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  •  No, I think that (0+ / 0-)

    believing the existence of the superrich is necessary to the function of the economy through motivation is a manufactured and highly distributed fallacy.

    The Land of Opportunity?

    Look and the figures, probabilities, and trends in income disparity.

    They all support the harvesting of the poor.

    Pure Gold!

    by ormondotvos on Tue Aug 21, 2007 at 07:23:50 PM PDT

    [ Parent ]

    •  fallacies? (1+ / 0-)

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      ormondotvos
      1. Who said anything about the superrich? Don't distort others' arguments. There's plenty of room between rich and Bill Gates or the Waltons.
      1. The US is still a land of opportunity for many. Try talking to any immigrant, legal or illegal. There are billions of people out there who would love to have the chances for success that Americans take for granted.
      1. Let me rephrase, to give you a chance to understand and then respond. Absolute equality of income destroys economic incentive. Overly skewed income distribution also destroys incentive. There must be an optimum somewhere between the two.
      1. I, and more and more people, believe that the current US income distribution is too skewed for maximum efficiency, never mind equity. That doesn't mean we support absolute equality of income. In my case it means I support a more steeply graduated income tax, a confiscatory inheritance tax, better access to education, and stronger labor unions. If you have better solutions I'm open to hearing about them.

      Does anyone think Bush will ever catch bin Ladin?

      by Danjuma on Wed Aug 22, 2007 at 04:11:00 AM PDT

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      •  We agree, Danjuma. Let's not fight. (1+ / 0-)

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        Danjuma

        Me:

        So when someone tells you that redistribution of wealth is bad, you can tell them it's necessary, and so are population control and the United Nations.

        You:

        Absolute equality of income destroys economic incentive.

        Normally, redistribution implies a triggering point for the mechanism to engage. You don't define rich here:

        There's plenty of room between rich and Bill Gates or the Waltons.

        Which I presume means we possibly agree.

        Pure Gold!

        by ormondotvos on Wed Aug 22, 2007 at 05:23:41 PM PDT

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