General Discussion

kentuck

(115,103 posts)

19. I think this is an excellent topic...

Thu Sep 20, 2012, 10:34 AM

Sep 2012

I think it is time Democrats stop being shy about this subject. Yes, we support a capitalist system but not a bunch of cannibals.

They are reporting on the Forbes 400 this morning. The Top 5 have over $200 billion in wealth. That is obscene and should be called that by every thinking American. Would we prefer to see our country go under or see these fatcats stuff their pockets even further?

And lets get away from this nonsense about the "Clinton rates" of 39%. Let's start at 50% and work from that point, up or down, if more revenues are needed. Name-calling by these folks like "socialist" and "redistribution" should be seen as the nonsense that it is.

Politicians in Washington, of all stripes, should be put on notice. Don't go writing more tax breaks for the wealthy and decide which side you are on - the fat cats or the people's?

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So really ... what is wrong with redistributing wealth? [View all] chemenger Sep 2012 OP

I can't think of a thing wrong with it. ananda Sep 2012 #1

I don't believe in a cap on personal wealth gollygee Sep 2012 #2

Why is it axiomatic that there will always be poor among us? Duer 157099 Sep 2012 #70

There will always be people who are unable to support themselves in any way gollygee Sep 2012 #77

Well, it's the nature of social hierarchy. haele Sep 2012 #79

In any race someone will come in last. GreenStormCloud Sep 2012 #85

A "cap on personal wealth" would be just nuts. Nye Bevan Sep 2012 #3

The biggest reason is the Constitution Major Nikon Sep 2012 #103

yup former-republican Sep 2012 #107

Agree, but.. 99Forever Sep 2012 #4

Money is like manure, spread around it can help things grow HereSince1628 Sep 2012 #5

even if that means printing more money? awwwsheet Sep 2012 #15

Sometimes that's necessary if money has been taken out of the economy CJCRANE Sep 2012 #20

but doesnt that just lower the price of the dollar making it harder to purchace things when we print awwwsheet Sep 2012 #21

What about the $2 trillion dollars taken out of circulation by big businesses... kentuck Sep 2012 #26

so if you have money you must spend it? awwwsheet Sep 2012 #33

You can hold on to it, if you wish... kentuck Sep 2012 #37

pay a fair tax on money you hold in your posession that you have already paid taxes on? awwwsheet Sep 2012 #41

That you paid taxes on? kentuck Sep 2012 #48

So in other words you think its right for the govt Missycim Sep 2012 #54

Nobody's being forced to spend money theKed Sep 2012 #110

Well if you offer tax cuts to goad people into investing then i am for it Missycim Sep 2012 #124

In Arkansas you've got to pay property tax on a car you already own and that is rusting away... HereSince1628 Sep 2012 #87

Not necessarily. The crash took $2 trillion per year out of circulation in the economy. CJCRANE Sep 2012 #30

so when people hold onto their money we need a stimulus to replenish awwwsheet Sep 2012 #34

If we let the banks fail, the global economy would have collapsed CJCRANE Sep 2012 #42

Frankly, theKed Sep 2012 #112

But that might interfere with the freedom... kentuck Sep 2012 #129

Here you go ChazII Sep 2012 #50

Yes this is a good idea Missycim Sep 2012 #58

Funding two wars by borrowing mostly from the Chinese is what got us in this mess HereSince1628 Sep 2012 #81

I don't think there should be a cap on personal wealth... cynatnite Sep 2012 #6

This is an ethical question, depends on how you feel about your fellow human beings. Avalux Sep 2012 #7

BBC: Is redistribution a foreign idea to the US? pampango Sep 2012 #8

My thoughts PowerToThePeople Sep 2012 #9

100% ? Incitatus Sep 2012 #14

yes 100% PowerToThePeople Sep 2012 #18

I do understand what makes you think someones property Missycim Sep 2012 #23

Why does there need to be a modest tax to pass it on? awwwsheet Sep 2012 #27

Because it is still income for the recipient Incitatus Sep 2012 #38

I am just saying that to be fair Missycim Sep 2012 #53

Why should unearned income be tax free when earned income is not? nt dmallind Sep 2012 #59

I agree with this surface fishing. dmallind Sep 2012 #55

this is true, currently PowerToThePeople Sep 2012 #28

Question.. Lightbulb_on Sep 2012 #44

Wealth should be taxed on transfer, regardless of timing. dmallind Sep 2012 #64

So if you built up a company to support your family, awwwsheet Sep 2012 #25

It is not putting my children in harms way PowerToThePeople Sep 2012 #36

so every American citizen should start out poor and see if they can make it? awwwsheet Sep 2012 #43

it depends what you consider poor PowerToThePeople Sep 2012 #45

there are still a lot of bugs.. awwwsheet Sep 2012 #47

Thats putting it very,very,very kindly. Missycim Sep 2012 #61

say it, freedom of speech.... n/t PowerToThePeople Sep 2012 #62

Nope, I am trying to be nice today Missycim Sep 2012 #65

I just want to know why you think you or the gov't is Missycim Sep 2012 #68

A person gained their wealth by PowerToThePeople Sep 2012 #86

You labor under the delusion that all wealth is ill gotten. Missycim Sep 2012 #126

What a load of misguided nonsense. kentuck Sep 2012 #131

Well aren't the Missycim Sep 2012 #133

"...doesn't mean you deserve all of their profits." kentuck Sep 2012 #140

But if the workers get half of the profits Missycim Sep 2012 #142

You are trying to go against evolution. Nature will win, you won't. GreenStormCloud Sep 2012 #91

Society and civilization go against evolution Kindly Refrain Sep 2012 #135

Society and civilization do NOT go against evolution. GreenStormCloud Sep 2012 #137

If that is the case PowerToThePeople Sep 2012 #141

I previously stated that there are individual exceptions. GreenStormCloud Sep 2012 #144

if you try to enslave a population of over 300,000,000 PowerToThePeople Sep 2012 #148

So, let me get this straight... virginia mountainman Sep 2012 #116

that is a good point PowerToThePeople Sep 2012 #117

Good! virginia mountainman Sep 2012 #119

also, if you read my post PowerToThePeople Sep 2012 #118

Yes but... virginia mountainman Sep 2012 #120

It's actually a good thing. moondust Sep 2012 #10

What you described isn't redistribution. It's confiscation by government. slackmaster Sep 2012 #11

+10000 Missycim Sep 2012 #24

+1,000,000 awwwsheet Sep 2012 #29

+100 ChazII Sep 2012 #82

Going by your INITIAL logic the government will NEVER go after the non wealthy...this statement uponit7771 Sep 2012 #83

+100. A Libertarian friend put it in the form of a question: Skip Intro Sep 2012 #94

This message was self-deleted by its author Skip Intro Sep 2012 #95

The power tama Sep 2012 #132

thank you SmileyRose Sep 2012 #106

Greed IS human nature. It's the truth. randome Sep 2012 #12

+1000 Risen Demon Sep 2012 #102

Two wolves tama Sep 2012 #128

If it were not for the administrative nightmares . . . . abumbyanyothername Sep 2012 #13

the only problem I can see is that awwwsheet Sep 2012 #16

That's a separate issue... CJCRANE Sep 2012 #22

right but those people are only taking money from their relative who left it for them. awwwsheet Sep 2012 #32

That's theKed Sep 2012 #115

The "free market" tends to redistribute wealth Ron Green Sep 2012 #17

I think this is an excellent topic... kentuck Sep 2012 #19

The people with it don't want it redistributed. n/t porphyrian Sep 2012 #31

Yes, if we look at the middle class... kentuck Sep 2012 #35

That's not my position, that's the position of many of the wealthy. porphyrian Sep 2012 #89

well thats common sense awwwsheet Sep 2012 #39

And the people who who have a bunch of it don't want to share it at all. n/t porphyrian Sep 2012 #90

Nothing, It's actually very beneficial to the wealthy to redistribute wealth through taxes - haele Sep 2012 #40

The problem with redistribution of wealth is it needs to be reversed. hay rick Sep 2012 #46

Morons only think in one direction... kentuck Sep 2012 #51

I think it's the language as opposed to the actual concept loyalsister Sep 2012 #49

Government doesn't necessarily have to take all of it. Cleita Sep 2012 #52

Lots of "new" posters on board with this thread PowerToThePeople Sep 2012 #56

You aint ringing up the post count either, Missycim Sep 2012 #63

I wasn't talking about you, but PowerToThePeople Sep 2012 #66

Ok sorry but I really dislike Missycim Sep 2012 #69

We redistribute wealth in the extreme, but most of it goes *TO* people like Romney. Marr Sep 2012 #57

If there aren't enough jobs to go around, giving people money is a moral imperative! reformist2 Sep 2012 #60

in the rich's eyes JesterCS Sep 2012 #67

American culture has a very narrow circle of moral outreach - always has. ehrnst Sep 2012 #71

Collecting great wealth is anti-social rock Sep 2012 #72

To answer your question, it's what all governments do. JackRiddler Sep 2012 #73

I Don't Believe in Caps on Personal Income Yavin4 Sep 2012 #74

Depends on how you do it. dmallind Sep 2012 #75

Thom Hartmann's limit is one billion $ cap. ErikJ Sep 2012 #76

Goodbye NFL, NBA etc. One_Life_To_Give Sep 2012 #78

Most of them are NOT in the 1%, that's how bad the knowledge of income in the US is.... uponit7771 Sep 2012 #84

What do you believe the income threshold is SickOfTheOnePct Sep 2012 #111

$770,000/yr is not in the 1%? One_Life_To_Give Sep 2012 #134

What I don't know is ... chemenger Sep 2012 #80

Very little personal wealth is in cash accounts. GreenStormCloud Sep 2012 #88

Nothing, an economy exists to distribute resource. If there is no movement then the economy fails. TheKentuckian Sep 2012 #92

Well ideally I'd like to see capitalism itself abolished, but in the short term... white_wolf Sep 2012 #93

So the government would confiscate anyones money that has liquid over 1 million ? former-republican Sep 2012 #96

We already tax people, this would just be an extension of that. white_wolf Sep 2012 #97

Revamping the tax code would be a start former-republican Sep 2012 #99

And also remember former-republican Sep 2012 #100

I'm not trusting the "same" people to do anything. white_wolf Sep 2012 #104

Modern revolutions never end well former-republican Sep 2012 #105

I haven't actually proposed revolution in the sense of violent overthrow. white_wolf Sep 2012 #108

It won't be in our lifetime or your children's but I believe former-republican Sep 2012 #114

Goodbye Clooney, Tom Hanks, Stephen King, John Kerry.... Zax2me Sep 2012 #98

''So really ... what is wrong with redistributing wealth?'' DeSwiss Sep 2012 #101

You can go back to Native Americans former-republican Sep 2012 #109

Another ancient Indian proverb says: DeSwiss Sep 2012 #121

Depends on whos wealth it is. L0oniX Sep 2012 #113

I think it is all about recirculation gulliver Sep 2012 #122

If the goal is to raise revenue for those things you outlined hughee99 Sep 2012 #123

Yikes!!! greytdemocrat Sep 2012 #125

The whole frame is misleading tama Sep 2012 #127

If the horses don't poop, the sparrows don't eat... kentuck Sep 2012 #130

So whats to stop someone from making up to 10mil and Missycim Sep 2012 #136

Don't take offense, but PowerToThePeople Sep 2012 #138

no offence taken, Missycim Sep 2012 #139

I was not PowerToThePeople Sep 2012 #143

oops my bad :D Missycim Sep 2012 #146

Who cares? TBF Sep 2012 #145

Having higher taxes is similar to that. LiberalFighter Sep 2012 #147