Class Warfare...

[Professor]

Welcome back, RT6.

We won't return to the 10s and 20s. Too many regulations in place. The govt steps in and disallows companies that try to get too big by purchasing other companies. Or, if they get too big on their own, the govt can step in and tell them to break up.

Who are you/we to tell the owners of a company (the stockholders and/or Board of Directors) how much they can pay a CEO? Or, in the case of a large privately-held company like Johnson & Johnson, who are we to put a cap on the profits they realize?

Also, Citizens United was a free speech case. Yes, money = speech. When you use money to pay someone to speak on your behalf, that's free speech. Not allowing that would mean that it would be harder for people from CA to speak to their Senators (who are in DC most of the time) than it would be for people from VA. And, are we going to start telling people that they cannot buy TV commercials to talk to people about what is important to them? The TV is nothing more than a modern political whistle-stop tour. When I say people, I include companies. There is always one or more people at a company who decide to make that speech, who authorize it, and who pay for it. If the employees and other stakeholders don't agree - well, it's a free country. They can speak against it, up to and including quiting the company.

I'm not saying that wealth disparity isn't a problem. It is. But, the answer is not to forceably take it from some and give it to others. The answer is to emplower the many so that they may earn it themselves. Education is key to this. Job training. Networking. Career planning.

The thing that made the "greatest generation" just that wasn't the fact that the highest marginal tax rate approached 90%. It was that the kids that came back from the war had a work ethic unrivaled in American history. They grew up hungry in the depression, working at age 8 to feed their families. They fought for their country. And, when they came back, they worked to make it the best they could. These are the things that make a great country. Not heavy-handed government.

[Kane]

I don't think Obama seeks to "end class warfare" or "inciting" it. He's going to attack the concentration of wealth itself, any public attempt at redistribution will be hit on hard by obvious political opportunists. Freeing up that for the broader economy means more money being spent...and not hoarded.

[Kane]

[PoS]

[Professor]

[Hyperion]

The corporate tax rate needs to be reduced (but maintained - the legal benefits shouldn't come free) and a more progressive tax rate implemented. Hell, top income earners at one time had to cope with a 90% tax bracket and now they complain about 38%? Ridiculous.

[Homer]

[eynon81]

[eynon81]

[eynon81]