I Wish This Was A Joke

[Jenny A]

Real wealth is stuff not numbers in a ledger. If you killed every millionaire and took their stuff and divided it up among the rest. Peoples lives would not change by very much. Rich people just don't have enough stuff.

You mean if HALF the wealth in the world were redistributed, it wouldn't matter? I don't believe that.

However, I do agree that much of poverty is endemic to geographic area and culture. Funding education and relocation may be the only solution. And many people might be unwilling to move or change culturally and so deserve the resulting poverty.

Further, most redistribution schemes are worse than the problem as they disincentive work and innovation thus limiting the total value of human effort.

One change I'd like to see that would only work globally is a confiscatory tax on inheritance beyond a minimal amount for adult beneficiaries, and beyond that minimal amount plus housing and education for minors. The problem being that it would have to be world wide or the rich would just move.

Up to this point in my life, I've been living on what I made or hubby made. Suddenly I have more because Dad has left me more. No reason I should get that bonus. No I won't give it away (well actually I will give some of it away) but it isn't deserved. And I don't think Dad made the money for me. He would have continued working without being able to pass the money on. I think most people are like that.