[znnajdla]

The Abrahamic religions have a natural safeguard against excessive wealth concentration: ban interest-based loans to private individuals (usury is shunned in the Bible and the Koran) and instead encourage a wealth tax on hoarding that directly transfers charity from the wealthiest to the poorest (tithe or zakaat).

Some modern economists have suggested this should work theoretically if properly implemented. See Helmut Creutz, Das Geld-Syndrom (1993) and “The Natural Rate of Interest Is Zero” — Mathew Forstater & Warren Mosler.

[chupchap]

> ban interest-based loans to private individuals

LOL, read up on how baking and loans in Islamic countries work. Banks buy whatever you want and then sell it to you partially at a higher rate. The customer then pays a rent for the portion owned by the bank till the principle is paid off. No interest charged technically, but effectively they do pay; except it is now kosher/halal. We humans use language to work around every such restriction by debating on the literal meaning of any such religious restrction.

[aeternum]

And which countries does this work for? They all still somehow still manage to have palaces.

There's also a strong argument that charity transfers to the poor does far more harm than good. How do you price a field worth of wheat, a mill, or even a local grocery when an airdrop of processed flour and food rations can arrive at any moment with no warning? And how do you get the capital to start one of those when it's illegal to get a loan?

Of course there are solutions if you have enough tenacity, but the overall result is far fewer businesses started because the friction is just so much higher.

[runeks]

> [...] instead encourage a wealth tax on hoarding that directly transfers charity from the wealthiest to the poorest (tithe or zakaat).

Hoarding of what?

Commodities? Should I be taxed for hoarding firewood before winter?

Money? Only poor people hoard money. The wealthy invest it.