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Income Inequality

What should be done to battle income inequality in the USA?

  • Do not intervene

    Votes: 39 53.4%

  • Yes, do intervene

    Votes: 34 46.6%
  • Total voters
    73
TobyOne said:
I can only imagine the horrors that entails.
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It's pretty easy to figure out. Just look at what democrats have recently proposed on the matter and you have a pretty good idea of what he is talking about.
 
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lizzie said:
Nothing should be done, that isn't already being done. Income equality is a reality, because people aren't all equal in intelligence, drive, ingenuity, and just plain old luck. I strongly support reward for efforts, education, and industriousness, and I strongly dislike paying people for doing nothing.
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Yeah in the 1930's the rich said that nothing should be done either. Remember how that turned out? History repeats itself and if you pay close enough attention you will realize what went wrong.
 
b_dubz said:
Yes I am a loser and yet you are the one that feels the need to blatantly lie about his childhood to make a point on a internet forum.

I guarantee I will make more money than you and have a much more fulfilling life by helping others.

Go away liar.
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Good luck. I hope you do change your ways and join society. The thing is you cannot prove that I am a liar. Besides who would ever believe what a convicted felon has to say anyhow.
 
OnWisconsin said:
Yeah in the 1930's the rich said that nothing should be done either. Remember how that turned out? History repeats itself and if you pay close enough attention you will realize what went wrong.
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that has nothing to do with the topic
 
Dittohead not! said:
Having a union allows the employees to bargain on a level playing field. If the employees have to each bargain individually, then they have no clout.
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This is the wrong attitude

Why can't the BEST worker make the most money?

And yes, that means the least productive member of the workplace makes the less amount

All employees need motivation....earning more than your sidekick is great motivation

And the low man on the totem pole either needs to kick it up another gear, or understand he will make less than his counterparts

My employees compete with each other.....the best make more

Isn't that the way it should be?
 
b_dubz said:
One of the dumbest things I have ever read.

So if you work really hard at wal Mart or McDonalds you will get ahead? No you certainly will not..

Go away with your lying butt!
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Really?

So no one at those places ever gets promoted?

No one ever ends up in management, or heavens to god, end up managing their own store?

How do you think corporate finds new franchise owners?

They ask current owners about BEST managers and put them into the program

But I guess none of that actually happens though....right?
 
Unrepresented said:
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The richest are getting all the profit from a smarter, harder working labor base. That's unsustainable and unjust.
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Not so at all - just because a worker is given better tools that worker is not working any harder. Tying wages to productivity makes no sense unless that requires a more skilled worker.

Using the very oversimplified example of cutting the neighbor's lawn let us examine productivity and labor rates. Let's say that to mow a given lawn using a push mower takes two labor hours and to mow that same lawn using a riding mower takes only one labor hour. In either case the customer is only going to pay $30 for that service. One must then decide if spending $2,500 for a more productive mower is worth it. At $15/hour, assuming that the lawn is mowed weekly, it would take over three years to break even by making that productivity increase (equipment purchase) investment.
 
Henrin said:
Sorry, but no. Workers have a tendency to get ideas in their heads that they are owed certain things from their employers that are either outlandish or financially not viable for the business.
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And employers tend to forget that, when wage earners don't have money, they have no market.
 
Peter Grimm said:
It's indisputable fact that income inequality in the United States has grown substantially in the past few decades.

Median nominal incomes, adjusted for inflation, have not gone up in the USA since the 50's. (Median is the halfway point, so we are talking about the middle-earner). In contrast, the per capita GDP has risen quite dramatically, due to the increased purchasing power of the upper echelon.


I pose three questions to you:

1.) What has caused this phenomenon
2.) What are the long term implications if the trend is allowed to continue
3.) What, if anything, should be done to adjust our course


Thanks
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To answer your first question, a big part of the problem is more money is generated through the financialization of our economy than by production. It has got exponentially worse over the decades. This has caused further issues by generating money artificially. To further the problem, people who generate their money through capital are taxed less than those who generate it through labor. People who do not earn their money through capital are more than likely the ones who benefit from such things as government grants and/or programs, yet they are more likely to lose out on such things when revenue is low because they are often cut. One solution that could lessen this problem is by having both capital and wages taxed at the same rate. If the trend continues, the long term effects for the middle class could become much worse.
 
PeteEU said:
But you said all wealthy people were more intelligent and so on.. her grandfather is dead, and her father got his money from his father. It is pretty easy to "make money" once you have money after all.
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You'd have to quote where I actually said that because I never did. People who actually are self-made? Yes. People who just stumble into money? Not necessarily.

No income inequality has everything to do with education and access to said education and the ability of society to take of people in need (yes healthcare costs among other things). The countries with least income inequality all have one thing in common... free or very low cost education that means where you were born and in what income class has very little to do with your future. In places like Denmark, Sweden and so on, being born in a poor ghetto, on a farm or to the richest 1% families has very little impact on what you do with your life. If you have the intelligence and the grades, then you can become anything you want and the cost aspect has been removed. That means the bricklayers son, who traditionally would get remain in the same type of job as his father and his fathers father, has the ability to climb the economic and social ladder. It works, my family and most Danes are clear examples of this.
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Well, actually the countries with the least income inequality are the ones that are stealing from the wealthy and giving to the poor. And of course, it isn't like Denmark is a world powerhouse, they really don't contribute much of anything to the world.
 
Cephus said:
You'd have to quote where I actually said that because I never did. People who actually are self-made? Yes. People who just stumble into money? Not necessarily.



Well, actually the countries with the least income inequality are the ones that are stealing from the wealthy and giving to the poor. And of course, it isn't like Denmark is a world powerhouse, they really don't contribute much of anything to the world.
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Denmark is a small country that has a high standard of living. By any objective measure, their standard of living is higher than that of the USA, but, of course, they're not a world powerhouse.
 
Dittohead not! said:
Denmark is a small country that has a high standard of living. By any objective measure, their standard of living is higher than that of the USA, but, of course, they're not a world powerhouse.
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Good for them. What have they done for the planet with that higher standard of living? I'm not trying to insult Denmark, but saying "we're better than you are, but we've been totally useless on the world stage" just isn't impressive.
 
Cephus said:
Good for them. What have they done for the planet with that higher standard of living? I'm not trying to insult Denmark, but saying "we're better than you are, but we've been totally useless on the world stage" just isn't impressive.
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For the planet? Is that the rationale for this thread?

Seems like the thread concerns inequality of a population, ie should a govt be involved in minimizing inequality to raise the living standard for the largest number.
 
Cephus said:
Well, actually the countries with the least income inequality are the ones that are stealing from the wealthy and giving to the poor.
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LOL okay... so you are one of those.

And of course, it isn't like Denmark is a world powerhouse, they really don't contribute much of anything to the world.
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So you move to a lame attempt to insult a person based on his country and belittling it? Pathetic. You have no idea what Denmark and Danes have contributed to the world over history... and it is considerable relative to the population size.
 
Gimmesometruth said:
For the planet? Is that the rationale for this thread?
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It certainly is important. One tiny country that has no impact on the rest of the world really isn't that impressive of a country. Why should we ride them around on our shoulders? How have they earned it?

Seems like the thread concerns inequality of a population, ie should a govt be involved in minimizing inequality to raise the living standard for the largest number.
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No, it's PERCEIVED inequality. It's been pointed out many times in this thread that much of the supposed inequality is EARNED by the people who are not "equal". If people want to be more "equal", they need to be responsible and work harder. The people who tend to fail are the people who tend to fail of their own accord and the loony toon liberals keep pretending that everyone ought to have the same thing just because they bothered to wake up in the morning, not because they actually earned it.
 
PeteEU said:
LOL okay... so you are one of those.
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One of those who actually cares about the planet? Sure. If Denmark disappeared tomorrow, most people would never even notice. Most people have no idea that Denmark even exists. That's simply the reality whether you like it or not.

So you move to a lame attempt to insult a person based on his country and belittling it? Pathetic. You have no idea what Denmark and Danes have contributed to the world over history... and it is considerable relative to the population size.
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No, I state the facts, if you get offended by the facts, that's your problem. The fact that you couldn't present anything useful that they've done in recent history is quite telling. If there was anything to be proud of, you'd have leapt at the chance.
 
Dittohead not! said:
Denmark is a small country that has a high standard of living. By any objective measure, their standard of living is higher than that of the USA, but, of course, they're not a world powerhouse.
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They obtain it through government sanctioned theft though. If I steal some of the stuff of the richest guy on the block and give it to the poorest there is little doubt I will raise living standards overall. Economic policies that amount to theft are really nothing more than grand school idiocy.
 
Henrin said:
They obtain it through government sanctioned theft though. If I steal some of the stuff of the richest guy on the block and give it to the poorest there is little doubt I will raise living standards overall. Economic policies that amount to theft are really nothing more than grand school idiocy.
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And then those wealthy guys have no more money left to do useful stuff with, which is why Denmark is pretty much known for nothing.
 
Raising taxes on capital won't do anything to help the middle class. In fact, to the extent it dampens investment the middle class, many who are dependent on pensions or 401ks, will suffer from a lowered rate of return. Plus, if you think jobs are going overseas now, just raise taxes on capital and watch the run for the border.

rabbitcaebannog said:
To answer your first question, a big part of the problem is more money is generated through the financialization of our economy than by production. It has got exponentially worse over the decades. This has caused further issues by generating money artificially. To further the problem, people who generate their money through capital are taxed less than those who generate it through labor. People who do not earn their money through capital are more than likely the ones who benefit from such things as government grants and/or programs, yet they are more likely to lose out on such things when revenue is low because they are often cut. One solution that could lessen this problem is by having both capital and wages taxed at the same rate. If the trend continues, the long term effects for the middle class could become much worse.
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Cephus said:
One of those who actually cares about the planet? Sure. If Denmark disappeared tomorrow, most people would never even notice. Most people have no idea that Denmark even exists. That's simply the reality whether you like it or not.
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Spoken like a true arrogant American who thinks he and his country are the center of the world....

No, I state the facts, if you get offended by the facts, that's your problem.
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Me offended? Hardly.. it is in fact you that tried to be offensive and failed horribly simply because you have no clue about anything outside the US, let alone Denmark or anything in Europe.

The fact that you couldn't present anything useful that they've done in recent history is quite telling. If there was anything to be proud of, you'd have leapt at the chance.
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Why should I present anything? Danes are not the chest thumping flag waving morons that some nations citizens are. However for you.. I will say one word. Mærsk.
 
PeteEU said:
Spoken like a true arrogant American who thinks he and his country are the center of the world....
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If the shoe fits. Now while we're not the center of the world, the vast majority of major accomplishments, developments and inventions do come from here. What have you invented lately?

Me offended? Hardly.. it is in fact you that tried to be offensive and failed horribly simply because you have no clue about anything outside the US, let alone Denmark or anything in Europe.
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You're pissed and every post shows it. Your pride is wounded. It's okay, we all understand.

Why should I present anything? Danes are not the chest thumping flag waving morons that some nations citizens are. However for you.. I will say one word. Mærsk.
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Yet you're sitting here on this forum thumping your chest, telling us all how wonderful the Danish standard of living is. Sure, we believe you.

And Maersk? Which, founded in 1904, is nothing recent. So what have you done for us recently?
 
Cephus said:
And then those wealthy guys have no more money left to do useful stuff with, which is why Denmark is pretty much known for nothing.
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What welfare states usually do is take over large segments of R&D. This can help cover up some of the weaknesses of the government assuming control of so much of the wealth in the economy. This will of course lead to another weakness in not increased costs of R&D, but also make it so business is dependent on government for any movement in advancement. Funny how government dependence feeds government dependence, isn't it? lol.
 
Cephus said:
It certainly is important. One tiny country that has no impact on the rest of the world really isn't that impressive of a country. Why should we ride them around on our shoulders? How have they earned it?
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Uh, again, the topic is minimizing inequality, if they have a model that succeeds....well there you are.



No, it's PERCEIVED inequality. It's been pointed out many times in this thread that much of the supposed inequality is EARNED by the people who are not "equal". If people want to be more "equal", they need to be responsible and work harder. The people who tend to fail are the people who tend to fail of their own accord and the loony toon liberals keep pretending that everyone ought to have the same thing just because they bothered to wake up in the morning, not because they actually earned it.
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You are oblivious to the lack of income gains for the lower and mid earners in the US since 1980. It is not an argument that all should earn the same. I wish for once conservatives could understand the argument and stop conflating EVERY FRIGGING FEAR with COMMUNISM.
 
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