Just 400 Americans Have More Wealth Than Half Of All Americans Combined - Polidicks

[QUOTE=taipan;32990668]And they probably worked for it and took alot of risks to get there. Let the rich be rich, they did al the work for it.[/QUOTE]The term "worked" is relative. Did you really work for the money if you can decide your own salary? A company leader can make millions out of the company without raising a finger.

[QUOTE=Ond kaja;32990810]The term "worked" is relative. Did you really work for the money if you can decide your own salary? A company leader can make millions out of the company without raising a finger.[/QUOTE] And he risks pissing off his investors, destroying profits, and breaking what he has. Not a good idea.

Let's punish people for gaming the system and becoming as rich as they deserve. :D

[QUOTE=rapperkid04;32990865]Let's punish people for gaming the system and becoming as rich as they deserve. :D[/QUOTE] Sounds great, my tax fueled gov relief program checks are starting to get annoyingly normal.

What are these guys going to do with all this money? Make a private theme park? Yeesh.

[QUOTE=devotchkade;32990502]So... homeless people don't exist in your fantasy land, then. Neither do disabled people, or people who have been jailed for decades on minor charges, or have to work three jobs to survive. Wish I lived in your world.[/QUOTE] He also thinks that working a job you hate is wasting your life and that only a very few people do that and that if you don't like your job you can just get another one.

[QUOTE=S31-Syntax;32990845]And he risks pissing off his investors, destroying profits, and breaking what he has. Not a good idea.[/QUOTE]Not if he makes some kind of arbitrary argument on how he "deserves" the money. If having a high salary pisses off investors, then why do they make so much money?

Don't worry, the wealth will trickle down you guys. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/yrqQH.jpg[/IMG]

[QUOTE=Ond kaja;32991036]Not if he makes some kind of arbitrary argument on how he "deserves" the money. If having a high salary pisses off investors, then why do they make so much money?[/QUOTE] Having a high salary doesn't piss off investors, raising your salary just cause will. And you just took my point and made an arbitrary argument about how people can just "say that they deserve it" and the investors will be happy. Its not that easy, I assure you.

I agree that the distribution of the wealth is ridiculous, but saying that we should tax more of their money just because "they don't need it" is a bad idea. If anything at least come up with a flat tax rate so that everyone pays the same percentage. Right now the rich pay more, but pay a lower percentage than the poor do, they complain that they already pay more and thus deserve a lower tax percentage. This is also dumb.

[QUOTE=Vandl92;32991163]I agree that the distribution of the wealth is ridiculous, but saying that we should tax more of their money just because "they don't need it" is a bad idea. If anything at least come up with a flat tax rate so that everyone pays the same percentage. Right now the rich pay more, but pay a lower percentage than the poor do, they complain that they already pay more and thus deserve a lower tax percentage. This is also dumb.[/QUOTE] A flat tax is a TERRIBLE idea. It hurts the middle and lower class people while helping the upper class.

[QUOTE=S31-Syntax;32991126]Having a high salary doesn't piss off investors, raising your salary just cause will. And you just took my point and made an arbitrary argument about how people can just "say that they deserve it" and the investors will be happy. Its not that easy, I assure you.[/QUOTE] It's not like investors solely look on the salary of the company leader, and then make the decision whether they are going to invest or not. The company leaders are aware of this, they raise their salary when the company is doing good, and keeping the salary when the company is doing bad.

[QUOTE=Vandl92;32991163]I agree that the distribution of the wealth is ridiculous, but saying that we should tax more of their money just because "they don't need it" is a bad idea. If anything at least come up with a flat tax rate so that everyone pays the same percentage. Right now the rich pay more, but pay a lower percentage than the poor do, they complain that they already pay more and thus deserve a lower tax percentage. This is also dumb.[/QUOTE] How, exactly, is it a bad idea? Not that anybody's saying we should just tax the rich more because they've got more money lying around that they don't need (that's just too silly). Now a flat tax... that's a bad idea. All that does is let the rich get richer and drive the poor even deeper into poverty; and if it's done long enough, you'll eradicate the middle class in the midst of all this. It will become a case of "either you're poor or you're rich".

[QUOTE=Eluveitie;32988809]And I bet those 400 people are unsatisfied and want more wealth.[/QUOTE] Relevant: [video=youtube;JoYWdHe4tQ4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoYWdHe4tQ4[/video]

[QUOTE=Ond kaja;32991220]It's not like investors solely look on the salary of the company leader, and then make the decision whether they are going to invest or not. The company leaders are aware of this, they raise their salary when the company is doing good, and keeping the salary when the company is doing bad.[/QUOTE] Its not like investors completely ignore it either. It IS a factor and nothing you think, say, or do will change that. And the company leaders that think that the investors are their bitches will quickly and harshly lose those investors because I'm fairly certain they don't like having their money leeched by a failing company. If the company is doing bad and they're losing [I]more[/I] money because the CEO isn't giving a damn, the investors will pull their loses and leave, and the company will die. This is one example of the invisible hand of capitalism.

[QUOTE=Vandl92;32991163]Right now the rich pay more, but pay a lower percentage than the poor do, they complain that they already pay more and thus deserve a lower tax percentage. This is also dumb.[/QUOTE] This is not true. I'm assuming this is why you want a flat tax rate.

[QUOTE=Morcam;32991780]This is not true. I'm assuming this is why you want a flat tax rate.[/QUOTE] That would be it, after doing some of the research I should have done before saying that I see the progressive tax rate here makes more sense than a flat tax rate.

[QUOTE=Medevilae;32988978]I can understand protesting the bailouts, but there's no point in protesting their wealth and success- which is what many seem to be doing.[/QUOTE] Just think. Each one of those people have more money then the entire GDP of a lot of countries.

It was bound to happen in a capitalist society. In communist societies you have equal management of money, but in capitalism you get unequal pay depending on who struck luck first.

What I have never understood is why these big companies (The biggest ones in the world) continue to actively seek out more profits? They are infinitely rich and have the money to do whatever they want. Why cant they start releasing their products a little cheaper and make them more accessible for people, the sales would probably even out by volume and they would actually be doing a good thing for everyone.

[QUOTE=Lilolia;32995278]What I have never understood is why these big companies (The biggest ones in the world) continue to actively seek out more profits? They are infinitely rich and have the money to do whatever they want. Why cant they start releasing their products a little cheaper and make them more accessible for people, the sales would probably even out by volume and they would actually be doing a good thing for everyone.[/QUOTE] Because they wanna be number 1 no matter who and how many they [I]potentially[/I] screw over.

[QUOTE=Lilolia;32995278]What I have never understood is why these big companies (The biggest ones in the world) continue to actively seek out more profits? They are infinitely rich and have the money to do whatever they want. Why cant they start releasing their products a little cheaper and make them more accessible for people, the sales would probably even out by volume and they would actually be doing a good thing for everyone.[/QUOTE] Shareholders....

[QUOTE=The mouse;32988771]Nowhere should have that much wealth imbalance[/QUOTE] They probably earned it, they're entitled to it. Someone could possibly have something on you? Here, let's just cramp their happiness to buff your own selfish desires! That's perfectly fair...

[QUOTE=Jenkem;32995559]They probably earned it, they're entitled to it. Someone could possibly have something on you? Here, let's just cramp their happiness to buff your own selfish desires! That's perfectly fair...[/QUOTE] YES THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TAKE THEIR MONEY AND GIVE IT ALL TO MEEEEEE BECAUSE I'M A SOCIALIST AND THAT'S WHAT SOCIALISTS WANT Jenkem!!!!!!!!

[QUOTE=Jenkem;32995559]They probably earned it, they're entitled to it.[/QUOTE]No, most likely, they did not.

[QUOTE=Zeke129;32995638]YES THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TAKE THEIR MONEY AND GIVE IT ALL TO MEEEEEE BECAUSE I'M A SOCIALIST AND THAT'S WHAT SOCIALISTS WANT Jenkem!!!!!!!![/QUOTE] Fuck the needy who's failing at making ends meet, let's give all the money to spoiled teenagers.

[QUOTE=Van-man;32995688]Fuck the needy who's failing at making ends meet, let's give all the money to spoiled teenagers.[/QUOTE] Yes exactly! You understand the movement PERFECTLY

You know, seeing some of these people around here makes me look back on myself a few years ago, particularly here on Facepunch. Then it makes me sick to my stomach and wonder what the hell was wrong with me for being so damned ignorant. I used to buy in to the same bullshit I see a number of people spouting now about how "Well the rich probably earned it!" and "Well the protestors should just get jobs and work hard instead of being stupid socialists!" The shit I said was stupid and downright awful. I was an absolute dumbass for actually believing any of it and worse for saying it. But fortunately, I actually took a little time one day and sat down to think and learn about these things and educate myself on these matters. It was like a stroke of fucking genius. I actually grew and matured as a human being. So seeing others in the same hole I was in is actually rather sad. Hell, Zeke, you might remember some of the arguments we had a few years ago on issues not all too different from these.

[QUOTE=Van-man;32988857]Now where's that modern day Robin Hood when we need him?[/QUOTE] [url]http://robinhoodtax.org/[/url] [url]http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters-blog/robinhood.html[/url]

When I hear things like this, it makes me wonder how people can still continue to criticize the OWS movement with this "I am the 53%" bullshit. The gap between rich and poor is growing, and the middle class has been shrinking ever since Conservatives put massive tax cuts on the wealthy, and tax cuts on everyone in general. I applaud every person standing up to economic inequality in this country.