose to leave it to, then would you also pass laws limiting how much they could 'Spend' (Or give away) while they were alive?

 

If people couldn't give away money while they were alive and they couldn't bequeath it to anybody, then why - once they've made enough money to see them through their (predicted) lifespan - should they carry on working?

 

Perhaps they should retire. No further income (so no income tax to pay to the government.) They could run their companies down and let their employees become self-employed.

 

Ah, such naive idealism!

 

I take it that you aren't very old, don't have any real responsibility, and that you haven't yet achieved very much in your working (student?) life.

 

To dismiss my very serious and well thought out opinions in such a flippant manner is a very obvious indication that you have lost the argument.

If you would like to debate the points in an adult manner please do so, otherwise shut up.

 

So I'm right then. Your views will change as you get older and gain responsibility for others around you.

 

 

I think, Mercurian, that you have missed the point. It seems to me that Tony is suggesting that your opinion is anything but 'well thought out'.

 

I suggest that if you took all the money in any given community and shared it out equally tonight, then by the middle of next month there would be some wealthy people in that community and some poor people.

[Tony]

I suggest that if you took all the money in any given community and shared it out equally tonight, then by the middle of next month there would be some wealthy people in that community and some poor people.

If there were four people in that community, you, me, Mercurian and SUPERTYKE, I think we'd know who'd be the wealthy and who'd be the poor. In fact I'd be happy to give them a week's head start towards their impending poverty.

[andygardener]

If ones wealth dies with them it is NOT stealing. If the estate is taken by the state for the good of the people it IS creating equality. If your contention is that it would be stealing the inheritance from the family I would very strongly disagree. The family did not create the wealth and so should not benefit from it any more than anyone else in the country should.

I am talking about true equality here.

We need to get right away from the idea that if your mummy is rich, so will you be mentality.

 

Nice to see Viz's Student Gwant alive and well on SF.

 

Don't worry kid, you'll grow out of it.

[Mercurian]

The greatest gift that we can give to our children is equality. It is very unfortunate that here we have a situation where some are arguing against this gift. They would far sooner see our country carry on in the same way that created recent riots and protests. Such bigots will soon be taught a lesson.

[anywebsite]

If you were to pass a law prohibiting people from bequeathing their wealth (however they obtained it) to whoever they chose to leave it to, then would you also pass laws limiting how much they could 'Spend' (Or give away) while they were alive?

 

If people couldn't give away money while they were alive and they couldn't bequeath it to anybody, then why - once they've made enough money to see them through their (predicted) lifespan - should they carry on working?

 

There is already a limit on the amount of money you can give away each year tax free. If you're spending money then usually the person or business that you're spending that money with has to pay tax & VAT will be paid unless you plan to spend it all on basic foods, books & children's clothes. Besides, spending money rather than hoarding it would be the aim of the tax, it creates more economic activity.

 

We already have inheritance tax, all these rules have already been sorted out to make it hard to avoid, we just need to increase the rate of inheritance tax.

 

Perhaps they should retire. No further income (so no income tax to pay to the government.) They could run their companies down and let their employees become self-employed.

 

That could be sorted out with a wealth tax that taxes people on their accumulated wealth, rather than just their income.

 

These extra taxes would mean that taxes on income & consumption could be reduced, those taxes hurt productive businesses & people, rather than families hoarding money.

[Mercurian]

If one person earns a million pounds which he leaves to his children, then although they could indeed just sit around and do nothing, eventually the money will be spent.

 

Yet -as is often noted on this forum - the sons of the wealthy tend to get good well-paying jobs and go on to become even more wealthy.

 

How does that fit with your argument that the sons of the wealthy sit around on their arses all day doing nothing?

 

If you were to pass a law prohibiting people from bequeathing their wealth (however they obtained it) to whoever they chose to leave it to, then would you also pass laws limiting how much they could 'Spend' (Or give away) while they were alive?

 

If people couldn't give away money while they were alive and they couldn't bequeath it to anybody, then why - once they've made enough money to see them through their (predicted) lifespan - should they carry on working?

 

Perhaps they should retire. No further income (so no income tax to pay to the government.) They could run their companies down and let their employees become self-employed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think, Mercurian, that you have missed the point. It seems to me that Tony is suggesting that your opinion is anything but 'well thought out'.

 

I suggest that if you took all the money in any given community and shared it out equally tonight, then by the middle of next month there would be some wealthy people in that community and some poor people.

 

 

You do not have enough vision to enable you to fully comprehend my reasoning. You are thinking only of you and yours. You do not perceive an ours. It is sad.

[andygardener]

The greatest gift that we can give to our children is equality. It is very unfortunate that here we have a situation where some are arguing against this gift. They would far sooner see our country carry on in the same way that created recent riots and protests. Such bigots will soon be taught a lesson.

 

Kid, with the greatest respect I was up at 7am on a day you probably think entitles you to do even less than you usually do to start bucking and splitting a 60' sycamore. I took a break at 10ish and after that worked solidly with saw and maul all day till the light was lost. That's what i do on my "day off". Do you honestly think i'm going to let some little pissant tell me what my money is going to be used for in life or death?

[Mercurian]

Nice to see Viz's Student Gwant alive and well on SF.

 

Don't worry kid, you'll grow out of it.

 

Don't give up the day job boy.

[Mercurian]

Kid, with the greatest respect I was up at 7am on a day you probably think entitles you to do even less than you usually do to start bucking and splitting a 60' sycamore. I took a break at 10ish and after that worked solidly with saw and maul all day till the light was lost. That's what i do on my "day off". Do you honestly think i'm going to let some little pissant tell me what my money is going to be used for in life or death?

 

PHEW....you are a real man cos you knock trees down!.........................................Shall we start singing the lumberjack song to make you feel better?