Trade Offs

I’ve done a bit of reading in the last few weeks and have been on a “trade offs” kick.

So lemme ask ya.  Would you rather:

  1. Live in a place where there was more equity but people were poorer; that is the poorest ranked 2 out of 10 while the rich ranked 4 out of 10.
  2. Or, live in a place where there was less equity but everyone was wealthier; that is the poorest ranked 4 out of 10 but the wealthiest ranked 9 out of 10?

In the second case the wealthiest are not only more wealthy in terms of ratio; more than double the poorest, but they are more percentage points richer as well – 5 rather than just 2.

This is the fundamental choice before us.  There are those that think that we should be more equal, that the spoils of the rich should be more equitable to the spoils of the poorest among us.  And these people are willing to live in a world that is poorer in general, less advanced in general, in order to achieve this equity.

Then there are people would rather increase the overall prosperity of the world even if it meant that the wealthiest among us were astronomically rich.  Rich too the point that most of us couldn’t imagine.

Notice that in the example, the second option puts the poorest at the same level as the wealthiest in the first.

I’m for option #2.

You?

6 responses to “Trade Offs

  1. Pino ,

    The American Left likes to believe that it wraps itself in scientific fact . That we on the right deny facts in favor of unprovable Faith, Religion, and emotion . Yet hit them with proven facts as you have, and they retreat into their stone fortresses of ideology .

    Nothing matters . They put religious folk to shame with their blind faith in Progressive solutions . Europe is a shambles because of decades of electing liberal charlatans who promise a free lunch . These facts make no impact . These true believers lead by our President will go down with the ship willingly as long as they captain it .

    • The American Left likes to believe that it wraps itself in scientific fact .

      Yeah, I think we can see that in global warming. It wouldn’t be so bad if there was the idea that posited that the earth is getting warmer and that man has caused some of it. But they go so far – both in crisis and then in solution.

      On top of that, they use the crisis and its solution to forward their redistributionalist agenda.

  2. I disagree that we face a trade off like that which you posit. I believe a stronger middle class lifts everyone, while when wealth is skewed to the wealthy it hurts everyone below. I believe we can do this and still have the wealthy ranked high — but right now our wealthy are 10 out of 10, while our middle class is below average.

    • I believe we can do this and still have the wealthy ranked high — but right now our wealthy are 10 out of 10, while our middle class is below average.

      I think you’re wrong. Our poor live better than Europe’s median earners. Not to mention that nations like Greece are facing 50% youth unemployment. Spain and Italy are in horrible shape as well.

      • Actually our poor do not make out better than Europe’s median earners. Where do you get that fact? Yes, if you compare us to Spain and Greece, but both are relatively recent converts to democracy, still dealing internal corruption. Europe includes Germany, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and many other states. Some of the East European states are still catching up after Communism, but some are doing quite well.

        The US is below the OECD average comparing the poorest 20% here with the poorest 20% in the industrialized world. I’ll have to dig to find comparisons of the middle groups, but for now here are some stats that, as the article states, will “blow your mind”: http://www.businessinsider.com/new-charts-about-inequality-2011-11?op=1

        Look at those charts and please think through what they mean.

  3. Where is the middle class better off ? Under Obama ? Getting handouts stolen from those above them ? The middle class is in for major tax increases under Obama . I guess it is easier to screw the middle class as long as you screw the rich harder . America voted itself money . Europe shows that you can’t do that forever . Why are we copying the failed model of the EU ?

    This country was founded on property rights . Taxes are a way to steal other people’s property . You have to hand it to our rulers . Squeeze the middle class until they lose faith in themselves . Convince them they can’t rise in class . Then play them off against the rich . The only beneficiaries are the government class and their allies in subsidized occupations .

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