What does the government do well?

chromium said:

The excess profits would just go to the employees and/or lower costs instead , that's the whole idea. It's certainly not the cost of the phones only, but the monthly fee and the various other enterprises huge corporates are involved in that should be separate. Why the hell disney has to own espn for instance i have no idea

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So you think that if you cap earnings that the companies would just pay their workers more? Exactly why would they do that?

Henrin said:

So you think that if you cap earnings that the companies would just pay their workers more? Exactly why would they do that?

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That's what the minimum wage being linked to a living wage is for. But without anywhere else for excess profits to go, it's either to the investments radcen was concerned with or to higher salary or lower costs (which if enough businesses lower costs, equals more spending power for everyone, including their employees)


I also forgot to mention a 35hr work week and 6 weeks PTO mandatory, like those countries i listed. Capping wealth for the assholes on top who almost certainly inherited their position or got it thru nepotism can go a long ways. For every Steve Jobs there's 100 Trumps and Bushes

chromium said:

That's what the minimum wage being linked to a living wage is for. But without anywhere else for excess profits to go, it's either to the investments radcen was concerned with or to higher salary or lower costs (which if enough businesses lower costs, equals more spending power for everyone, including their employees)


I also forgot to mention a 35hr work week and 6 weeks PTO mandatory, like those countries i listed. Capping wealth for the assholes on top who almost certainly inherited their position or got it thru nepotism can go a long ways. For every Steve Jobs there's 100 Trumps and Bushes

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I no longer have the source, but I read not too long ago that it's actually the other way around. Maybe not exactly 100-1, but self-made wealthy people far outnumber inherited wealthy people.

ETA: Found a link: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/269593

I would have answered some things reasonably well but most things they make worse...

chromium said:

That's what the minimum wage being linked to a living wage is for. But without anywhere else for excess profits to go, it's either to the investments radcen was concerned with or to higher salary or lower costs (which if enough businesses lower costs, equals more spending power for everyone, including their employees)


I also forgot to mention a 35hr work week and 6 weeks PTO mandatory, like those countries i listed. Capping wealth for the assholes on top who almost certainly inherited their position or got it thru nepotism can go a long ways. For every Steve Jobs there's 100 Trumps and Bushes

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Once they reach 200K they have no motivation to keep going under your system since the government will just take whatever excess is there. They're also not going to raise salaries because of the excess either because production has decreased considerably making any motivation towards those ends negative. Furthermore, there is no reason to invest either since the total amount they can earn a year is going to void out any motivation to do it. I also suppose you could increase wages, but that will only decrease product quality. I'm sorry, but I see no way your idea wouldn't be an economic disaster.

chromium said:

Socialism does a hell of a lot better for the average person than what we have here actually. Highest standard of living: 1) Holland, 2) Norway, 3) Sweden, 4) Switzerland

I just want what's best for everyone and not just billionaires. $200k is plenty to live off, believe it or not. My plan would actually be to start with that and then once things level out, to remove the cap but with a high (90%+) tax rate above that

The problem with communism is it was attempted in what was already all-around ****holes following revolutions like Cuba. There, a $200/mo maximum salary (which it has) is barely noticed because it took off with poverty. I would like to start something more generous here before things reach that point

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Not to mention higher tax and high cost of living. I have worked in all four of those countries and heard the working man complain about high taxes and the cost of living.

The rest of your post is nothing short of redistribution of wealth. Not going to happen here because it cuts back an incentive to work hard and achieve the American dream...which after eight years of the Obama administration has stagnated.

chromium said:

Hey you asked the question, and you were looking for a "No" answer. What i propose would be the government at least doing some real reform that might succeed. Unlike ****ing walls

Do you earn over $200k? No? Then why do you give a ****

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I give a ..... because some people who own small businesses and make $200K or more are the ones who create jobs.

Kal'Stang said:

I think NASA does very well. Particularly considering their budget is crap. So at least that part of the government does something well.

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You mean like paying the Russian to launch our people into space to the international space station? Yeah that works out real well...and I can assume the Russians like the $71 million per person ride.

Henrin said:

Once they reach 200K they have no motivation to keep going under your system since the government will just take whatever excess is there. They're also not going to raise salaries because of the excess either because production has decreased considerably making any motivation towards those ends negative. Furthermore, there is no reason to invest either since the total amount they can earn a year is going to void out any motivation to do it. I also suppose you could increase wages, but that will only decrease product quality. I'm sorry, but I see no way your idea wouldn't be an economic disaster.

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The same way it's far from a disaster in those countries i listed

antiquity said:

You mean like paying the Russian to launch our people into space to the international space station? Yeah that works out real well...and I can assume the Russians like the $71 million per person ride.

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That isn't actually NASA's fault. That is the politicians fault because they refuse to allocate the needed money and materials needed for NASA to have its own shuttle. They (NASA) requested the money and resources to build a new shuttle for years and years, even long before they permanently shut down the last shuttle. Politicians refused to give it to them.

antiquity said:

I give a ..... because some people who own small businesses and make $200K or more are the ones who create jobs.

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Those are a dying breed. One of my uncles is among those, but he only has 4 employees. Even at $4-500k he's one greedy bastard

antiquity said:

Not to mention higher tax and high cost of living. I have worked in all four of those countries and heard the working man complain about high taxes and the cost of living.

The rest of your post is nothing short of redistribution of wealth. Not going to happen here because it cuts back an incentive to work hard and achieve the American dream...which after eight years of the Obama administration has stagnated.

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People in the US complain about high taxes too. People complain, imagine that. Of course, here they do it because even 8% for SS and Medicare leaves them with no spending $ because...they're paid like ****! Far less than $18/hr minimum. Did you know the minimum wage here is still in poverty? You'd think this is Honduras and there's just no wealth to go around, but far from it.

Sweden - under $62k/yr is 31% tax. In the US, such an income is 25% plus state tax (usually about 1%), before SS and Medicare. But in Sweden that extra 6% includes health care, which has reached damn near $5k/yr in the US. Factor all this in, before retirement in the US it amounts to about 35%, more than in Sweden and without the 6 weeks PTO, safety net if they go unemployed or get sick, roads that function, shorter work week, and much lower poverty rates

As to cost of living, i can't speak to that, but it's more a function of desirability, here as well as there. Some of the most expensive places here will still pay their workers like indentured servants. However, the data i've found indicates costs are a mere 2% higher in Sweden on average, and rent is a whopping 33% lower

Kal'Stang said:

That isn't actually NASA's fault. That is the politicians fault because they refuse to allocate the needed money and materials needed for NASA to have its own shuttle. They (NASA) requested the money and resources to build a new shuttle for years and years, even long before they permanently shut down the last shuttle. Politicians refused to give it to them.

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Considering that politicians and NASA are both part of government that would preclude government doing NASA well.

chromium said:

Those are a dying breed. One of my uncles is among those, but he only has 4 employees. Even at $4-500k he's one greedy bastard

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Four employees is greater than zero.

Your response implies he should hire people he doesn't need just to "create jobs" for the sake of being a nice guy.

radcen said:

Four employees is greater than zero.

Your response implies he should hire people he doesn't need just to "create jobs" for the sake of being a nice guy.

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Yeah 4>0 and if he didn't do it someone else would have within a year. You mention Jobs also like technology isn't just waiting to be unearthed, as if the smartphone wouldn't exist to this day. It's just a rush to beat others to cash in first

As for my uncle, no, he's a cheapskate because he paid my dad $8/hr as an IC, basically the least he could have found any help for, using the fact he's family to guilt trip him. Also because he missed his own kid's graduation rather than book the return flight from vacation a couple days sooner. I mean, as far as i can tell, he's never done anything for anyone

chromium said:

Yeah 4>0 and if he didn't do it someone else would have within a year. You mention Jobs also like technology isn't just waiting to be unearthed, as if the smartphone wouldn't exist to this day. It's just a rush to beat others to cash in first

As for my uncle, no, he's a cheapskate because he paid my dad $8/hr as an IC, basically the least he could have found any help for, using the fact he's family to guilt trip him. Also because he missed his own kid's graduation rather than book the return flight from vacation a couple days sooner. I mean, as far as i can tell, he's never done anything for anyone

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Right. The continual and fast-moving rush to beat the other guy... to make the money first instead of the other guy. Precisely what I've been saying.

Then the other guy tries to leap-frog the first guy, and it keeps going. All resulting in expanding and vibrant industries and all motivated by the desire to make money. In the mean time, people are employed and associated retail industries are operating, which also involve people working.

No one that I'm aware of would claim a smartphone wouldn't exist at all. That's a dishonest approach. It's not an either/or proposition.

I voted Defense and Law Enforcement, I would also like to add the Court system.

To me these are the 3 proper functions of our Government.

Spartacus FPV said:

I voted Defense and Law Enforcement, I would also like to add the Court system.

To me these are the 3 proper functions of our Government.

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Courts would be included in law enforcement.