Bill Gate's Solution to Income Inequality

[abaris]

This system is a sickness. We shouldn't be thanking the Walton's for the crumbs from their table. We shouldn't be allowing the obscenity of them having enough money to end world poverty. We should be limiting their earning potential to human levels. Ending their control of the media and politicians to further fatten their wallets. This is just obscene. What we're witnessing with some of the super rich gesturing at giving back the tiniest fraction of their wealth is them getting very worried that 7 billion people might want their fair share back.

I only want to point out, we may not agree on religious issues, but we're totally on the same wavelength when it comes to this.

[Heywood]

I love your intent for the most part, much more so than our "screw the poor" friend Haywood.

Heywood advocates a universal basic income so I am not out to screw the poor.

In my opinion.....Brian are out to screw the poor. You are out to screw the poor because you want to use a governmental rag bag of programs to control the lives of the poor. You are out to screw the poor because you want to impose minimum wages which will price the labor of some poor people out of the market and lock others into jobs they hate.

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Well, the example is a 2 million dollar wing to add to an existing mansion, but yeah, schemes to avoid the tax would be forthcoming.

This is one of my concerns.

Another concern is what about people who spend more than they earn? A family who earns $100,000 a year but spends $110,000 in a particular year(by accumulating debt)....would they be taxed on that addition $10,000 they consumed?

Right now I am leaning toward favoring dumping the income tax and replacing it with a consumption tax.....but I haven't made up my mind.

[Brian37]

Haywood, all doing that would do is give big business even more of a monopoly on our economy. Our graduated tax system is what we need. The only thing that needs to be fixed is to stop allowing the rich write our tax code. They've gamed that to their advantage, so they can do that with what you are suggesting as well.

Stop trying to justify your garbage. Inequity has to happen in any ecosystem. But for you to claim our pay gap is not hurting us is patently absurd. It still boils down to you making selfish justifications to your own personal point of view. In a diverse society WE, not you alone, WE decide what OUR laws are. Arguing that your numbers work for you, is the same argument of circular reasoning we get from believers. No kidding they work for you, but you are not the totality of society.

[Heywood]

This system is a sickness. We shouldn't be thanking the Walton's for the crumbs from their table. We shouldn't be allowing the obscenity of them having enough money to end world poverty. We should be limiting their earning potential to human levels. Ending their control of the media and politicians to further fatten their wallets. This is just obscene. What we're witnessing with some of the super rich gesturing at giving back the tiniest fraction of their wealth is them getting very worried that 7 billion people might want their fair share back.

Money will not end world poverty. What will end world poverty is the production of goods and services.

[Mister Agenda]

Extreme poverty as defined by the UN has dropped from about 40% in 1990 to about 15% now. That is a profound change, and it is mostly from economic development in India and China. Hopefully it will finally be Africa's turn next. Some of the fastest-growing economies in the world are in Africa now.

[Heywood]

Extreme poverty as defined by the UN has dropped from about 40% in 1990 to about 15% now. That is a profound change, and it is mostly from economic development in India and China. Hopefully it will finally be Africa's turn next. Some of the fastest-growing economies in the world are in Africa now.

Here is an interesting talk by Han Rosling about 3rd world poverty

[The Grand Nudger]

In my opinion.....Brian are out to screw the poor. You are out to screw the poor because you want to use a governmental rag bag of programs to control the lives of the poor.

Like a "universal basic income"?

You are out to screw the poor because you want to impose minimum wages

-Like a "basic universal income"?

which will price the labor of some poor people out of the market and lock others into jobs they hate.

Yeah.........like a "basic universal income".

[Heywood]

In my opinion.....Brian are out to screw the poor. You are out to screw the poor because you want to use a governmental rag bag of programs to control the lives of the poor.

Like a "universal basic income"?

You are out to screw the poor because you want to impose minimum wages

-Like a "basic universal income"?

which will price the labor of some poor people out of the market and lock others into jobs they hate.

Yeah.........like a "basic universal income".

A universal basic income gives people money....no strings attached. it is not an attempt to control peoples lives the way our current rag bag of government programs does. It does not require a network of social workers to "spy" on the poor to see that they are using their benefits "wisely".

A universal basic income does not prohibit a person from selling their labor for a price they agree upon. The ex-con can underbid the non-excon and actually have a shot at landing a job. After they work it for a while and prove their worth, they can demand higher pay and/or find a better job using their established good job history.

A universal income doesn't screw with the labor market which is why it is so much better than minimum wage laws. Get rid of minimum wage...implement a universal basic income...and I would bet that in 10 years black unemployment is essentially equal to white unemployment.....something we haven't seen since the imposition of minimum wages.

[The Grand Nudger]

A universal basic income gives people money....no strings attached.

Really, free money, from nowhere? No strings?

A universal basic income does not prohibit a person from selling their labor for a price they agree upon.

It prevents any resistance based upon the need for a "livable wage" from any given thing. If we're all paid a universal basic, maybe A McJob is only worth a penny an hour (the rare example that I would agree with regardless). Before you get pissy...it's not like the McEmployee needs the money, he gets a universal basic.

The ex-con can underbid the non-excon and actually have a shot at landing a job.

LOL< yeah, sure. We're going to stop squinting at excons sideways because you've decided to subsidize their life choices.

Describe for me the difference between a minimum wage and a universal basic income? Take your time....think it through.......

[Heywood]

It prevents any resistance based upon the need for a "livable wage" from any given thing. If we're all paid a universal basic, maybe A McJob is only worth a penny an hour (the rare example that I would agree with regardless). Before you get pissy...it's not like the McEmployee needs the money, he gets a universal basic.

That is what is awesome about no minimum wage and universal basic income. If you have a "McJob" you can tell your boss to fuck off any time he treats you in a manner not commensurate with the wage he is paying you. If he wants you to work nights....and you don't want to work nights....fuck him.....you won't starve if you quit on the spot. Now if he wants you to work nights...and you don't want to work nights....he needs to make it worth your while.

A universal basic income protects people from starving. No minimum wage doesn't price any labor out of the market....want the cushy 9-5 schedule but your employer won't give it to you cause you're black....punish him by telling him you'd work it for 50 cents an hour less than his white friend. If he won't cave....go to a competitor. Now the competitor has labor cost advantage. If your boss wants to discriminate against you....it actually cost him something.....he has to pay more in order to discriminate.....his business model becomes a little less competitive.

Minimum wage allows him to discriminate without consequence. If a black employee costs as much as a white employee....he has no incentive to hire black employees if he doesn't like them. He can always find an excuse to hire the white one or treat the white ones better. The minimum wage stops his competitor from punishing his discrimination by hiring the cheaper labor and then being able to undercut him on price.

Bigots love the minimum wage.