Balance of Wealth

[robskydiv 0]

Without people like Carneggie, Vanderbilt, ad infinitum, many Americans would have not had a job. These "RobberBarons" should be appreciated. They worked their butts off to get what they got. But at the same time, The working man/woman needs a wage or salary that will allow them to make a living. How do you see this? What should the minum wage be? What kind of jobs are there for non-skilled laborers, & now college grads for that matter? Please post your comments and feelings about the wealthy and the not so wealthy. Thankyou.

[airdvr 200]

Saw a piece on the locla news about Michael Moore's new film "Capitalism: A Love Story".

I must have missed the part where he said he was donating all of the money he makes to free healthcare.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[quade 4]

I think you have it exactly backwards.

No millionaire ever got that way without the help of a LOT of people. They are the ones that should drop to their knees and be thankful for the support they've already received.

I'd see things a little differently if it were 30 years ago and people stayed with companies for life, but in this day and age, employees should be no more loyal to a company than a company is to them, which is to say, not at all.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[billvon 2,673]

>The working man/woman needs a wage or salary that will allow them to
>make a living.

How come? I'd rather an employer employ three people making peanuts than one person making three times the salary, if it means the other two don't have jobs. Making peanuts might mean living four to an apartment, or eating Top Ramen, or not being able to afford cable or a decent car, but that's better than being unemployed.

>What kind of jobs are there for non-skilled laborers

Serving hamburgers and picking tomatoes.

>and now college grads for that matter?

College grads are typically a LOT more employable than unskilled laborers, with the possible exception of Medieval English Literature majors.

[pilot-one 0]

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No millionaire ever got that way without the help of a LOT of people

Really? I beg to differ my friend.

[quade 4]

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No millionaire ever got that way without the help of a LOT of people

Really? I beg to differ my friend.

Name one. Seriously, go right ahead and try.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[lawrocket 3]

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No millionaire ever got that way without the help of a LOT of people

True. There are two ways the millionaire makes the money. (1) the millionaire steals it (like Prince John of Nottingham); or (2) the millionaire earns it.

For both, there must be a source of the money. Therefore, it requires somebody else to obtain that money. I happen to think that Bill Gates, who made his money by people willingly purchasing his products, is superior to, say, Prince John, who obtained his wealth by soaking everyone with taxes.

Sure, Bill Gates's product and company have kept thousands (if not millions) employed. Not only has he become wealthy but he has made millionaires out of many others.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[quade 4]

And in Bill Gate's case, let's make no mistake about it; the guy was amazingly lucky to be in the exact right spot in the exact right time.

He bought the rights to a piece of software from a guy and resold it to IBM later that same day. He won the lottery of life with that and that alone. Had the guy down the street simply sold his software to IBM and cut out Gates, you'd have never heard of Gates.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[billvon 2,673]

>And in Bill Gate's case, let's make no mistake about it; the guy was
>amazingly lucky to be in the exact right spot in the exact right time.

Of course. Any success story involves the confluence of luck, skill, timing and talent.

[Lucky... 0]

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>And in Bill Gate's case, let's make no mistake about it; the guy was
>amazingly lucky to be in the exact right spot in the exact right time.

Of course. Any success story involves the confluence of luck, skill, timing and talent.

If you watched Pirates of the Silicon Valley they depicted Gates and Allen basically stealing the Op Sys from that guy and breaking IBM's balls to use the software while keeping the ownership of it.

Remember, Gates' family was rich before he endeavored that deal, so he was already made.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gates

[mpohl 1]

And that's exactly why we need an estate/inheritance tax of 90%+ to wipe the slate clean!

Otherwise, we are supporting "generational" wealth which is counterproductive to fostering individual accomplishments. Other than the "accomplishment" being to having been borne to wealthy parents.

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>And in Bill Gate's case, let's make no mistake about it; the guy was
>amazingly lucky to be in the exact right spot in the exact right time.

Of course. Any success story involves the confluence of luck, skill, timing and talent.

If you watched Pirates of the Silicon Valley they depicted Gates and Allen basically stealing the Op Sys from that guy and breaking IBM's balls to use the software while keeping the ownership of it.

Remember, Gates' family was rich before he endeavored that deal, so he was already made.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gates

[kbordson 8]

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And that's exactly why we need an estate/inheritance tax of 90%+ to wipe the slate clean!

Otherwise, we are supporting "generational" wealth which is counterproductive to fostering individual accomplishments. Other than the "accomplishment" being to having been borne to wealthy parents

Even with having no children... I have to argue against that comment.

If I make money... I should be able to decide to be buried with it, give it to my husband, give it to my mom, give it to my invisible unicorn named "Bob". . . It's MY property. Why should all my property be forfeit to the state on my demise?

Does it make me a little jealous to see rich kids inherit daddy's (or mommy's) company? Yes. I rose up from lower middle class... and a part of me is annoyed that others "get it free." But it's not my place to take theirs away just because I want it. That's called stealing

[lawrocket 3]

Absolutely. Luck is when preparation and opportunity meet.

But most wealth is held by people who have worked their whole lives to get out of it. Most major wealth is brought about by risk. These are people that laid it on the line and eventually had it paid off.

I've found that a great deal of wealth is heald by a number of our immigrant workers. I've represented plenty of them and they live on limited means and save what they have. The second and third generation get in trouble because they want the money and electronics.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[mpohl 1]

I disagree. You are free to do w/ you hard-earned money as you see fit while you live. Afterwards, the greater good of society overrules your petty wishes. It's that simple.

And no, you can't steal from a dead person.

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And that's exactly why we need an estate/inheritance tax of 90%+ to wipe the slate clean!

Otherwise, we are supporting "generational" wealth which is counterproductive to fostering individual accomplishments. Other than the "accomplishment" being to having been borne to wealthy parents

Even with having no children... I have to argue against that comment.

If I make money... I should be able to decide to be buried with it, give it to my husband, give it to my mom, give it to my invisible unicorn named "Bob". . . It's MY property. Why should all my property be forfeit to the state on my demise?

Does it make me a little jealous to see rich kids inherit daddy's (or mommy's) company? Yes. I rose up from lower middle class... and a part of me is annoyed that others "get it free." But it's not my place to take theirs away just because I want it. That's called stealing

[kbordson 8]

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I disagree. You are free to do w/ you hard-earned money as you see fit while you live. Afterwards, the greater good of society overrules your petty wishes. It's that simple.

And no, you can't steal from a dead person.

Yes you can. It's called grave robbing.

[TrophyHusband 0]

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I disagree. You are free to do w/ you hard-earned money as you see fit while you live. Afterwards, the greater good of society overrules your petty wishes. It's that simple.

bulllshit. the foundation of this country isn't the greater good of society, the foundation of this country is individual liberties of the concept of the rights of the individual outweighing the good of the whole. once i am dead, society has no claims to what i have left behind. i make that decision. you may think my wishes are petty, but they are my wishes.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[billvon 2,673]

>bulllshit. the foundation of this country isn't the greater good of society,
>the foundation of this country is individual liberties . . .

It's founded on both, actually.

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We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
========

Liberty and general welfare, both right there in the first line of the constitution.

[georgerussia 0]

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And that's exactly why we need an estate/inheritance tax of 90%+ to wipe the slate clean!

Well, you are most likely living in USA, and have access to computer and Internet. Presumably you're not starving, your life is not in permanent danger, you have access to education, healthcare and you have a place to live. Very likely you had all of this as soon as you were born - and this puts you into a approximately lucky 1% of the world population.

To wipe the slate clean it would be necessary to send you to some African country, to deal with the same problems most of the world is still dealing.

* Don't pray for me if you wanna help - just send me a check. *

[georgerussia 0]

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I disagree. You are free to do w/ you hard-earned money as you see fit while you live. Afterwards, the greater good of society overrules your petty wishes.

You know, splitting you apart for organs and tissue could save up to ten lives. Isn't it also greater good for society - exchanging one life to ten, and how'd you feel about it?

* Don't pray for me if you wanna help - just send me a check. *

[mpohl 1]

Yes, I am living in the US, but realistically it closer resembles some of the third-world countries I have been to.
Did you know that the wealthiest region on earth now is Europe. YES, the Socialist countries of Europe that provide adequate health care for all.

If I want to experience Africa LIVE, I just have to travel 10 mi. to South Fulton (Atlanta).

Let me amend that statement: ppl in Africa are much more communal and supportive of each other!

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And that's exactly why we need an estate/inheritance tax of 90%+ to wipe the slate clean!

Well, you are most likely living in USA, and have access to computer and Internet. Presumably you're not starving, your life is not in permanent danger, you have access to education, healthcare and you have a place to live. Very likely you had all of this as soon as you were born - and this puts you into a approximately lucky 1% of the world population.

To wipe the slate clean it would be necessary to send you to some African country, to deal with the same problems most of the world is still dealing.

[mpohl 1]

I am a registered Organ Donor and have been ever since I turned 18.

Which part do you wanna have? Half a brain, or may be a testicle?

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I disagree. You are free to do w/ you hard-earned money as you see fit while you live. Afterwards, the greater good of society overrules your petty wishes.

You know, splitting you apart for organs and tissue could save up to ten lives. Isn't it also greater good for society - exchanging one life to ten, and how'd you feel about it?

[kbordson 8]

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If I want to experience Africa LIVE, I just have to travel 10 mi. to South Fulton (Atlanta).

Let me amend that statement: ppl in Africa are much more communal and supportive of each other!

Right. That's why women with obstetrical lacerations and subsequent fecal and urinary incontinence are kicked out of their tribes.

[georgerussia 0]

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Yes, I am living in the US, but realistically it closer resembles some of the third-world countries I have been to.
Did you know that the wealthiest region on earth now is Europe. YES, the Socialist countries of Europe that provide adequate health care for all.

I lived there in several countries in Europe (comparing to just "been to"), and I can tell you this is definitely not the case. Again, you're following the same mistake as most healthcare critiques do - they compare costs of flu treatment in Europe vs cost of cancer treatment in USA. And they're definitely not the wealthiest - I spent almost three months in Romania during last 12 months, and it's definitely not even close to wealthy region - even though they do have "free" healthcare.

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If I want to experience Africa LIVE, I just have to travel 10 mi. to South Fulton (Atlanta).

That's what I'm talking about - you could just go there for thrill if you want to, and leave any time you wish. This is NOT how people live there, they do not have U.S. income, and they cannot move back to U.S. as soon as they wish. That's why to wipe the slate clean you'd actually have to move there on permanent basis. Which, of course, you do not want to - it's only OK to force _others_ to start from basics, but not you.

* Don't pray for me if you wanna help - just send me a check. *

[rickjump1 0]

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I disagree. You are free to do w/ you hard-earned money as you see fit while you live. Afterwards, the greater good of society overrules your petty wishes. It's that simple.

And no, you can't steal from a dead person.

Quote

Quote

And that's exactly why we need an estate/inheritance tax of 90%+ to wipe the slate clean!

Otherwise, we are supporting "generational" wealth which is counterproductive to fostering individual accomplishments. Other than the "accomplishment" being to having been borne to wealthy parents

Even with having no children... I have to argue against that comment.

If I make money... I should be able to decide to be buried with it, give it to my husband, give it to my mom, give it to my invisible unicorn named "Bob". . . It's MY property. Why should all my property be forfeit to the state on my demise?

Does it make me a little jealous to see rich kids inherit daddy's (or mommy's) company? Yes. I rose up from lower middle class... and a part of me is annoyed that others "get it free." But it's not my place to take theirs away just because I want it. That's called stealing

I think it's all about sour grapes and another quick move to socialism. Just how is "generational wealth" stopping your individual accomplishments? It never stopped mine. I remember a British friend explaining the difference between labor and conservatives. He said, "If a labor supporter sees someone driving a new Rolls he thinks its unfair and will devise a plan to take it away from the owner. If a convervative sees the same thing, he hopes he can work hard enough to buy the car someday".

Do your part for global warming: ban beans and hold all popcorn farts.

[georgerussia 0]

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I am a registered Organ Donor and have been ever since I turned 18.

Well, it will only work when you die, and the value of your organs at this moment might be much less useful comparing to what they worth to society now. Obviously if you commit yourself to be split apart right now, it will make greater good for society.

* Don't pray for me if you wanna help - just send me a check. *