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The author makes solid points as to just exactly how fucked up our wealth distribution is, but smearing it around evenly would be a disaster.
Had this conversation with a friend in the early 90s:
Mike was really upset when he found out that the government burned and shredded worn currency.
"They could just give that to the people!"
"Well, yeah, and it's well within the government's power to give us $1M each. Want them to do that?"
"Hell yeah!"
"OK, you know I have a one-man lawn service and charge $20 a lawn, right? If I had one million dollars, how much do you think I would start charging? Hell, I wouldn't consider anything less than $10,000, if that, because I already have a million dollars."
"Yeah, but you could still get a righteous meal at McDonald's for $20!"
🤦🏻♂️
We're not going to get anywhere talking about wealth redistribution because American's interpret that as the undeserving taking their hard earned money. We need to make the wealthy, not the merely rich, our enemies. We need to talk about how they are already taking our hard earned money.
With enough money, you could work less, and mow your own lawn. Cook your own food. If you had a million dollars, in most regions you could afford to live sustainably with very little income. Conveniences like lawn care and fast food would cost more because less people would be desperate to work long hours for minimal pay... but you would have more money to pay them.
If you want the luxury of having others do these things for you, you would probably keep working to make more money anyway. The same applies to the people who cook food and mow lawns - if they want luxuries, they would work for them. They would probably just work a bit less and charge a bit more. Like, say, 32 hours a week, and $30 an hour.
Wrong. You would charge nothing because at such an unreasonable rate no one would pay you for lawn service. You would have a lawn service in name only and certainly not a "business".
Except if everyone had that kind of money who is really out the mowing lawns for $40?
Considering the cost of housing, healthcare, food etc intelligent people who realize ~$400k to ~$1.80m isn't "fuck you" money.
Those things should be nationalized, anyway.
I don't disagree with that sentiment.
I agree, but it's enough to set you up for a better job. If you were living off like 60k a year you could invest that and be set for a while too.
Exactly! You could invest it, take some time off, go back to school, learn that skill, or skills, you always wanted but never had time for but ultimately you'll end up working again, maybe for yourself. Sure its possible you make some amazing investment(s) and never have to work again but in all likelihood you end up back in the grind.
Really my point was that the person I was replying to made a bad argument. $400k and $1.80m sound like astounding quantities of money but reality says they are not.
I agree, but back to the point, when you get back in the work force it won't be mowing lawns. All the low level, unskilled labor would go away and throw the economy into chaos.
That's a really bad example of what wealth redistribution actually entails. It's not Robin hood giving the money off the rich to the poor, but rather the govt taxing the rich more, investing that in infrastructure, where Jim Bob can earn a paycheck and use it to buy a house.
That way people get infrastructure and housing, wist the rich have slightly less money sitting idle on a bank account. That way the money gets invested in the county and for the people and everybody benefits.
Jim Bob loves his country more as it provided the means for him to buy his home and make some kids, he enjoys the benefits of healthcare, so he in unafraid to go to the doctor, he lives longer so he can see his grandchildren growing up.
unifying against a common enemy is easy as long as that enemy is easily identified. i propose the top 1% wealth-hoarders the target.
fun fact: in the US, the top 1% each have $10 million or more. that makes it easy to remember, and easy to point to.
This is fucking stupid. If everyone had a million dollars to start people would still want their lawns mowed. And other people would still want more than a million dollars. So your neighbours arent going to pay $10000 dollars to not have to mow their lawn but they still would pay 20. Or maybe up to 100. Starting everyone off on an equal footing wouldnt just magically rause the value of everything, theres plenty of small business owners that make a million dollars and they don't just stop working.
People would want their lawns mowed but who would mow it? I mean if my family was suddenly millionaires why would I kill myself in the heat for a few bucks a mow. There might be a big landscaping company that makes millions, but the people pushing the mower don't see that. I think you'd see a mass exit of low level workers which would cripple the economy.
Anybody who likes mowing lawns and is happy to get paid for it.
The thing about having that financial stability behind you means you wouldn't have to work a job you hate to survive. People could pursue the things they enjoy to earn money because they wouldn't be dependent on just that income.
I work for a tech company in Property Preservation, this is my bread and butter. Mowing lawns is not glamorous. There are often issues, pay is often changing and has to be negotiated, having a reliable crew is hard, handling equipment issues with a schedule is a nightmare, it's not a fun happy job. There are people who enjoy it, but it's hard work. With that kind of money you can get skilled up to a job that is less hard on your body, not exposed to the elements, and pays better.
And I'm telling you that no one enjoys mowing lawns for 8 hours in the Arizona heat or dealing with traffic to drive around urban areas with your equipment, it won't happen.
Then expand this to other jobs. Who is working the drive thru at Wendys for fun? Who is getting yelled at as Walmart Customer Service for fun? These jobs aren't fun, people do them because it's the best way they can survive in their current situation.
Ok, I disagree.
It's cool, you can be wrong, people are wrong all the time.
But I'm sure you're right, people would for sure work at McDonald's for fun. Lol. So obvious you've never had that kind of job.
When not necessarily being forced to do a thing, people may actually choose to do a thing, because it's no longer survival/crises dependent. And McDonald's is garbage fill-up with no nutritional value being kcal anyway.
What? Why is the nutritional value of McDonald's even coming up. It seems like you're missing the point entirely.
Everyone seems to be ignoring reality. They're are rough, shitty, low paying jobs. No one will do those for fun, but they are needed. If all those workers were gone one day, the economy would plummet.
You think someone wants to work the front desk at a motel for fun? You think someone is going to load and unload boxes for a supermsrket for fun? Do you think someone is cleaning toilets for fun? Wake up, this is a fantasy.
Because I never did any, let alone all those jobs, amirite*?
Newsflash, when these jobs aren't necessary to survival, especially at 40/week, people will do them to keep busy, interact with diverse people, etc. MAYBE even McDonald's will have a more nutritionally sound diet.
Yeah I can tell you never did any of those jobs. If you did you'd realize how dumb this sounds.
People will start busy and interact with other people though events, hobbies, clubs. You know, not work. No one is getting yelled at in a drive through for fun. There are PLENTY of ways to meet and interact with people and keep busy without have a shit schedule, high pressure, and getting yelled at by the public.
Working those jobs are horrible and there are plenty (like cleaning toilets, or stocking shelves) where you don't even interact with people. Also, you don't get to pick your co workers. They aren't all going to be your friends lol
But if you honestly think someone would work in fast food for fun, you are out of touch and sound like you've lived a pretty easy life to never have to work these hard jobs.
And you keep going back to the McDonald's nutrition.... I don't think you're following the convo lol
He screams from his sheltered, privileged bubble. The people you claim wouldn't do it are the ones who will, because we're not afraid of getting our delicate little hands dirty, and our fragile little feelings hurt.
From the guy that thinks people will work in fast food for fun. I've worked those jobs, I know how shitty they are. You seem to think it's just a buddy hang out. Not only are you privileged you seem out of touch with normal people.
Are you having a stroke? You can get your hands dirty doing hobbies. I do carpentry and hunting. The difference is one is fulfilling and brings me happiness, where the other is a literal job thats purpose is to enrich the company I work for.
Do you like when people yell at you? I was in the USMC for 6 years, I could care less if I'm yelled at, but it's not a fun pass time. If rather be hiking with my dog or going out with my wife. But you seem to think people just love getting yelled at. Probably because you're a Karen that's usually the one doing the yelling lol
I don't know where this idea in your head comes from that people really want to get yelled at and they want to work hard for shit money. People want to grind to the bone up look tough and like a hard worker, to project some image where you're proud that you're taken advantage of. You've drank that corporate kool-aid deep my friend. I bet you think Walmart cares deeply about every employee too.
You seem like the kind of person that has never worked a day in their life and think work is just this fun pass time people want to do so bad. You are out of touch and delusional.
See, this has become work. And I get you'd argue online all day, because you're not afraid to do the work and desperately need that human interaction. I mean, honestly, I'd be surprised if you put the work in to even read this comment in full. It's a lot of words. But I have hobbies and people in my life I enjoy, so I'll block you and go spend time with them. Kinda proving my point in the process.
Guess different people are cut from different cloth, then, like some can see past their own preferences and some can't, then.
Just move on. This is why I chose not to argue with them.
Ok, honestly, I forgot to block you after that comment, but I'm kinda glad. I gotta say one last thing in hopes you see through your own BS.
Yeah, some people have self worth.
If your preference is to give your time to a company, 40 hours a week, for shit pay, doing shit work, getting yelled at, then sure. You have no self worth. You value making the company money more than you value your own time, growth, family, and hobbies. You don't care about yourself, you want to be a cog in the machine so badly.
Me, if I didn't have to work, I would learn new skills. Do my hobbies more. Work out more. Take the time to explore things I never had time for. Spend more time with friends and family. Travel to places I always wanted to see. You now, live and enjoy my life.
That's just me, I value my time and my happiness. I'm sure you'd be just as happy flipping burgers while I did those things.
Gene a great life wasting it to make someone else more happy.
Ok, whatever you say. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Well I mean you never once came up with a valid counter point, so I guess we agree there lol
We don't. I still disagree with you. I'm not interested in arguing with someone so fragile that they resort to personal attacks when someone tells them they disagree. Have a good day!
Lol!
I'm fragile? I didn't even attack you and you got so upset you couldn't have a convo anymore. I said it's ok to be wrong, after you provided no counter points, and that got you this upset... The real world is going to be tough for you bud.
I wrote up counter points, never attacking you. You then refused to engage and became childish. You need some self reflection.
Ok.
You're gonna love it when you try to loop in the age-old tradition of wage theft to the conversation. It's currently topping the charts in the US for another year, folks! (That's what. Two centuries or something now?) Above on-site theft like shoplifting, etc., and even employee theft — despite what the news tells us. Every minute shorted from your break, every tipped manager, etc.