Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

Project Davos: What's the Single Best Way to Close the World's Wealth Gap?

posted by Fnord666 on Saturday January 20 2018, @10:26PM   Printer-friendly
from the eat-the-rich dept.

AnonTechie writes:

Donald Trump and Angela Merkel will join 2,500 world leaders, business executives and charity bosses at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland which kicks off on 23 January. High on the agenda once again will be the topic of inequality, and how to reduce the widening gap between the rich and the rest around the world.

The WEF recently warned that the global economy is at risk of another crisis, and that automation and digitalisation are likely to suppress employment and wages for most while boosting wealth at the very top.

But what ideas should the great and good gathered in the Swiss Alps be putting into action? We'd like to know what single step you think governments should prioritise in order to best address the problem of rising inequality. Below we've outlined seven proposals that are most often championed as necessary to tackle the issue – but which of them is most important to you?

  • Provide free and high quality education
  • Raise the minimum wage
  • Raise taxes on the rich
  • Fight corruption
  • Provide more social protection for the poor
  • Stop the influence of the rich on politicians
  • Provide jobs for the unemployed

https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2018/jan/19/project-davos-whats-the-single-best-way-to-close-the-worlds-wealth-gap

Do you think these ideas are enough, or are there any better ideas to close this wealth gap ? You too can participate and vote for the idea that, you think, works best.

Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Project Davos: What's the Single Best Way to Close the World's Wealth Gap? | Log In/Create an Account | Top | 361 comments | Search Discussion
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.

  • (Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 20 2018, @11:17PM (7 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 20 2018, @11:17PM (#625391)

    The bottom 40% to 50% doesn't pay income taxes. The top 1% pay nearly half of the total.

    That's not a fair comparison. All it takes nowadays to be a 1% earner is to crowd source your income like Kim Kardashian without actually doing "work". The bottom and middle income earners ("the workers") are working harder than ever and squirreling away their money in savings. Meanwhile the top 1% can live off the interest of their money and be a net negative to society by more than 40-50%.

    Starting Score:    0  points
    Moderation   +2  
       Informative=2, Total=2
    Extra 'Informative' Modifier   0  
    Total Score:   2  

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 21 2018, @01:19AM (6 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 21 2018, @01:19AM (#625452)

    That's not a fair comparison. All it takes nowadays to be a 1% earner is to crowd source your income like Kim Kardashian without actually doing "work".
    If it's so easy, and doesn't constitute as "work" then why don't you fucking do it?

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 21 2018, @01:26AM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 21 2018, @01:26AM (#625460)

      Indeed, all you have to do is get lucky and sell your soul

      • (Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday January 21 2018, @02:34AM (2 children)

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Sunday January 21 2018, @02:34AM (#625478) Journal

        Indeed, all you have to do is get lucky and sell your soul

        So why should we try to make you rich when it's not even something you want?

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 21 2018, @09:07AM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 21 2018, @09:07AM (#625574)

          Indeed, all you have to do is get lucky and sell your soul

          So why should we try to make you rich when it's not even something you want?

          Get thee behind me, Satan!!! Temptress! Libertarian! Whore of Babylon! And I do not mean Babylon5, the original.

          • (Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday January 21 2018, @11:33AM

            by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Sunday January 21 2018, @11:33AM (#625605) Journal
            You've got served. Wealth equality is not actually something we want. Some people want wealth enough to "sell their soul" (in practice, that means merely work hard to get it) and some people don't. Why again should we try to deliver something that a lot of people don't even want?

    • (Score: 4, Touché) by Snow on Sunday January 21 2018, @01:37AM (1 child)

      by Snow (1601) on Sunday January 21 2018, @01:37AM (#625463) Journal

      All it takes is a small 10 million dollar loan.

      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by anubi on Sunday January 21 2018, @09:20AM

        by anubi (2828) on Sunday January 21 2018, @09:20AM (#625579) Journal

        Exactly.... that's how the bank got rich.

        Through the magic of Fractional Reserve Banking, they do not have to have on hand the money to lend you.

        They just make a ledger entry... you owe them ten million bucks... and they start collecting interest.

        Usury on ten million dollars that never existed! Until now. Its yours to spend, and have to pay back.

        You are the loser. You took out that loan with promise to repay... with interest.

        The government charters a bank to do this, but you can't.

        So, your wealth is constantly drained by monthly payments. To them. For the effort of making an entry in a ledger.

        Wealth.

        The American Way.

        Codified into Law by Congress.

        --
        "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]