[UltraSane]

"Where is the money coming from? "

Profitable companies. This is incredibly obvious. It is where dividends come from already.

You keep mentioning social security but it isn't comparable as it has a relatively low income cap on payroll taxes and raising this easily makes it solvent.

What is actually frustrating is the wealth of the richest 400 people in the US now equals 20% of GDP. In 1982 it was only 2%. THE MONEY IS THERE!

[irishcoffee]

It’s not. It’s really not. I’m sure you’re familiar with people borrowing against their wealth to avoid taxes. That’s where this fictional money exists.

[dekken_]

All fiat is fiction. I was a bit glib in my other comment, but fundamentally there is only energy interactions, and there is no free energy.

[UltraSane]

GDP/hour can increase and HAS increased drastically.

[dekken_]

GDP isn't real champ, try again.

[UltraSane]

Then please suggest a meaningful quantitative replacement, champ.

[UltraSane]

It isn't anymore fictional than stock dividends just allocated differently.

[irishcoffee]

Wealthy people are wealthy because of their stock portfolios. If they liquidate that, everything collapses.

The money isn’t real, and I think you do understand that.

[UltraSane]

You don't seem to know what dividends are. Dividends are x dollars for every share you own that the company gives you that come from the company profits. As a worked example Larry Ellison owns 1.16 billion shares of Oracle. Oracle has paid a total of $1.50 per share in dividends so far in 2026. That is $1.74 billion of liquid cash flowing into Ellison's pocket while Oracle fires tens of thousands of people. Please stop talking if you don't understand what you are talking about.

[irishcoffee]

You sincerely think I don’t know what dividends are, given the rest of this discussion? Honestly?

[UltraSane]

No because you keep insisting stocks aren't real money but dividend payments absolutely are.