Now that MLB is back...does anyone care?

[todeen]

Again, I don't think redistribution of wealth is theft. I do think it's unethical, but it's not theft. My tsk tsk comment was in reference to that. I'm also not socialist. I'm pro capitalism. My family and my life has been greatly influenced by capitalism. Redistribution of wealth is a very capitalist endeavor.

Now, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. The wealthy have been redistributing and consolidating wealth for 60 years. Real wages / real wealth is not higher than that of the late 60s. If the wealthy have been able to change monetary laws, reduce taxes, and create stagnant wages, than the middle class has every right to undo these changes. The wealthy have reduced or eliminated taxes on capital gains, estate transfers, and taxes on wealth above certain percentages, and this has hurt the USA. We have stopped investing in infrastructure, and we wonder why we are about to be passed by China for most powerful economy.

Next, it is a false narrative to believe that taking lower benefits will increase your wages. Both benefits and wages have fallen since the 60s, creating less real wealth. Wages have not kept up with inflation, so middle class workers have less buying power today than 60 years ago. By stagnating wages, and introducing gig jobs (private contractor economy - Uber, Amazon deliveries, etc), CEOs are inflating profits to create dividends and other capital gains. Since the majority of stock wealth is possessed by the wealthiest citizens, these dividends are going directly into private accounts rather than strengthening the company. Further, private equity firms have learned how to buy a company (Toys R Us, Sears, etc) and stack the company with debt, while at the same time withdrawing profits from the company. The company then goes bankrupt, and the private equity firm walks away with the wealth, leaving behind debt and jobless employees to be sorted out by others. Pensions are turned over to Pension Guarantee, and the private equity firms score another victory.

No, redistribution of wealth is not theft. If it was, the wealthy wouldn't have been able to do what they've done. What the wealthy has done is completely legal and supports capitalism. Changing tax and income laws, reducing benefits and wages, getting rid of matching 401k payments, leeching wealth from companies, increasing part time work, increasing contract workers, and reducing full time employees is unethical, but it's legal, and it's not theft.

And it's every bit fair game for middle class workers to play by the same rules and begin to advocate for these changes to be undone. Undoing these changes will turn the stream of income slightly away from the wealthy and redistribute wealth back to the middle and lower class.

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[packs]

I think it helps to understand what redistribution of wealth means and to understand it's already in practice in every aspect of your life. It is not theft, it is government policy. When you get divorced and your assets are split, that is a redistribution of wealth that takes place on the individual level you’re talking about. But that is not how wealth is redistributed on a public scale. We have a progressive income tax, that's redistribution. We have charities you can donate to. That's redistribution of wealth too. Medicare is a redistribution of wealth. Things like public WiFi, public education and public libraries are a redistribution of wealth. Museums are a redistribution of wealth.

In political circles you will hear people talk about theft. But in your practical life it seems to be more or less accepted as the cost of doing business. It also leads to a lot of good things for people (like a free public education, being able to access the internet or going to the doctor).

[Cliff Bowman]

I can’t say their names, but NP of CA has a net worth of $120 million, MW of VA has a net worth of $90 million, RB of CT has a net worth of $70, DF of CA has a net worth of $58 million, EW of MA has a net worth of $12 million. Does any anyone here who is not naive honestly believe that they are going to pass laws that will take their personal wealth or their billionaires donors personal wealth with no loopholes or havens to protect their own money? I have no doubt that will certainly try to clean out their wealthy enemies as soon as they take power in January but they will never pass laws that will allow their own wealth or their donors wealth to be touched.

[packs]

A city's budget is a redistribution of wealth. Every city has one and every city passes one. It decides how your tax dollars are reinvested in the city. I don’t think it’s theft if people who have more money pay more in taxes that then benefit other people in the form of public services.

[Cliff Bowman]

What does that have to do with taking wealth from liberal millionaires and billionaires and giving it to the less fortunate? Do you believe NP and MW are going to allow their own personal wealth to be confiscated? Hell no they aren’t.

[packs]

Originally Posted by Cliff Bowman

What does that have to do with taking wealth from liberal millionaires and billionaires and giving it to the less fortunate? Do you believe NP and MW are going to allow their own personal wealth to be confiscated? Hell no they aren’t.

It has nothing to do with it, which is the point. I don't know what your personal concepts of wealth redistribution are but there is nothing about the practice that relates to taking something from one individual and giving it to another individual, except in personal matters between two people (like in divorce). The vision you have of someone reaching into someone else's pockets and giving it to a third person is not what happens in practice. And a fear of wealth redistribution is unfounded because as I've pointed out, you are surrounded by wealth redistribution every day.

What you're talking about are taxes, something rich people have fought since there were taxes.

[Cliff Bowman]

Oprah Winfrey, Bill Maher, Jay Z, Michael Moore, LeBron James, Al Gore, Michael Jordan, Bill Clinton, Steven Spielberg, and countless others are either multi multimillionaires or billionaires, should their wealth be confiscated?

[Huysmans]

Originally Posted by packs

It has nothing to do with it, which is the point. I don't know what your personal concepts of wealth redistribution are but there is nothing about the practice that relates to taking something from one individual and giving it to another individual, except in personal matters between two people (like in divorce). The vision you have of someone reaching into someone else's pockets and giving it to a third person is not what happens in practice. And a fear of wealth redistribution is unfounded because as I've pointed out, you are surrounded by wealth redistribution every day.

What you're talking about are taxes, something rich people have fought since there were taxes.

Literally EVERY example of wealth distribution you gave is false.
A city budget for instance, is an allocation of funds generated through taxation.

According to Wikipedia: "The distribution of wealth is a comparison of the wealth of various members or groups in a society. It shows one aspect of economic inequality or economic heterogeneity"

Does that sound like things you mentioned as wealth distribution? Of course not.
I'm not trying to be rude, but reading your comments, I don't think you really understand any of this.

And your last sentence again points out your bias against the rich... so the poor LOVE taxes and never fight them??????? Hilarious