[superhumanuser]

Who cares of they do or don't have to pay taxes. Taxes shouldn't be punishment. We should strive to all pay less. The government wastes our money frivolously. We should be advocating for better appropriation and spending, not advocating to give them more just because you think the rich are an enemy.

[carlob]

Having people be this rich is a problem, though: periods of time where the wealth is superconcentrated have never been good for anyone, the economy slows down, because the superrich never consume in proportion with what they have, there is social unrest and eventually wars and revolutions. The times where wealth was less unequally distributed were the '50s and '60s, whereas we haven't seen this kind of inequality since 1914, and we all know what happened in the following 3 decades...

[caballeto]

If the rich are not consuming in proportion to what they have, then what do they do with their money? Right, they invest it. And what does that investment create? Jobs, factories, lower costs, and new opportunities for all. The fact that someone was able to accumulate wealth shows that they know how to use it to generate a return. For the economy in general, it is much more beneficial to have people with skin in the game to invest their own money, instead of the government wasting it in bureaucracy.

[pydry]

>Right, they invest it. And what does that investment create? Jobs

No, overpriced housing. You want jobs? You need more income equality to fund spending.

[loeg]

Some people want wealth redistribution. Taxes are the only real mechanism for doing that. I understand that you disagree with that objective. But the proposed mechanism isn't the problem.

[seanmcdirmid]

Wealth redistribution via progressive taxation has been a primary way of avoiding peasant revolts for awhile (working in favor of the rich who tend to be targeted during those things). Sort of like how property taxes discourage buying and holding property without using it productively.

But yes, government should use our tax money better, and even if they are used as a debtor of last resort, they should use the money they borrow more wisely as well (less relevant now that interest rates are high).

[ok_dad]

Sure let’s cut spending, but in the mean time those who are wealthy and benefitting most should be paying the most.

[ochoseis]

If society ossifies into classes with landed gentry at the top, it’s not going to end pretty.