Airline worker falls asleep, OP ED.

[Brian37]

But Dubai isn't poor. The Saudi Royal Family is not poor, and China's communist party makes tons of money allowing western businesses to exist. You cannot treat the word "capitalism" as a form of government. There is not one country in the world who does not have people in power that don't invest in the global market. I have no doubt Un's family has bank accounts and global investments.

I agree hard work has nothing to do with success. Neither does laziness. Literally even outside our species both work and luck work. 

And I agree a mixed economy is good, which is why you cannot have a huge pay gap or allow monopolies of wealth. 

Why can't you have a huge pay gap?  If everyone's life is pretty good(and this is generally the case in the united states) what does it matter if their are a few Bill Gates or Donald Trumps around?  Your life is pretty close to theirs in all the meaningful ways.  Your home is probably comfortably heated and protects you from the elements as well as theirs.  You probably consume as many or more calories than they do.  You have access to high quality clothing.  What do they have that you need?  What are they keeping from you by having a much higher pay rate?

Ok, I am dirt poor, cant save a nickle to save my life I have to admit. I hate this "what would you know" crap.

I also can't build a car from scratch, mine the metal, melt it down put it in a mold and build a factory to assemble it. But I do know how to drive a car and understand the overall concept of a combustion engine and can conclude it does not run on  pixy dust. 

I can point to a BILLIONAIRE named Nick Hanauer who would agree with me not you. I am not asking you to take my word for it.

Economies to me are really no different than evolutionary ecosystems. Diversity will happen and equity will exist. But when one aspect of that ecosystem gets out of control and dominates the rest, the entire system will collapse. Now if you think I am aiming that monopoly only at weath, no, but be it a political party, religion, or business model, controlled publicly or privately ALL OF THOSE sects of society require income. 

Our species barter system public or private still requires income and our modern barter system is money and again, there is not one public or private institution that does not make attempts to gain income to gain, maintain or expand power.

No you cannot let gaps get too big. EVER. Gadaffi was a billionaire who owned stock in GE. He got his ass handed to him, and I think rightfully so, because he was more concerned about making a name for himself and his own ideology and power, than he was about the welfare of those he had power over. But he still was a billionaire.

[Heywood]

No you cannot let gaps get too big. EVER. Gadaffi was a billionaire who owned stock in GE. He got his ass handed to him, and I think rightfully so, because he was more concerned about making a name for himself and his own ideology and power, than he was about the welfare of those he had power over. But he still was a billionaire.

Gadaffi was murdered because American air power gave his enemies an overwhelming advantage not because he was a billionaire. Now you have a country in absolute chaos but that is the subject of another thread.

[Hatshepsut]

If capitalism is not a form of government, perhaps it's a religion. I've noticed the New York Stock Exchange has this huge American flag covering the front of its building. It's been there since September 13, 2001 when the market reopened after the hijacked airliner attacks. The Priests of Capitalism defend their dogma with all the fervor of a Billy Graham. There's even a deity, The Invisible Hand, at whose altar the peons of this world are to be sacrificed in the name of economic efficiency. Its commandments include David Ricardo's law of comparative advantage.

With pay gaps, we're not just talking about a bigger house furnished with the climate control most houses have today. We talk about When Your Kids Have Private Jet Envy on Bornrich. They need that jet to go to a soccer match 50 miles away since driving would be so plebeian. While not consuming more calories than others, calories can be expensive at Deca in the Chicago Ritz-Carlton, where a grilled cheese sandwich at $100 features Iberico ham sourced from the south of Spain.

Basically, we're supporting a superstructure of pharaohs who don't have to await death to get their pyramids, in daily life each consuming provisions enough for a small town.

And if Senate seats are still on sale next Tuesday, that pay gap will help you purchase a couple of them. At least this last bit was curbed when the Senate went to direct election in 1913. Now all you can do is buy passage for an added line item in your favorite bill.

[Brian37]

That is a good analogy. Anything can be worshiped and I do think the plutocrats or as you put it the pharaohs have convinced the rest of us to build those pyramids for them.

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No you cannot let gaps get too big. EVER. Gadaffi was a billionaire who owned stock in GE. He got his ass handed to him, and I think rightfully so, because he was more concerned about making a name for himself and his own ideology and power, than he was about the welfare of those he had power over. But he still was a billionaire.

Gadaffi was murdered because American air power gave his enemies an overwhelming advantage not because he was a billionaire.  Now you have a country in absolute chaos but that is the subject of another thread.

No one said the outcome was a benefit, he  was still a billionaire, and he still fucked over the population he ruled over. Jefferson supported the French Revolution. His intent was there, the plutocrats were screwing over the population, but it simply shifted the wealth from one sect to Napoleon and his party. Same with Marx's ideas which lead to Stalin. Dangle any ideology in front of the masses, get them to blindly follow it, you can get humans to do all sorts of cruel things to others.