Sick of the term "income equality" ...

Discussion in 'Politics Discussion' started by SteakTartare, Feb 9, 2015.

  1. crimsonghost747

    crimsonghost747 Senior Investor

    Joined:
    Mar 2014
    Posts:
    1,722
    Likes Received:
    6
    That's precisely the problem. While there are certainly some people out there who really do their best and still can't find work, there are many more who COULD get a job if they really wanted/needed to. Unemployment benefits etc. should be there but they should never be a replacement for work... which is exactly the situation in most european countries now.
     
  2. Casper

    Casper Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2014
    Posts:
    253
    Likes Received:
    0
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 8, 2016
  3. Casper

    Casper Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2014
    Posts:
    253
    Likes Received:
    0
    [h=2]Trillions hidden in tax havens by super-rich, corporations[/h] [h=5]By Julien Kiemle
    30 May 2013[/h] The ultra-wealthy, banks and corporations from around the globe have some $32 trillion of wealth hidden in off-shore tax havens, according to a cache of information leaked by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in April of this year.
     
  4. User911

    User911 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 2015
    Posts:
    90
    Likes Received:
    1
    I completely agree. It is a foolish buzzword. What makes our country so great is equal OPPORTUNITY. People have a tendency to take that for granted, but there are societies even today (like in India and their caste system) where certain people cannot expect to have the same opportunities as another simply because they were born on the wrong side of the tracks.

    Generally speaking, any person in America who is willing to work their butt off can expect to eventually be rewarded for their efforts. It is up to the individual to make good choices, not do foolish, stupid things and set goals.

    Who wants a world where everybody and everything is "EQUAL"? I don't. I don't want everything to be the same and in fact, we are not the same. Who would decide what is "equal" for everyone anyway? Everybody has a different idea of equality. You can bet it would be a small group of people at the top who would keep lots of perks and privileges for themselves and dole out a small stipend for the "little" people who are supposed to be equal. In other words, communism. It's been tried many times and has always failed.

    What makes this nation so great is that we recognize that EACH individual is on par with all the others and we all have the same chance. The outcome is up to us. That's freedom.
     
  5. gmckee1985

    gmckee1985 Senior Investor

    Joined:
    Sep 2014
    Posts:
    548
    Likes Received:
    2
    The income inequality arguements are largely Marxist in nature. While we definitely need to address the lack of wage growth, the lack of equality is nothing new in this country. Some people are going to make lots more than others. Its always been that way.
     
  6. My401K

    My401K Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2014
    Posts:
    221
    Likes Received:
    3
    Here here! Someone with a clue! yes exactly lack of wage growth has much to do with the state of things. I am not sure why the term wage inequality got so fashionable. I can't help but think it got it's start when people that once had pretty reasonable jobs found out what it was like to have to work two or maybe three part time jobs for a ton of hours a week and still not be able to make the grade to pay for basic essentials. I am sure everyone would agree there is something wrong with that. Could you imagine working 12 hours or more everyday with no time and a half, no benefits and no days off and still not be able to keep the lights on at home.

    Well thats a sad reality here, and maybe if there was a silver lining to the economy going south, maybe this is it. People that do work should not be in a position where they cannot even afford creature comforts. I don't mean cell phones and cable, I mean heat, electricity and food. Wage growth is the problem, when a bag of groceries averages $35 what is it that people should do? Quite rankly the people that are in this situation are usually very responsible, reasonably educated and willing to do what it takes to pay the bills. they just were the ones unlucky enough to be on the wrong side of the downsizing. Where do you go when there is no good jobs? and where do the people go that were suppose to work those marginal jobs? There comes a point when you have nothing left that you can cut out of your personal budget.
     
  7. Profit5500

    Profit5500 Senior Investor

    Joined:
    Jun 2014
    Posts:
    572
    Likes Received:
    0
    Right now I am down for having a job that can pay me and grant me my independence. It is asinine getting nothing for all the hard work.
     
  8. May102014

    May102014 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2014
    Posts:
    115
    Likes Received:
    0
    It seem like you applied income inequality in the wrong way. No one disputes the idea of an individual working hard to get financial rewards. As for the "left" vs. "right" mentality, I say please stop buying into such divisiveness. It's a ploy to create the kind of frustration and misinformation you showcased in your comment. Income inequality is a huge umbrella with many subcategories under it. Nowhere in this umbrella does it say government must reward people who do virtually nothing with their lives. I don't know where this ideology came from but I never associate it with income inequality. The issue is vast and some parts of it is complicated because you also have to consider other economic/social factors into this discussion.
     
  9. Rosyrain

    Rosyrain Senior Investor

    Joined:
    Apr 2014
    Posts:
    673
    Likes Received:
    2
    I agree with the point that if you work really hard, get educated, and really do make a positive impact in your own life, you should be rewarded with much more financial compensation that someone who puts no effort toward anything. The $15 dollar minumum wage that just passed in Seattle makes me very angry for this reason. My income will not increase despite the fact I have worked very hard over the years to surpass the $15 mark and now people who flip burgers or do other entry level jobs are going to be paid like kings. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with someone who flips burgers or has an entry level job, but they should be aspiring to achieve more in life. Entry level jobs are not meant to pay living wages, but to be a stepping stone for someone to learn skills that will get them into higher paying positions.
     
  10. Determined2014

    Determined2014 Guest

    Joined:
    Jun 2014
    Posts:
    335
    Likes Received:
    0
    You are very right, I do not believe in inccone equality either, I believe that people need to get up and work as hard as they can in order to make it, if we sit around and believe in income equality, then ther are those who are just going to get much lazier and not attempt to put any effort.
     

Share This Page