Rutger Bregman tells Davos to talk about tax: 'This is not rocket science'

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toomuchtodo · 2024-08 · Reference

Good luck moving the needle faster than the total fertility rate declines. Based on the evidence, this is unlikely to occur even though it is the only path to success. It’ll take decades for the old folks with their ideas age out [1], and young folks can get leverage. [1] [VIDEO]

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toomuchtodo · 2024-05 · Reference

This is a a false dilemma. Force corporations to raise wages, continue to provide social safety nets (so basic needs are met), and if there is a gap, raise taxes in a progressive fashion. There is enough wealth to not configure the system in this manner; to continue to do so is a choice. It's just a big spreadsheet, you're arguing over a cell or two, I'm arguing over the function result and working backwards from there. Otherwise, we admit we're just fine with the current setup and that is who we are. We prefer the human suffering for magic numbers in a database. [VIDEO] [LINK]

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xracy · 2024-04 · Reference

I feel like you have to be pretty far from reality to think that if this would impact the wealthy in any meaningful way, that they would also let it happen. This person's view of "voluntary spending" vs. "involuntary taxation" is so whacky also. 1st off, if the gov't makes you sell it after 100 years, it's not "voluntary". 2nd, in what world would you not just... transfer it to another person you know, and have them transfer it back. 3rd, How many wealthy families actually own the same piece of property for >100 years? Wealth = Power, if you want money from the wealthy to leave the hands of the wealthy, the gov't is just going to have to take it from them. Now, you can decide what you want to tax, OR you can do what we've done in America, and just pretend this isn't a problem. Some possible 'what's (in rough order of how much I think they actually solve the problem): 1. Treat Capital Gains, and Stock compensation like the income it is and tax it accordingly (I know this won't be popular on hacker news, but this is how CEOs get overpaid). 2. Increase Marginal income tax back to what it was when the US had less wealth inequality (1965 had 70%) 3. Change the inheritance tax over $5M to be like 95% (you get $0.05 on the dollar for every dollar you inherit past $5M) 4. Wealth Tax (probably strictly worse than every other option, cause "stonks", but it's not nothing) How to make this change is the real '?', because while we could enact this change it won't happen as long as the peo

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