[thr_w]

Agreed. This avoids the common argument against socialism removing incentives to success, while still providing social safety nets. Allow people to succeed, but when they do, tax them and regulate them to benefit the less fortunate members of society. The rich got rich in part because of the protections and services afforded them by our modern society. In having reaped a greater share of benefit, why should they not contribute a greater share of taxes?

There is a stark difference between socialism rooted in the above idea and socialism rooted in jealousy and vindictiveness toward the wealthy just because they're wealthy. We're not trying to punish the wealthy and we can still allow them to be very wealthy. But as the US currently stands, the wealthy could contribute much more while still having far greater quality of life than almost everyone else.

[CPLX]

The argument that there won't be incentives for success is and has always been ludicrous. It's not based in any kind of empirical reality, just on an emotional theory that people won't work if you tax them more, and an Ayn Rand novel or two.

The reality is that people compete for status, success, money, and power, within the framework they are given.

I mean we've actually tried this. If you take a group of incredibly skilled business people and tax them heavily you don't get some dystopia, you get Switzerland.

[davidgay]

I'm not sure that a country without capital gain taxes (Switzerland) is the best example for highly taxing successful business founders...

[CPLX]

True, but also the Swiss have a direct tax on corporate capital, a VAT, a policy of taxing capital gains as regular old income for professional investors, plus many other subtleties and differences that don't fit on a bumper sticker. I think my point stands.

[CamperBob2]

I mean we've actually tried this. If you take a group of incredibly skilled business people and tax them heavily you don't get some dystopia, you get Switzerland.

And what important/useful companies, tech or otherwise, got their start in Switzerland?

[onemoresoop]

There are many examples, but here's one: Logitech