[BariumBlue]

Inequality, but also mobility. A society with one rich person, or even an oligopoly, isn't going to motivate many people since there are only so many spots. The height of wealth doesn't have much impact either - a person isn't going to work 1000x harder because someone has 1000x more money.

There's also inefficiency - rich people tend spend personal money in inefficient ways that other people can't, such as on private jets, luxury yachts, etc., vs. poorer people, who spend a much larger fraction of their income investing into themselves with medical care and investing in efficient things such as public transport or biking, efficiently sized homes and apartments, or energy efficient appliances, for example.

EDIT: the reason why you get a negative reaction is that you imply that it's good almost everyone to be poor - everyone is motivated to work hard, so that's the ideal society, right? People reacting negatively are thinking what's the point of wealth if practically nobody in society has access to it?

[skookumchuck]

In a free market, everyone has choices. And those choices have consequences for better or worse. It's not about "access to wealth". It's about creating wealth. For example, it's never been less expensive to create a major business. You can start an internet company with a $100 pawn shop laptop. Getting a business license is mostly just filing the paperwork. Accessing the internet is free (from the public library). Accessing a worldwide market is free. Training materials in any subject you care to learn is free. You can take MIT courses for free. Advertising is free. What's stopping you?

If you do really need startup capital, there's kickstarter.com, gofundme.com. (I've successfully used kickstarter.)

You can invest in the stock market for $0 in commissions, even buying just one share.

If you're an able-bodied adult in America, you can choose to get started creating wealth, or you can choose to complain about how unfair everything is and revel in your misery. YOU get to choose. And that's wonderful.

[BariumBlue]

A lot of people aren't aware of their options. That starting a business is super simple is something that I had no idea about, and even the prospect of dealing with bureaucracy and paperwork can make the whole endeavour feel daunting and off putting. There's also financial safety / lack of a safety net - ideally you could fall back to family, but no one really wants to fall back to friends, or worse, no one. This means a lot of people choose shitty jobs over rewarding but risky jobs or endeavor.

And for the stock market, working an average job means you should really be investing into a Roth 401k, though I know some people who invest into realty.

It's kinda like telling a depressed person "just smile and don't let the small things bother you!" Progress can be hard for people for various reasons.

That said, I agree with what some one else said else where, that I mostly actually care about is to make sure every one can afford what they NEED to without going to extremes - I know a person in the military who had to eat of dumpsters to survive as a kid, and someone who was living on the doorstep of their recruiter until they got in. There are places in the US that have third world living conditions: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newsweek.com/alabama-un-pov...

As a side, I had brought this up with someone before, and they told me that maybe it's a good thing for children to be hungry and eat from dumpsters because then they'll be motivated and work hard as adults.

Ah, thanks the comment back, I enjoy discussing things with purple who have a different opinion.

[skookumchuck]

> A lot of people aren't aware of their options.

Then I'm happy to inform you, and you can pass it along.

> That starting a business is super simple is something that I had no idea about

It can be even simpler. Go door to door and offer to mow lawns, or clean, or tutoring. When I was a kid I'd mail order candy that wasn't available locally and sell it at school. My brother would tune up peoples' cars in their driveways.