American Politics

[Injoker Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Injoker]

How much is "excessive wealth"? Who determines what's excessive and what's not? You? Me? Some random group of people? You see it's so easy to say excessive wealth or pay their fair share; the only problem is no one can define it. What is excessive for one may not be excessive for another.

How about the wealthiest 60 people in the world having as much money as the poorest 3.5 billion people. That seems excessive to me. I would say the criteria for excessive wealth would be more money than you would ever need to get by in one lifetime. To your point though, that's right. And as you get more money, what seems excessive becomes larger and larger. Seems like that would be part of the problem.

[Party Senior Member Member of the Month August 2016 Find all posts View Profile Close Party]

How about the wealthiest 60 people in the world having as much money as the poorest 3.5 billion people. That seems excessive to me. I would say the criteria for excessive wealth would be more money than you would ever need to get by in one lifetime. To your point though, that's right. And as you get more money, what seems excessive becomes larger and larger. Seems like that would be part of the problem.

Its such an old argument. Who cares anymore. It doesn’t matter how much the rich help the poor, goes un reported. Just used as political fodder for the liberals to get elected. Blah, blah , blah. Turn the page......

its happened before, it will happen Again.


Gets kinda tiresome.

[Injoker Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Injoker]

Its such an old argument. Who cares anymore. It doesn’t matter how much the rich help the poor, goes un reported. Just used as political fodder for the liberals to get elected. Blah, blah , blah. Turn the page......

its happened before, it will happen Again.


Gets kinda tiresome.

So your response to that is "your point is moot because who cares". SCIENCE.

[TheZZMan Moderator Member of the Month Sept 2018PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close TheZZMan]

Sometimes the wealthy do give back to the community. Yes it is a drop in his bucket, but probably means the world to the charities that he donates to.

Bill Gates Donates $4.6 Billion. His Biggest Gift Since 2000 | Money

[closed224 Senior Member Member of the Month Dec 2014, Feb 2017 Find all posts View Profile Close closed224]

And I'm his neighbor. Not one penny. Hahahahaha

[closed224 Senior Member Member of the Month Dec 2014, Feb 2017 Find all posts View Profile Close closed224]

So he gave it to himself?

[Injoker Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Injoker]

Bill Gates is very generous, however people as generous as him are few and far between, and by the way, you can claim charity donations back on tax, so it's not THAT generous.

[Jay1983 Senior MemberMember of the Month Apr 2014, Sept 2016 Find all posts View Profile Close Jay1983]

Bill Gates is generous because he has the opportunity to be generous.

All of us are generous, we just don't have the opportunity to be generous, like him.

...the lucky bastard.

[NOWHARD Banned Find all posts View Profile Close NOWHARD]

Its away for the Gates to reduce there tax bill, and at the same time you all now love him, but where dose all this money go to, just what does there foundation do with it?

NOWHARD

[Injoker Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Injoker]

Its away for the Gates to reduce there tax bill, and at the same time you all now love him, but where dose all this money go to, just what does there foundation do with it?

NOWHARD

Not many people could answer that with certainty. I know that at least some of the money goes towards vaccinations, particularly in peripheral (or "third world" if you prefer) nations. My feelings about Bill Gates are pretty superficial, not many people know him personally. From what I've seen, he appears to be a great human, however I once thought that about Bill Cosby, so how many people can you truly understand?

[Cavalier Retired Super Moderator Member of the Month Feb 2015PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Cavalier]

Its away for the Gates to reduce there tax bill, and at the same time you all now love him, but where dose all this money go to, just what does there foundation do with it?

NOWHARD

With many charities a large portion of the money goes to cover "administrative costs", a small portion actually reaches those in need. Even with charities there are some people getting very rich. There have been a few smaller charities in the past where it was uncovered that only 5% was going to the cause, the rest was being pocketed by those running the charity.

[burtybasset Retired Moderator Member of the Month May 2014PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close burtybasset]

How much is "excessive wealth"? Who determines what's excessive and what's not? You? Me? Some random group of people? You see it's so easy to say excessive wealth or pay their fair share; the only problem is no one can define it. What is excessive for one may not be excessive for another.

I don't think this should be up to "the people" to decide. How much money one person has shouldn't be any of our business. The whole argument is wrong headed in my view. Why is it okay to punish people for being successful or the best they can be at something?

Maybe Usain Bolt should share some of his speed? He has the audacity to have unearned speed privilege, when some people have broken legs, how dare he!

You could actually make arguments for how much land people should be able to own, since there is a finite amount of it. But I go back to my apple tree example when it comes to renewable things like apples or money that can be produced infinitely. Its not a zero sum game in such cases.

[closed224 Senior Member Member of the Month Dec 2014, Feb 2017 Find all posts View Profile Close closed224]

Please provide a map to where the money tree is infinitely growing more wealth. I would like to pick a bushel or ten. What is determined as valuable is just as finite as land. There is a limit. In fact we don't hold what grows on trees to be very valuable. In comparison to pretty little baubles and heavy metals.

[burtybasset Retired Moderator Member of the Month May 2014PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close burtybasset]

With many charities a large portion of the money goes to cover "administrative costs", a small portion actually reaches those in need. Even with charities there are some people getting very rich. There have been a few smaller charities in the past where it was uncovered that only 5% was going to the cause, the rest was being pocketed by those running the charity.

I have read this. I think what you would pay in taxes here is what registered charities pay to actual charitable causes.

My wife was stopped in town and asked to donate to the starving people in India. She replied "I won't be donating to any nation with their own space program". Besides the 20 year old who was holding his bucket for donation must have been being paid something and I'm guessing this is ultimately taken from donations.

[burtybasset Retired Moderator Member of the Month May 2014PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close burtybasset]

Please provide a map to where the money tree is infinitely growing more wealth. I would like to pick a bushel or ten. What is determined as valuable is just as finite as land. There is a limit. In fact we don't hold what grows on trees to be very valuable. In comparison to pretty little baubles and heavy metals.

There is no money tree per say or map to it, but food is a necessity and is renewable. Sure people value trinkets and things that are hard to get, but these aren't often needed for our survival. These are personal human values and no one is forcing people to value these things. We take for granted food etc because its always there. I'm all for taking only what we need, but I don't believe in forcing this value onto others.