Here we are in agreement rigsy…even though earlier I would merely mirror your sage advice to “stop lumping _____ together – they are quite diverse”.
Here you point out what is seen as a ‘sin’ in many theologies…avarice/ greed etc. Yes, economic hoarding with no concern for others does result in suffering on many levels. And recently, what used to be actually ‘fair and balanced’ has become mostly pure propaganda… clearly bought and paid for by the few who top the oligopoly. The confusion here is conflating economic and political ideologies. Sadly though, when statistics are addressed, one can see which ideology actually places avarice on the alter. http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/income-inequality-in-america-chart-graph Opinions differ as to whether ones worth is a predictor of political views. Few statistics are readily at hand. Education clearly plays a part. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_inequality_in_the_United_States http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/overview.php One thing is clear, the great divide between haves and have nots continues to grow. Some evidence shows that this is not accidental and is mostly the result of conservative work. http://www.princeton.edu/~bartels/income.pdf http://web.utk.edu/~nkelly/papers/inequality/dissertation.pdf Race is a predictor too. http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html What surprises me is that so many people are swayed by the opinions and propaganda corporate media propagates. Perhaps as average wealth continues to decline with the resultant decline in access to higher education opinions will continue to be seen increasingly as being of more value than facts are. On Aug 4, 6:13 am, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > Good luck! :-) America still rewards get-rich-quicks and swoons over > over-the-top salaries. Beyond human greed, it is very media driven at > this point but nothing new in history if you unravel empires and > colonialism. > > Who would decide the worth of an individual? > > I'll check back. > > On Aug 4, 8:00 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > There's been a huge swing away from wages in my lifetime and readily > > available jobs. Productivity has leaped ahead but most workers are > > now worse off than years ago. The rich have had it all their own way > > and are parasitic on the work of others. The contribution of our > > professionals is negligible, but they skew the system to reward > > themselves. Some of us have taken far more than we were due and its > > clear from the way the rich have continually taken a great share that > > this has nothing to do with effort and everything to do with who is in > > control. > > We should user a combination of taxes and restructuring our economies > > to allow decent earning at the bottom, and a focus on sustainable, > > clean technology and growing to bring about a society in which equal > > opportunity is possible. Claims to meritocracy should be treated as > > the buffoonery they are. > > > On Aug 4, 1:41 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Yes- we will be able to rent drones-for -a-day. A new kind of escort > > > service! > > > > On Aug 4, 7:16 am, Lee Douglas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I don't e-bay myself Rigsy, I don't do credit and so have no cards. > > > > > As to the supper rich, what is the uses of keeping millions in the > > > > bank? I mean you can't spend it all before you die, you can't take it > > > > with you, so I guess you leave it to the kids, and then they still > > > > wont be able to spend it all, nor their kids. > > > > > Money simply does not 'trickle down', those who have vast ammounts of > > > > it do all they can to keep it, and I can see no logical reasons for > > > > doing so. Share the wealth, yes indeed. > > > > > Materialism, yes I guess you are right, although I hope not. I think > > > > whne the day comes when the whole world is fed and has a nice pile of > > > > stuff it may cease to be so important. Once again I must declare > > > > 'Robot Work Force' Yeah baby come on, I hope I see the day. > > > > > On Aug 4, 1:01 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Have you checked out e-bay? Plus the super-rich have not changed their > > > > > desires/shopping patterns as far as I can tell. It will be difficult/ > > > > > impossible to inhibit materialism as it springs from insecurity or > > > > > hostility and is held as a positive value in a capitalist society. In > > > > > a sense, we "barter" cash for goods and services. > > > > > > On Aug 3, 9:47 am, Lee Douglas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > Indeed I am, I don't think bartering is a viable option. > > > > > > > On Aug 3, 2:51 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > You are talking about the super-rich. Money attracts thieves and > > > > > > > lawyers. Most want money to remain independent and "just enough" > > > > > > > is > > > > > > > just fine. We could barter. > > > > > > > > On Aug 3, 6:44 am, Lee Douglas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Meh! It's all the same ole same ole innit . > > > > > > > > > It's greed plain and simple, I think how much money does one > > > > > > > > perosn > > > > > > > > need to libe as they wish. > > > > > > > > > Why do the extreamly rich do all they can to keep their money, > > > > > > > > I mean > > > > > > > > what are they going to do with it? > > > > > > > > > Ultimatly we must find a better way, a replacement for material > > > > > > > > wealth, and get rid of the whole concept of money. How though > > > > > > > > ummmm? > > > > > > > > > On Aug 3, 8:43 am, allan deheretic <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Rigsy,, boy are you a sensitive extreme conservative > > > > > > > > > republican > > > > > > > > > as president Rosevelt put it.. a conservative a person with > > > > > > > > > two perfectly > > > > > > > > > good legs and refuses to walk... > > > > > > > > > > all wealthy people have no right to live off the poor... > > > > > > > > > they all > > > > > > > > > regardless of political view or party need to pay their share > > > > > > > > > of taxes! > > > > > > > > > > don't tell me that they create job because they don't. > > > > > > > > > > as for people sending money to relatives.. you put a maximum > > > > > > > > > that can be > > > > > > > > > sent tax free. say 5000 dollars. > > > > > > > > > Allan > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 4:09 PM, rigsy03 <[email protected]> > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Who would invest under your system? > > > > > > > > > > > What about the government reducing its expenditures by 35%? > > > > > > > > > > > Nothing's to stop wealthy Liberals/Democrats from sending > > > > > > > > > > their excess > > > > > > > > > > wealth to their government(s)-federal, state, local. Why > > > > > > > > > > don't > > > > > > > > > > they? :-) > > > > > > > > > > > Immigrants send money to their relatives also. I thought > > > > > > > > > > the world was > > > > > > > > > > flat, at last! > > > > > > > > > > > Why would people turn their labor/income over to a bloated/ > > > > > > > > > > spendthrift/ incompetant government like robots/slaves? > > > > > > > > > > > On Aug 2, 2:31 am, allan deheretic <[email protected]> > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Being american,, I think taxes are necessary but taxes > > > > > > > > > > > need to be > > > > > > > > > > dependent > > > > > > > > > > > income.. the greater the income the greater the taxes.. > > > > > > > > > > > and removal of > > > > > > > > > > all > > > > > > > > > > > tax exemptions especially on capital gains..... > > > > > > > > > > > > I am beginning to think that a petition needs to be > > > > > > > > > > > circulated placing > > > > > > > > > > > a mandatory 35% on income over $250,000.oo with no > > > > > > > > > > > exemptions. > > > > > > > > > > > > That would go a long way to helping the relive the > > > > > > > > > > > national debt.. > > > > > > > > > > > > I also think all nation should have a 35% tax on money > > > > > > > > > > > leaving a nation.. > > > > > > > > > > > Allan > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > > > ( > > > > > > > > > > > ) > > > > > > > > > > > I_D Allan > > > > > > > > > > > > If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken > > > > > > > > > > > Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > ( > > > > > > > > > ) > > > > > > > > > I_D Allan > > > > > > > > > > If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken > > > > > > > > > Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,- Hide quoted text > > > > > > > > > - > > > > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text -
