Sick of the term "income equality" ...

Firstly SteakTartare I think both you guys are to be admired, and I'd go as far as saying you're an excellent example of capitalism working perfectly. Without trying to diminish any of you and your wife's achievements, I think the effort inequality thing is only part of the reason, I think its also important to consider the availability of opportunities. Like you, I worked very hard to get what I have, and continue to work long hours till today, and although I went through the state school system with children ( some of) who turned out to be rapists and murderers, i also had superb teaches who taught me the process, and who showed me what was available, and how the people I looked up to had nothing more than me, just knowing what to do and being prepared to do it. I was and am still very grateful for that, and I think it was decisive.

Often children can be from hard-working families and the pressures on parents time mean they're not able to instil their children with the correct (non academic knowledge), and so these children may end up in jobs where they work honestly and hard, but are stuck in a lane they can't get out of because they didn't know how to in the first instance.

Hope that makes sense

 

There are finite resources on this planet, and yes those who help to liberate these resources should benefit to a greater degree than those who just utilise them. However we've been conned into thinking that capitalism can only exist in its current guise, its benefits skewed towards the few. Countries like Sweden have a different system, where the highest earners pay a top tax rate of around 65%. Despite this, the quality of life of the average swede is far far higher than the quality of life of your average american or brit. This is because the government there spends this money constantly improving the surrounding and environments and the social fabric, so more and more children growing up are growing up in a level playing field.

They have no problems with creativity, have a buzzing business start-up scene (particularly tech start-ups) and a fantastic social system.

The truth is that the system is broken from being too top heavy, which leads to social unrest, distrust and war. Which is where we are now.

 

I dislike the notion that inequality is inherently a bad thing. Of course of a practical level massive gaps are not beneficial for the wider economy, some degree of inequality is. Some of these people would rather drag people at the top down, than help the people at the bottom up. I am concerned with the number of people on minimum wage, but reducing immigration is the best way of tackling that rather than raising minimum wage.

 

I'm relatively low paid but even I think income equality won't work. The general feeling is that people should be rewarded for hard work and expertise and not enabled to sit at home all day stuffing themselves. The concept gives people nothing to strive for at all. I do think that everybody should have a certain level of income - like a living wage, but we shouldn't expect to live for free.

 

I think there are both sides to this argument. For example, should men be higher paid than women? One can argue that men can work more because they won't get maternity leave and won't spend as much time at home looking after kids so they should be paid more, but then does that mean that child-bearing is NOT work?

There's also the fact that wealth creates wealth. So, like, if I were a billionaire's kids, I would have a MUCH easier time finding high paying corporate jobs that get paid more because I get access to better education, a massive network, excellent role models etc. Does that entitle me to higher pay than some kid born into poverty and are coerced into drug dealing? Maybe.

I think what I'm trying to say is that hard work alone doesn't automatically mean you'll get rewarded. Poor people aren't always poor simply because they're lazy. There are MANY MANY factors at play that isn't immediately clear.

 

Income is supposed to be equal when we do equal job. Most of the time this term is used when it is the case between man and woman. If the two people do equal work they should be given equal job.

 

Not Sweden, but you can hardly compare a country with the population about the same as New York city. But if you take western Europe, then you have something you can compare to. For example Nokia, Linux, BP/Shell, Ohh God where does one even start with cars , Airbus.

I do agree on the living in Europe part though, it's definitely not the best place to be right now. Then again, I'm not too keen on moving to America either. But I do see your point, Europe has taken socialism too far and it's just not working. That is something that anyone with a decent pair of eyes can see just by looking at what's going on in Europe at the moment.

 

Absolutely, that is the case. The causes of low income are many and varied and I'm not knocking anyone struggling. On the contrary, I think we should do more to get folks competitive and gainfully employed. My annoyances is with those that will do nothing and/or destroy themselves with addiction, yet expect an endless parade of entitlements. Dennis Miller once put it well when he said "You know, I want to help the helpless, but I could give a rat’s ass about the clueless anymore."

 

Income inequality has nothing to do with the difference between low income and 'normal' income. It is to do with the $trillions of wealth & assets owned by the 1%. i.e owning 50% of the worlds wealth. It is obscene, (especially as many of those are responsible for massive crimes related to the 2008 crash whih pushed millions into poverty and starvation) and not to be conflated with humdrum examples of people working hard and doing ok for themselves & their family vs a few ne'rdo wells with problems.