This is what I think. As I stated above, the rich do most of the investing in the world, so if you squeeze them harder, it will only hurt the people at the bottom.
The twentieth century called, they want their bullshit trickle-down economics back.
Seriously, if you still think trickle-down works, you're a fucking fool.
The people on the bottom are pretty much fucked no matter what.
Ok - trickle down economics don't work. Let me prove you wrong.
Here, real figures - let's see how much money the whole country makes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Comparison_of_three _stock_indices_afte r_1975.svghttp://www.data360.org/graph_group.aspx?Graph_Group_Id=149Now, provide your data that the US is not making more money than ever before. Notice the average trend of growth. Where does the slope of the trend of growth shift to a far greater rate?
Look at the graphs, and tell me.
We've had nearly 30 years to collect data on the failure known as "Reaganomics" - and promoting success and entrepreneurship.
Let me count the accomplishments of the United States, post Reaganomics - post encouraging entrepreneurship:
- Internet.
- Google
- Microsoft
- iPod
- Facebook
- Myspace
- Twitter
- iPhone
- Xbox
- All the killer US-designed video games we play
- World of Warcraft
- Quake (
John Romero: IF the guy couldn't have made a good chunk of cash - do you think he would have done it? )
- Do I really need to go on? Now hold on a second - do you think, do you honestly deep down inside - do you really think people would have invented the iPhone if they knew they could only make $200,000 a year after taxes - even if they made millions?
Do you think people would work themselves to this - literally, to death - if there were no rewards to be reaped? 
But hey, these guys are a couple of the monsters you're referring to. They've got to pay their fair share.
Only 85% of the nation's tax burden isn't enough. They need to pay MORE. MORE. MORE. Jackson there - he did work himself to death. Poor guy was trying to dig himself out of debt, and his body couldn't take it.
What incentive does someone have to work themselves to the bone, literally, if the Government will take everything away? You will not like what society will become ... if this becomes the case.
Look at the cultural wasteland that was the Soviet Union. You forget who the rich are - not just investors.
Entertainers, inventors, doctors as well. This will demolish our society - the United States as you know it - will be history.
If people choose to sit around getting drunk, having sex, playing games, watching TV, that's not my tough shit. We've got trillions of dollars to be had. It's a shame that only what - 5% of our population decides to take a chunk for themselves. If you want to start your own operation - what's stopping you, no really - tell me - what's stopping you from starting a business?
- Federal Taxpayer ID number: Free.
- State business license: $50.00 in my state.
- City business registration: $10.00.
- Brains: Now, this, you can't buy.
So tell me -
what will your boss be able to pay you - if he can only make $200,000 a year? Do you think your quality of life will be better?
What will happen to the fortunes we've amassed since the 80s?
And by the way - what's your job? Are you a professional? Are you done with college?
Do you even know what real life is yet? If you're in your teens - you're still literally in diapers - as the real world is concerned.
IMO - voting age should be 21 - done with college, and a contributing member of society.But it's not like the top is an exclusive club. Most of the people at the top started at *gasp* the bottom.
Define bottom, because I think you're full of shit. Protip: Bill Gates was NOT at the bottom.
His family was upper middle class; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_GatesProtip Fact:
Upper middle class is not rich.I've got a lawyer relative. He's no millionaire -
not by a longshot.
Middle class. It's the class where you make enough to take out a mortgage to buy a house, and get a loan to buy a car - and you have enough money at 65 to live comfortably until you die 5 years later. See if someone "middle class" can go out and start a, we'll start small, dunkin donuts - if they wanted to.
That's not "the top" in my books.
That's whatever. That's regular old person.
Another thing to consider when you think of "the bottom":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_the_United_StatesWe have an estimated 40M people who have immigrated - with a million coming in each year. This is a spike in the statistics. 10% of the nation potentially at the bottom of the barrel - not by any fault of the United States.
Plus the illegal people, who, should not even be counted in my opinion. They're criminals, they deserve nothing - not even respect. ( *
Though I do say the lack of a guest worker program does us harm in this matter. They should easily - and without many restrictions - be allowed to leave & enter, work, and pay taxes at a
slightly higher rate than a citizen --- for the
privilege of working here legally as a guest. )
Drunk college student? That is in fact, where I am right now. (Except I'm sober.)
If I want to start a company and make a million, there's nothing stopping me. That doesn't mean I'll suceed. See, life is not a guaranteed sucess, and not very many people make it to the top. Most of the time, it's luck, or being in the right place at the right time. Granted, it takes money to breed money, but buying stocks or starting is something the average person can do quite easily.
True. But, it doesn't take millions to start a great business. It takes a bright person, some will, a whole bunch of HARD work ( seriously - look at Steve Jobs up there. Do you think he got sick like that from sitting around? ), and even more discipline.
The biggest mistake people who get into business make - is this.
They think they made it, when they didn't. And then they start blowing the ground from under their feet. ( In other words - they make a whole lot of money, and think "hey, this is a LOT!!!!" - and they start spending like mad ... until they ruin themselves, and exit the game --- OR --- they start off like they're on the top, way too fast for their own good ... and end up running themselves into the ground. This happens all too often. )
[Edit: This post is WAY too damn big.]
