GOP Convention

Conventions are over, I'm going back into
hiding until after Labor Day. August is
a meaningless month in an election year,
everybody in NYC and DC is on vacay.
NYC might as well shut down in Aug.
In Europe, whole factories close in Aug,
it's too hot to work. Polls and politics
mean nothing till Sept and the debates
start.

Quote: AZDuffman

Trickle-down works.

Start with a falsehood, and the rest of what you write is meaningless. Just because some rich dude spends some percentage of his wealth doesn't mean trickle down is working... as that wealth would have been spent faster and more of it from the bottom. The rising tide does not float all boats, as some of the are holed below the waterline, and others don't have a boat at all.

Quote: rxwine

Less. The same?

Not sure. It might be more, it might be different. I just know that when wealth gets concentrated, things don't work out too well for the many. We can argue about the hard work of the CEO and the problems the poor face are all self inflicted and start with the normal conservative jargon, but it doesn't stop inequalities, it doesn't change it, and your left with the same problem, where neither equality of opportunity or outcome holds true.

I just know that anyone who starts on the 'wealth creators' line, and praising the CEO as having a tough job is not going to be solving the problems any time soon, as they are so tied to their system that they think the results of that system are what is self evident today.

Quote: TheCesspit

I just know that when wealth gets concentrated, things don't work out too well for the many. .

Reminds me when I play Monopoly. It's obvious you're no longer competing on equal ground when you accumulate a great amount of money and properties compared to other players.

Real life isn't actually like the beginning of the game of Monopoly. Real life would be like playing the game with a few players already holding a large amount of wealth and you start with the beginning amount. Try to win that kind of game from the beginning; it's going to be much harder.

Quote: TheCesspit

Start with a falsehood, and the rest of what you write is meaningless. Just because some rich dude spends some percentage of his wealth doesn't mean trickle down is working... as that wealth would have been spent faster and more of it from the bottom. The rising tide does not float all boats, as some of the are holed below the waterline, and others don't have a boat at all.

Start with using an incorrect term for the idea and attacks are meaningless. "Supply-side" is the proper term. The idea was to lower crushing marginal tax rates to still too high but less crushing rates. Remove incentives to put money in some sheltered investment and putting it to work in the most productive place. It worked in 1960 and in the 1980s. It is proven.

The wealth would not "have been spent faster and more of it from the bottom" because the wealth would not have been created in the first place. You can create wealth many times, it can be stolen only once.

I still am waiting for a good explanation of why wealth disparity is a bad thing without using the word "fair" in the explanation. The poorest in the USA are still far in the top quintile worldwide. Minimum wage puts one in the top 10%! Try it! If you are in the USA you are indeed living in the Country of El Dorado.

If you do not have a boat at all then best to start building one. Waiting for some wealthy person to fill your bank account is not going to happen. Even at the welfare office probably half or what the government takes from people at the point of a gun will be skimmed off before you get your end which they will tell you how you are allowed to spend it and live.

Most people don't understand how wealth is created and the fact that total wealth is limitless (bigger and bigger pie). They are too busy studying art history or bronze age Irish literature or some other useless crap in skool.

If we were on the gold standard, would wealth be limitless?

Quote: Dalex64

If we were on the gold standard, would wealth be limitless?

Makes no difference. Many things have value other than gold. We have had lots of discussion thanks to Paco about how little currency there is in Sweden. That doesn't mean that the price of real estate has fallen since there is not enough currency to cover its value. Land is one of the oldest stores of value in the world. That is why Kings were rich because all the land belonged to them and other nobility.

Quote: AZDuffman

I still am waiting for a good explanation of why wealth disparity is a bad thing without using the word "fair" in the explanation.

Maybe because people could rely more on a paycheck instead of applying for government benefits. Paychecks means the person is employed not using idle hands to make the devil's work.

Working 2 more jobs probably means more expense traveling, and wear on the infrastructure.

Probably lots more if I think awhile..

You can afford to buy more healthy foods instead of making the cuts there.

You don't end up skipping dental care, or medical needs.


YOU can't think of anything? really?

Quote: rxwine

Maybe because people could rely more on a paycheck instead of applying for government benefits. Paychecks means the person is employed not using idle hands to make the devil's work.

Working 2 more jobs probably means more expense traveling, and wear on the infrastructure.

Probably lots more if I think awhile..

You can afford to buy more healthy foods instead of making the cuts there.

You don't end up skipping dental care, or medical needs.


YOU can't think of anything? really?

None of this answers the question. Would you rather live in say Haiti where there is less disparity? Your examples don't explain how these same folks would be better off if all of the sudden the rip quintile just lost half their wealth. Some rich guy all of the sudden is worth $1 million instead of $2 million. How has the life of someone on the bottom changed for the better?