capitalism

Out of context: Reply #253

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  • utopian3

    The wealth of America's three richest families grew by 6,000% since 1982

    The three wealthiest US families are the Waltons of Walmart, the Mars candy family and the Koch brothers, heirs to the country’s second largest private company, the energy conglomerate Koch Industries. These are all enterprises built by the grandparents and parents of today’s wealthy heirs and heiresses.

    These three families own a combined fortune of $348.7bn, which is 4m times the median wealth of a US family.

    Since 1982, these three families have seen their wealth increase nearly 6,000%, factoring in inflation. Meanwhile, the median household wealth went down 3% over the same period.

    The dynastic wealth of the Walton family grew from $690m in 1982 (or $1.81bn in 2018 dollars) to $169.7bn in 2018, a mind-numbing increase of more than 9,000%.

    The top three wealthiest billionaires in the US – Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett – now have as much wealth as the bottom half of the US population combined.

    https://www.theguardian.com/comm…

    • fucked up - solution is simple boycott these families and try and shop 'smart'(er)mugwart
    • solution is simple https://is.gd/bFgKkL…kingsteven
    • perhaps solution is when they die, no money can be passed to family, becomes public company, money is divided equally amongst population.shapesalad
    • of course for that to happened, you need politicians that can't be bought by someone very rich. Thus we find ourselves spiralling in greed towards hell.shapesalad
    • tax wealth not profit. I don't mind rich people getting tax breaks if their money is actually doing something. Tax billionaire inheritance and dumb luck.Fax_Benson
    • Also a show-off tax. Tax anything that increases in value because of a publicly-financed infrastructure project.Fax_Benson
    • "Walmart employs an astounding 2.1 million people. In the United States alone United States alone, the company employs 1.4 million people."Morning_star
    • It's all relative. 170bn in hands of a family is a fortune whil in hands of 300m of Americans it translates to measly $550/person.pr2
    • wonder if inheritance tax only the rich would help? That money can only and only go to improving the well being of the country .... can only see plot holes!mugwart
    • ^ brilliant solution. But how to implement???Projectile
    • There already is an inheritance tax, and has been. Trump just doubled the exemption, of course. His father also scammed the system out of paying this for hisformed
    • kids. But the GOP's mentality of "don't tax the "job" creators" and the lack of any belief that people should pay their fair share, it will keep getting worse.formed
    • and yet we prefer to fight each other cos reasonsrobthelad
    • and yet, the Republicans still want to deregulate the banking markets like the corrupt, greedy fucks they aremonospaced
    • and even worse, the voting base goes around saying deregulation is a good thing, not realizing it will fuck them in the ass hard, like it did beforemonospaced
    • They wealthy elite need additional tax cuts, and they're going to get it.utopian
    • stop counting other peoples money you resentful cunts.hotroddy
    • nothing resentful here only a group of people understanding meaning of the word "obscene" .pr2
    • I doubt wether there's one person here who doesn't fall into the 1%. And what i see is virtue signalling to the echo chamber. Words like obscene and greedy...Morning_star
    • ...banded around with suggestions that the government should just steal the wealthy elite's money. Not one person has their spotlight on the the poor...Morning_star
    • ...and needy. Those people in our cities and communities that we can help with a little bit of effort. It's true what Orwell said...the middle class...Morning_star
    • ...socialists doesn't love the poor they just hate the rich.Morning_star
    • The government have no power over the money because all the money is held privately, and the people with the money run the government. Solution = Rebellion?robthelad
    • Rebellion, really? How many dead rich folk is enough? And where's the cut off, Ten, a thousand, ten thousand? Can I keep my Spotify subscription or will i...Morning_star
    • ...have to share it 'cause that's gonna fuck me right off.Morning_star
    • shapesalad: that's just a stupid suggestion. If I want to give my children my money that's my business. Fuck any government that says otherwise.zarkonite
    • This notion of making rules to prevent inheritance is completely flawed, whatever you put in place there will be loopholes found over time. And again it's thezarkonite
    • those who can't afford "tax planning" that will suffer.zarkonite
    • Kingsteven nailed it in the 2nd postGnash
    • well, my rule would be applied to co's/fam worth 1bn+. Of course, they would all be enticed to China/Russia etc to avoid the tax.shapesalad
    • "virtue signalling to the echo chamber" lol gotta love right wing buzzwords. But... trickle down economics!The_Reprisalizer
    • @Shapesalad. 'enticed to China/Russia' how ironic ;)

      @The Reprisalizer. how is that right wing?
      Morning_star
    • trickle down economics works. Business have money to pay me when they don't have to pay the IRS. And have a bigger budget to hire you for your shitty serviceshotroddy
    • ^ Lol saying "trickle down economics works" under a post about 3 families' wealth increasing 6000%. Fucking boot lickerThe_Reprisalizer
    • And calling criticism of the Kock brothers "virtue signalling" is too funny, considering how often right wing talk about "liberal elites" and Soros fundingThe_Reprisalizer
    • You guys are freaking out about their wealth but we are WAY better off than under any other system of government that's ever existed. In the 15th century, thezarkonite
    • elite was wealthier, you had no rights and even your life wasn't worth a damn. What exactly is the problem here? you don't like your job? you feel you shouldzarkonite
    • get paid more for your labour?zarkonite
    • @The_Reprisalizer. You seem to be under the impression that life, politics and the distribution of wealth needs to be fair. How's that work out for communism?Morning_star

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