Wealth Tax: Yeah! Why do Warren Buffett and Bill gates need so much money in their Trust?

[Blues Man]

Because I didn't make the ridiculous claim. You did. And your standard, stupid "list of links" in no way supports your claim. It just highlights the obvious fact that there is fraud. Duh.

Here's another.
Duh.

The lawyer who took on Chevron – and now marks his 600th day under house arrest

"Steven Donziger has been detained at home since August 2019, the result of a Kafkaesque legal battle stemming from his crusade on behalf of Indigenous Amazonians"

How many additional examples of corruption do you require before noticing a pattern?

How about something statistically significant? Fraud is relatively rare in capitalism - that's why it makes headlines when it happens. You claim that capitalism depends on fraud - which idiotic. Fraud undermines capitalism.

In ideal capitalism, fraud would be rare. However, we're not an ideal capitalistic system by a long shot.

Most people think that 'Capitalism' means 'Opportunism'. Anything goes if you can get away with it.

The 'free-market' is a 'free-for-all-market'. May the best thief win!!!!

That's the reality.

Not really since there has never been a truly free market nor has there ever been unregulated capitalism.

 

[Richard-H]

Because I didn't make the ridiculous claim. You did. And your standard, stupid "list of links" in no way supports your claim. It just highlights the obvious fact that there is fraud. Duh.

Here's another.
Duh.

The lawyer who took on Chevron – and now marks his 600th day under house arrest

"Steven Donziger has been detained at home since August 2019, the result of a Kafkaesque legal battle stemming from his crusade on behalf of Indigenous Amazonians"

How many additional examples of corruption do you require before noticing a pattern?

How about something statistically significant? Fraud is relatively rare in capitalism - that's why it makes headlines when it happens. You claim that capitalism depends on fraud - which idiotic. Fraud undermines capitalism.

In ideal capitalism, fraud would be rare. However, we're not an ideal capitalistic system by a long shot.

Most people think that 'Capitalism' means 'Opportunism'. Anything goes if you can get away with it.

The 'free-market' is a 'free-for-all-market'. May the best thief win!!!!

That's the reality.

Not really since there has never been a truly free market nor has there ever been unregulated capitalism.

That's because even in the most primitive societies, the people aren't stupid enough to let the theives have it all

 

[Blues Man]

Because I didn't make the ridiculous claim. You did. And your standard, stupid "list of links" in no way supports your claim. It just highlights the obvious fact that there is fraud. Duh.

Here's another.
Duh.

The lawyer who took on Chevron – and now marks his 600th day under house arrest

"Steven Donziger has been detained at home since August 2019, the result of a Kafkaesque legal battle stemming from his crusade on behalf of Indigenous Amazonians"

How many additional examples of corruption do you require before noticing a pattern?

How about something statistically significant? Fraud is relatively rare in capitalism - that's why it makes headlines when it happens. You claim that capitalism depends on fraud - which idiotic. Fraud undermines capitalism.

In ideal capitalism, fraud would be rare. However, we're not an ideal capitalistic system by a long shot.

Most people think that 'Capitalism' means 'Opportunism'. Anything goes if you can get away with it.

The 'free-market' is a 'free-for-all-market'. May the best thief win!!!!

That's the reality.

Not really since there has never been a truly free market nor has there ever been unregulated capitalism.

That's because even in the most primitive societies, the people aren't stupid enough to let the theives have it all

So why are you whining about it?

 

[dblack]

In ideal capitalism, fraud would be rare. However, we're not an ideal capitalistic system by a long shot.

And yet, even in non-ideal capitalism, fraud is relatively rare. It could definitely be better though.

Most people think that 'Capitalism' means 'Opportunism'. Anything goes if you can get away with it.

Yeah. That's just one of the problems with "most people".

The 'free-market' is a 'free-for-all-market'. May the best thief win!!!!

That's the reality.

That's the opposite of a free market. A free market depends on the mutual respect of property rights. Sounds like you're one of those folks who confuses freedom with anarchy.

 

[Blues Man]

Because I didn't make the ridiculous claim. You did. And your standard, stupid "list of links" in no way supports your claim. It just highlights the obvious fact that there is fraud. Duh.

Here's another.
Duh.

The lawyer who took on Chevron – and now marks his 600th day under house arrest

"Steven Donziger has been detained at home since August 2019, the result of a Kafkaesque legal battle stemming from his crusade on behalf of Indigenous Amazonians"

How many additional examples of corruption do you require before noticing a pattern?

How about something statistically significant? Fraud is relatively rare in capitalism - that's why it makes headlines when it happens. You claim that capitalism depends on fraud - which idiotic. Fraud undermines capitalism.

In ideal capitalism, fraud would be rare. However, we're not an ideal capitalistic system by a long shot.

And yet fraud is relatively rare. It could definitely be better though.

Most people think that 'Capitalism' means 'Opportunism'. Anything goes if you can get away with it.

Yeah. That's just one of the problems with "most people".

The 'free-market' is a 'free-for-all-market'. May the best thief win!!!!

That's the reality.

That's the opposite of a free market. A free market depends on the mutual respect of property rights. Sound like you're one of those folks who confuses freedom with anarchy.

Fraud is rare and only exists because some people are stupid

 

[Richard-H]

In ideal capitalism, fraud would be rare. However, we're not an ideal capitalistic system by a long shot.

And yet, even in non-ideal capitalism, fraud is relatively rare. It could definitely be better though.

Most people think that 'Capitalism' means 'Opportunism'. Anything goes if you can get away with it.

Yeah. That's just one of the problems with "most people".

The 'free-market' is a 'free-for-all-market'. May the best thief win!!!!

That's the reality.

That's the opposite of a free market. A free market depends on the mutual respect of property rights. Sounds like you're one of those folks who confuses freedom with anarchy.

Sounds like your one of those people that confuses fantasy with reality.

In our real economic system defacto fraud occurs all the time. Laws are created by the wealthy and by the thieves to protect themselves.

Do you really believe that the people who work in the New York City financial industry care about ideal capitalism or economic fairness or a fair free-market?

I grew up in Wall Street's bedroom - those people couldn't care less about anything except sucking up all the money that they can get their greedy little hands on any way they can get it- and screw everybody else. They're all mobsters.

Thank God for the regulation that we do have - otherwise we'd all be their slaves!

Oh, wait! We are all their slaves.

 

[Blues Man]

In ideal capitalism, fraud would be rare. However, we're not an ideal capitalistic system by a long shot.

And yet, even in non-ideal capitalism, fraud is relatively rare. It could definitely be better though.

Most people think that 'Capitalism' means 'Opportunism'. Anything goes if you can get away with it.

Yeah. That's just one of the problems with "most people".

The 'free-market' is a 'free-for-all-market'. May the best thief win!!!!

That's the reality.

That's the opposite of a free market. A free market depends on the mutual respect of property rights. Sounds like you're one of those folks who confuses freedom with anarchy.

Sounds like your one of those people that confuses fantasy with reality.

In our real economic system defacto fraud occurs all the time. Laws are created by the wealthy and by the thieves to protect themselves.

Do you really believe that the people who work in the New York City financial industry care about ideal capitalism or economic fairness or a fair free-market?

I grew up in Wall Street's bedroom - those people couldn't care less about anything except sucking up all the money that they can get their greedy little hands on any way they can get it- and screw everybody else. They're all mobsters.

Thank God for the regulation that we do have - otherwise we'd all be their slaves!

Oh, wait! We are all their slaves.

How does some guy on Wall Street commit defraud you?

I have been buying stocks and shares in mutual funds since I was 18 and have never been the victim of fraud on any of those transactions.

 

[Richard-H]

In ideal capitalism, fraud would be rare. However, we're not an ideal capitalistic system by a long shot.

And yet, even in non-ideal capitalism, fraud is relatively rare. It could definitely be better though.

Most people think that 'Capitalism' means 'Opportunism'. Anything goes if you can get away with it.

Yeah. That's just one of the problems with "most people".

The 'free-market' is a 'free-for-all-market'. May the best thief win!!!!

That's the reality.

That's the opposite of a free market. A free market depends on the mutual respect of property rights. Sounds like you're one of those folks who confuses freedom with anarchy.

Sounds like your one of those people that confuses fantasy with reality.

In our real economic system defacto fraud occurs all the time. Laws are created by the wealthy and by the thieves to protect themselves.

Do you really believe that the people who work in the New York City financial industry care about ideal capitalism or economic fairness or a fair free-market?

I grew up in Wall Street's bedroom - those people couldn't care less about anything except sucking up all the money that they can get their greedy little hands on any way they can get it- and screw everybody else. They're all mobsters.

Thank God for the regulation that we do have - otherwise we'd all be their slaves!

Oh, wait! We are all their slaves.

How does some guy on Wall Street commit defraud you?

I have been buying stocks and shares in mutual funds since I was 18 and have never been the victim of fraud on any of those transactions.

Every week billions of dollars are poured into stock & other financial mechanisms thru 401k plans.

According to the law of supply and demand, stocks should all steadily increase in value.

Instead, short term traders keep the market volatile which allows them to transfer all the 401k money into their pockets.

Secondly, banks have been extending far, far too much credit to everyone for many years. This has caused gross inflation - especially in housing and automobiles. We end up paying 2-3 times the original price due to interest. Everyone winds up being in incredible debt their whole lives. The banks own our homes and cars - effectively they own us.

Didn't the 2008 economic crash teach you anything? How about 1929?

 

[Blues Man]

In ideal capitalism, fraud would be rare. However, we're not an ideal capitalistic system by a long shot.

And yet, even in non-ideal capitalism, fraud is relatively rare. It could definitely be better though.

Most people think that 'Capitalism' means 'Opportunism'. Anything goes if you can get away with it.

Yeah. That's just one of the problems with "most people".

The 'free-market' is a 'free-for-all-market'. May the best thief win!!!!

That's the reality.

That's the opposite of a free market. A free market depends on the mutual respect of property rights. Sounds like you're one of those folks who confuses freedom with anarchy.

Sounds like your one of those people that confuses fantasy with reality.

In our real economic system defacto fraud occurs all the time. Laws are created by the wealthy and by the thieves to protect themselves.

Do you really believe that the people who work in the New York City financial industry care about ideal capitalism or economic fairness or a fair free-market?

I grew up in Wall Street's bedroom - those people couldn't care less about anything except sucking up all the money that they can get their greedy little hands on any way they can get it- and screw everybody else. They're all mobsters.

Thank God for the regulation that we do have - otherwise we'd all be their slaves!

Oh, wait! We are all their slaves.

How does some guy on Wall Street commit defraud you?

I have been buying stocks and shares in mutual funds since I was 18 and have never been the victim of fraud on any of those transactions.

Every week billions of dollars are poured into stock & other financial mechanisms thru 401k plans.

According to the law of supply and demand, stocks should all steadily increase in value.

Instead, short term traders keep the market volatile which allows them to transfer all the 401k money into their pockets.

Secondly, banks have been extending far, far too much credit to everyone for many years. This has caused gross inflation - especially in housing and automobiles. We end up paying 2-3 times the original price due to interest. Everyone winds up being in incredible debt their whole lives. The banks own our homes and cars - effectively they own us.

Didn't the 2008 economic crash teach you anything? How about 1929?

Bullshit

A one or two year down turn is all you have?

How Would Past Annual Stock Market Returns Have Impacted You?

Historical stock market returns from the last few decades may help you understand how to be a smart long-term investor. Learn more about annual stock market returns.

www.thebalance.com

The longer you are in the market the more stable your returns

 

[Richard-H]

In ideal capitalism, fraud would be rare. However, we're not an ideal capitalistic system by a long shot.

And yet, even in non-ideal capitalism, fraud is relatively rare. It could definitely be better though.

Most people think that 'Capitalism' means 'Opportunism'. Anything goes if you can get away with it.

Yeah. That's just one of the problems with "most people".

The 'free-market' is a 'free-for-all-market'. May the best thief win!!!!

That's the reality.

That's the opposite of a free market. A free market depends on the mutual respect of property rights. Sounds like you're one of those folks who confuses freedom with anarchy.

Sounds like your one of those people that confuses fantasy with reality.

In our real economic system defacto fraud occurs all the time. Laws are created by the wealthy and by the thieves to protect themselves.

Do you really believe that the people who work in the New York City financial industry care about ideal capitalism or economic fairness or a fair free-market?

I grew up in Wall Street's bedroom - those people couldn't care less about anything except sucking up all the money that they can get their greedy little hands on any way they can get it- and screw everybody else. They're all mobsters.

Thank God for the regulation that we do have - otherwise we'd all be their slaves!

Oh, wait! We are all their slaves.

How does some guy on Wall Street commit defraud you?

I have been buying stocks and shares in mutual funds since I was 18 and have never been the victim of fraud on any of those transactions.

Every week billions of dollars are poured into stock & other financial mechanisms thru 401k plans.

According to the law of supply and demand, stocks should all steadily increase in value.

Instead, short term traders keep the market volatile which allows them to transfer all the 401k money into their pockets.

Secondly, banks have been extending far, far too much credit to everyone for many years. This has caused gross inflation - especially in housing and automobiles. We end up paying 2-3 times the original price due to interest. Everyone winds up being in incredible debt their whole lives. The banks own our homes and cars - effectively they own us.

Didn't the 2008 economic crash teach you anything? How about 1929?

Bullshit

A one or two year down turn is all you have?

How Would Past Annual Stock Market Returns Have Impacted You?

Historical stock market returns from the last few decades may help you understand how to be a smart long-term investor. Learn more about annual stock market returns.

www.thebalance.com

The longer you are in the market the more stable your returns

Nonsense. The short term traders know that if they keep the markets depressed it will be the end of 401k plans.

People won't stand for it. So they alternate between milking the market and letting it rise.

People may see long term gains, but what they don't see is how much they would have made if the short term traders hadn't stolen most of their money.

 

[dblack]

Do you really believe that the people who work in the New York City financial industry care about ideal capitalism or economic fairness or a fair free-market?

I think most of them care about property rights, and they recognize that fraud is bad for business. Not sure what you mean by "economic fairness" or a "fair free-market".

I grew up in Wall Street's bedroom - those people couldn't care less about anything except sucking up all the money that they can get their greedy little hands on any way they can get it- and screw everybody else. They're all mobsters.

Overgeneralize much? Not even "I'm sure some of them are good people."?

Thank God for the regulation that we do have - otherwise we'd all be their slaves!

Oh, wait! We are all their slaves.

"Regulation" is one of those words we should retire - it pretty much always amounts to equivocation from both sides. When conservatives and libertarians reject regulation, they're talking about laws that dictate behavior in the name of convenience - usually convenience for some at the expense of others. But liberals like to pretend that means we want anarchy or something. They lump regulation in with all laws and claim that libertarians want to get rid of all laws. It's a useless kind of exchange because we're just talking past each other.

"Slavery" is a similarly abused term. Socialists love to promote the idea of "wage-slavery", but in my view that's a real slap in the face to the memory of actual slaves. No "wage-slave" will be whipped if they don't do as they're told. They can even quit their job whenever they want.

 

[Blues Man]

In ideal capitalism, fraud would be rare. However, we're not an ideal capitalistic system by a long shot.

And yet, even in non-ideal capitalism, fraud is relatively rare. It could definitely be better though.

Most people think that 'Capitalism' means 'Opportunism'. Anything goes if you can get away with it.

Yeah. That's just one of the problems with "most people".

The 'free-market' is a 'free-for-all-market'. May the best thief win!!!!

That's the reality.

That's the opposite of a free market. A free market depends on the mutual respect of property rights. Sounds like you're one of those folks who confuses freedom with anarchy.

Sounds like your one of those people that confuses fantasy with reality.

In our real economic system defacto fraud occurs all the time. Laws are created by the wealthy and by the thieves to protect themselves.

Do you really believe that the people who work in the New York City financial industry care about ideal capitalism or economic fairness or a fair free-market?

I grew up in Wall Street's bedroom - those people couldn't care less about anything except sucking up all the money that they can get their greedy little hands on any way they can get it- and screw everybody else. They're all mobsters.

Thank God for the regulation that we do have - otherwise we'd all be their slaves!

Oh, wait! We are all their slaves.

How does some guy on Wall Street commit defraud you?

I have been buying stocks and shares in mutual funds since I was 18 and have never been the victim of fraud on any of those transactions.

Every week billions of dollars are poured into stock & other financial mechanisms thru 401k plans.

According to the law of supply and demand, stocks should all steadily increase in value.

Instead, short term traders keep the market volatile which allows them to transfer all the 401k money into their pockets.

Secondly, banks have been extending far, far too much credit to everyone for many years. This has caused gross inflation - especially in housing and automobiles. We end up paying 2-3 times the original price due to interest. Everyone winds up being in incredible debt their whole lives. The banks own our homes and cars - effectively they own us.

Didn't the 2008 economic crash teach you anything? How about 1929?

Bullshit

A one or two year down turn is all you have?

How Would Past Annual Stock Market Returns Have Impacted You?

Historical stock market returns from the last few decades may help you understand how to be a smart long-term investor. Learn more about annual stock market returns.

www.thebalance.com

The longer you are in the market the more stable your returns

Nonsense. The short term traders know that if they keep the markets depressed it will be the end of 401k plans.

People won't stand for it. So they alternate between milking the market and letting it rise.

People may see long term gains, but what they don't see is how much they would have made if the short term traders hadn't stolen most of their money.

And yet it hasn't happened in 100 years.

And unless you have a crystal ball you can't see what the returns would have been either.

And really since the lifetime average ROR of the stock market is about 10% no one is getting defrauded

 

[Richard-H]

Do you really believe that the people who work in the New York City financial industry care about ideal capitalism or economic fairness or a fair free-market?

I think most of them care about property rights, and they recognize that fraud is bad for business. Not sure what you mean by "economic fairness" or a "fair free-market".

They care about their own property rights...and their right to steal everyone else's property.

It doesn't surprise me that you don't know what "economic fairness" or a "fair free-market" mean.

I grew up in Wall Street's bedroom - those people couldn't care less about anything except sucking up all the money that they can get their greedy little hands on any way they can get it- and screw everybody else. They're all mobsters.

Overgeneralize much? Not even "I'm sure some of them are good people."?

No. None of them are 'good' people. They are single-mindedly self-centered, greedy people. They believe in "It's a dog eat dog world" and use that philosophy as an excuse to justify their atrocities. Social graces do not make someone a 'good' person.

Thank God for the regulation that we do have - otherwise we'd all be their slaves!

Oh, wait! We are all their slaves.

"Regulation" is one of those words we should retire - it pretty much always amounts to equivocation from both sides. When conservatives and libertarians reject regulation, they're talking about laws that dictate behavior in the name of convenience - usually convenience for some at the expense of others. But liberals like to pretend that means we want anarchy or something. They lump regulation in with all laws and claim that libertarians want to get rid of all laws. It's a useless kind of exchange because we're just talking past each other.

"Slavery" is a similarly abused term. Socialists love to promote the idea of "wage-slavery", but in my view that's a real slap in the face to the memory of actual slaves. No "wage-slave" will be whipped if they don't do as they're told. They can even quit their job whenever they want.

I'm sure that you'd like to retire all regulations. SEC Regulations were born out of the massive fraud that was happening prior to the 1929 crash, when stock traders were selling worthless paper - without a second thought. Regulations are the only thing that forces any semblance of integrity on the financial industry.

Slavery is one person owning another. It's not dependent on how they are treated. Wage-slaves are people whose poverty is taken advantage of and are paid far less than their labor is worth - because they have no alternatives.

The more desperate people are, the more they can be taken advantaged of, thereby giving employers incentive to keep their wages as low as possible. If they quit, they become homeless and starving - that's not an alternative.

Your theories sound nice to your country cub friends, but in the real world they are blatantly false and are an excuse to commit atrocities against millions of people.

 

[danielpalos]

Raising the minimum wage increases demand and generates more in tax revenue. How can that be a bad thing?

 

[georgephillip]

That was what we moved into when industrialization started. Over 8 billion people with many of them earning a living or pension of some type involved one way or the other. The super super rich do not pay but direct their agendas in which we pay.

At the time of the Great Depression, John Dewey thought politics was the shadow cast on society by Big Business:

"Dewey is seldom remembered as a radical, but, in an essay published in 1931, he argued that social change can only be brought about by changing the fundamental structure of the political order — refurbishing the exterior would always, Dewey argued, be insufficient.

"'The industrial crisis is so severe,' he wrote, 'that even dull eyes can see the foolishness of adopting any measure which leaves the underlying structure just as it was.'

"Building on this point, Dewey ridiculed the magical thinking underpinning 'the belief that those who have privilege and power will remedy the breakdown they have created.'"

Opinion | John Dewey Was Right: American Politics Is Merely the Shadow Cast by Big Business

 

[georgephillip]

Break them up. But there are many who are in government who say one thin g and do another.

Elected politicians from both major parties depend on the richest five percent of voters to fund their campaigns That five percent largely depend on corporate monopolies that would have been illegal at other times in our history.
COVID-19 pandemic accelerates the monopoly position of Big Tech companies - SOMO

In spite of record levels of economic inequality, it's hard to see any mainstream politicians calling for a breakup of the monopolies that create the abundance of wealth for a privileged few.

 

[georgephillip]

Coupdetat

Tired of winning?

Is this chart of executive branch criminal prosecutions accurate?

 

[georgephillip]

who is it that forces you to shop at wal mart??????

I don't shop at Walmart.
What does that have to do with imposing a wealth tax on the billionaires who own the firm?

 

[jc456]

who is it that forces you to shop at wal mart??????

I don't shop at Walmart.
What does that have to do with imposing a wealth tax on the billionaires who own the firm?

What is wealth? Money already taxed?

 

[dblack]

who is it that forces you to shop at wal mart??????

I don't shop at Walmart.
What does that have to do with imposing a wealth tax on the billionaires who own the firm?

What is wealth? Money already taxed?

A wealth tax works like this. In the US, rich people have more power than the state. That makes ambitious politicians mighty jealous. So, the plan is to co-opt that power by seizing private wealth so that the politicians have more power. Any questions?