SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
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
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.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday January 21 2018, @06:58AM (44 children)
Whose hands the dollar bills get touched by on its way to treat Homey the Clown's crack addiction is irrelevant, as is what you care to label it.
That is not a logical argument. That is an emotional argument because the foundational premises are entirely emotional. Would you care to try again? What I'll be looking for is a logical argument as to why I should give a fuck not that "we're not as this or that as Europe" or "you're an heartless bastard if you don't want to give me all your money to spend on my cause of the day".
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 21 2018, @07:13AM
:(
no can reason
only can take stance
simple numerical calcs
insufficient
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 21 2018, @08:26AM (4 children)
1. The US is paying more money, for worse results, than many other nations. The current system is patently less efficient than other implementations. Since the US, as a whole, seems to have decided that everyone should have access to medical care (the political disagreement in government is over how it should be paid for), should we not push for a system which overall requires less tax money?
2. You never know where the next great minds will come from. For example, Steven Hawking was not from a very wealthy family, and without support of socialised medicine, he would likely not have survived long enough to make some of his most important contributions.
3. People are disease reservoirs. If a large number of people are not able to afford medicine, the likelihood of an outbreak or epidemic of a serious disease is significantly raised, for the entire population.
4. High medical costs and uncertainty ("will my insurance cover this?") contribute to a reduction of the appeal of living in the US for valuable skilled workers. Guess who's left in the voting population as the wealthy, educated, people emigrate.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 21 2018, @08:56AM (2 children)
I think the government should pay to stop infectious disease. We should cure those that can be cured, and euthanize the rest.
I even think the government should pay when you can't possibly negotiate, for example when you are found unconscious.
For the rest though, you need to pay your own way in the world.
(Score: 2) by fritsd on Sunday January 21 2018, @01:55PM (1 child)
Well, your government didn't.
it reduced the budget of the CDC by 17% [businessinsider.com].
(that article I found was from 2017-05-23, I don't know if it has changed again in the meantime)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 21 2018, @05:05PM
The CDC does not pay to cure me if I have an infectious disease. They simply aren't involved. They aren't helping, so we should cut their budget.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday January 21 2018, @09:05PM
Three's a valid argument. You have my vote on subsidizing immunizations but only if such proves necessary.
One and four are solved by not subsidizing healthcare in any way.
Two would be far easier and more accurately applied to abortion. Are you sure you want to go that route?
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Sunday January 21 2018, @05:37PM (37 children)
Yes, it is. You just can't stand that I pointed out that you are wrong.
I find it interesting that you attempt to massage your own ego by blaming healthcare costs on the recipient. Perhaps it's easier on you to blame others than to think that there are many hard-working poor who need healthcare through no fault of their own?
It's classic "I've got mine, fuck you".
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday January 21 2018, @09:06PM (36 children)
Look at what you said here...
Now add "through no fault of mine either".
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Sunday January 21 2018, @09:51PM (16 children)
As I wrote "I've got mine, fuck you".
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday January 21 2018, @10:55PM (15 children)
It has nothing to do with "fuck you". It has to do with "You will not take what is mine from me by force. If you want it, convince me.".
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Pav on Monday January 22 2018, @04:17AM (12 children)
"You will not take what's mine by force"? Interesting idea. Brazil tried that - no social security, extermination squads for urban poor scum who kept breeding, only taxing for what's "important" for wealthy citizens, and pushing that tax bill downwards etc... etc... It turns out that if enough people are poor you have to spend a lot more resources on keeping what you have. High walled compounds, armed guards etc... are inconvenient and expensive, as is kidnap insurance. Being under constant seige by the poor, and langushing in a stagnant economy with not much wealth to capture at other levels of society, well, life at the top turns out to be less fun even for the super rich. Lula had his problems, but Brazil became much more dynamic, more wealth was created (Brazil became the "B" in BRIC), and became a little less unsafe (which isn't saying TOO much), though apparently crime has shot back up to Syria levels in the last couple of years - I wonder why?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday January 22 2018, @05:06AM (11 children)
I'd prefer an honest thief over a communist any day of the week, thanks. At least the proper thief doesn't try to tell me what he's doing is moral. Plus I can shoot thief.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 22 2018, @10:18PM (4 children)
I think I found the problem. The slightly older folks on here are still victims of the RED SCOURGE! Communists? You are a scared little fool.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday January 23 2018, @05:16PM (3 children)
Anyone who doesn't see communism as an enemy of humanity is either a fool or an enemy of humanity themselves. It has never brought anything except abject poverty and self destruction to any nation that it has touched.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 23 2018, @05:55PM (2 children)
Try being less of an idiot mmmkay? No one is advocating a switch to communism, but you're being naive if you think it failed due to it's own failings. The US and co. had an entire covert war against it, not to mention that so far most revolutions have ended up with a dictator in charge. Quite a far cry from what communism is supposed to actually be.
So far the massive destruction has come from the US as we invaded communist countries because they're eeeeevillll. For a libertarian I don't know how you can integrate that fact into your brain. The capitalists literally destroyed other countries for trying out a different system of government. Earth to libertard come in!
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday January 23 2018, @06:11PM (1 child)
Yes, and doesn't the fact that it has failed to emerge every single time it has been tried on any scale clue you in that there might be a fatal flaw in the ideology itself? Here, I'll spell it out for you: Any ideology that requires fundamentally altering human nature to work is never going to work.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday January 23 2018, @08:47PM
Amen, brother Buzzard. I've been saying that for ages. Communism does not and cannot work, and it does not and cannot work for the same reason laissez-faire capitalism does not and cannot work. You are so close, so, so, SO close, to having the lightbulb moment...
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by Pav on Tuesday January 23 2018, @12:19AM (5 children)
It seems you've regressed FAR past even the level of Somalia - even when there is no nation state it will be your tribe demanding that you contribute (if you are able). Even a chimp band will demand you take time out from "earning" (ie. foraging) to keep watch, defend the territory, or pick parasites off your neighbours. If you refuse too much you will be attacked and driven off... how unfair for animals who advanced enough to share your total disregard for others!!! Thieves!!! These kinds of requirements (and responses to shirkers) have been observed in animals as primitive as sticklebacks (small fish). Perhaps you've had an aneurism in your brain stem somewhere.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday January 23 2018, @05:21PM (4 children)
You really cannot understand the concept of "I will give the shirt off my back if someone needs it but if they try to take it I will shoot them in the face", can you? The people you try to paint as heartless, aren't; they're just sick of finding your hand in their pocket every time they turn around.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 23 2018, @05:58PM (2 children)
Universal healthcare would put money back into your pocket with lower costs and better preventative care, along with improving the general economic well being of the country. Y'know, cause sick people have a hard time being productive. But you can't get over the simple intro of "MOAR TAXES!!@!@! mrghbhblbbbllagghaaaf THEFT brakakaka."
Appeals to reason? Don't work.
Appeals to humanity? Make them laugh, no go.
Appeals to greed? Somehow trumped by even stupider greed.
You are a fool.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday January 23 2018, @06:14PM (1 child)
Like it has everywhere else? There's not a single example of socialized medicine anywhere in the world that I'd take over the US system prior to Obama fucking with it. Thanks all the same but I prefer the days when anyone with a decent job could afford healthcare and receive it in a timely manner.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 23 2018, @06:30PM
Ah yes, redefining reality to suit your preconceptions. How astute of you! I wish I'd thought of that first.
It is shocking the number of assumptions you make, and your vast ignorance about other systems. Be ignorant, at least your sharing it publicly so other people can get a dose of reality about who they're "working" with.
(Score: 2) by Pav on Wednesday January 24 2018, @02:07AM
Social animals even down to loosely social insects understand tit-for-tat punishment for shirking social responsibilities (Robert Sapolsky is interesting on this). The wider society defines a shirker (so good luck with your appeals to volunteerism). Given your politics though you've got an excellent deal in the US because your society defines the unemployed and poor as shirkers... kind of like England when it was also in its mass incarceration phase and ejecting undesirables to the USA, then later Australia.
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Monday January 22 2018, @06:48PM (1 child)
"If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday January 22 2018, @08:17PM
Was that an intentional strawman or do you just not listen?
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 21 2018, @09:55PM (18 children)
As has been said before, then please return all the benefits you've received through tax funded infrastructure and services. Do it now or shut the hell up you hypocritical piece of crap.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday January 21 2018, @10:58PM (17 children)
Oh, you mean all the stuff my taxes paid for and I owe zero debt either financial or moral for? Yeah, that's what I thought you meant, dipshit.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 22 2018, @05:17AM (7 children)
Your ignorance is pretty epic, but fun to see you triggered.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday January 22 2018, @05:36AM (6 children)
Missed on both clauses. That's some impressive dipshittery you have going there!
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 22 2018, @10:21PM (5 children)
You keep sticking your head in the sand. I just hope the rest of the country does better than you and in 5-15 years we get to hear your bitching about universal healthcare. Then you'll fall and break your hip and continue bitching. Cause that's all you are, a bitchy entitled little twat.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday January 23 2018, @05:22PM (4 children)
I think you need to look up the word "entitled" and then rethink which side of the debate are "bitchy entitled little twats".
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 23 2018, @06:01PM (3 children)
Right, cause wanting universal healthcare for others when I happen to be perfectly healthy is "entitled". It must be a sad life being so selfish all the time, will probably be on your deathbed when the crushing existential weight of your own hubris lets you see your true self.
You want to pretend you're magnanimous, but you're tied down with dogma that is selfish and greedy. We can only point out the inconsistencies, but you have to man up and come to terms with them.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday January 23 2018, @06:16PM (2 children)
You are a selfish little cunt if you're wanting me to do the paying for it, yes. Charity is giving from your own pocket. Giving from someone else's pocket is "receiving stolen goods".
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 23 2018, @06:32PM (1 child)
Ah yes, the old "taxes are theft!" bit. It's a big goddamn merry-go-round where you start off at batshit crazy, make various arguments, fail, then just start back at batshit crazy! Capital job my good bloke.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday January 23 2018, @08:49PM
He's a real piece-a-work, ain't he? But I think you've uncovered something interesting: this is two or three times on this thread that he's been reduced to autism-screeching "TAXES ARE THEFT!!!!!1111ELEVENTYONE" when confronted with reality. In other words, you've exposed one of what amount to his religious beliefs.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 22 2018, @03:04PM (8 children)
Oh I see. You must not have been born in a public hospital and you started working right out of the womb. Then you never went to elementary school or high school. Must have been home schooled. Quite the early pull yourself up by the boot strings type. Very commendable.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday January 22 2018, @04:00PM (7 children)
Can you genuinely not tell the difference between parents fulfilling the obligation they took on in having a child and someone actually owing a debt? What a fucking moron.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 22 2018, @10:24PM (6 children)
Every public system works only because you have aggregated enough people into it. The cost of educating you was not carried solely by your parents. Your share of public infrastructure is not carried only by you. You are whining about taxes, then when asked to pay us back for all the services used you switch to "I / my parents paid for it!" So taxes aren't theft when they are useful to you, but they are when you don't like them. You're such a fucking tool, hopefully fewer people argue with you and just mod you down to flamebait when you're being stupid.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday January 23 2018, @05:25PM (5 children)
Yes, it was. They paid what was asked of them in taxes. When you pay for something you are entitled to it. When you do not pay for something, you are not entitled to it. That's how "entitled" works.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 23 2018, @06:11PM (4 children)
Still the fool I see. Was algebra hard? I'm just asking because you seem to have trouble thinking beyond a single simplistic dimension.
Maybe this will help, "you need to pay back all the services you used at the market rate minus the discounted socially aggregated benefit rate." This also means that you must kill yourself (not saying you should do that, but if you want to square up with your idea of "taxes are theft" then its your only choice) to repay all the dead soldiers that fought for your right to freedom. I mean shit isn't free right? Why should you get "freedom" when you didn't do shit for it? You'll also need to bequeath all your money to slave reparations since a massive amount of infrastructure and wealth was generated by their labor. I mean you're not pro-slavery right? You believe people should be paid for their hard work right? Otherwise how will they ever be not poor?
Oh, anything inherited is totally off limits. I mean why should you get any benefit from the work of others? You gotta earn that shit bro! So donate any inheritance to whatever government agency you love best, along with all the above, and we'll call it even. I mean, you aren't a THIEF right? Cause otherwise you'll just get shot, according to your rules anyway. We may have been able to work in a waiver for the death part, perhaps a lifetime repayment system where you get an extra 20% tax rate, but if you're stealing shit we gotta put you down!
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday January 23 2018, @06:18PM (3 children)
You realize by this insane clown logic that you owe a moral and financial debt to Wal-Mart, Big Pharma, and even Big Tobacco, yes?
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 23 2018, @06:36PM (2 children)
I'm not the one trying to be a greedy bastard and avoid my responsibilities to my fellow citizens. I'm not the one supporting evil fuckers who play your greed for their own benefit. I am the one advocating for improving society with universal healthcare and higher taxes on the rich, and the data backs me up. Go ahead and cite whatever bullshit you'd like, make excuses, you'll still just be a greedy bastard advocating for an obviously broken system. You are just on the top of the garbage heap at this moment so you don't care what is below you, that is IF we believe your claims of personal success.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday January 23 2018, @08:50PM (1 child)
He claims he's a small business owner if I remember right. I'd be very interested in knowing which business that was, precisely...
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 23 2018, @10:22PM
Being an idiot he probably doesn't realize that proper tax adjustments wouldn't drown out small businesses, and hopefully would actually lower tax burdens for poor-middle-small-biz by having the megacorps and ultra rich pay their fair share. Guess he's just another temporarily embarrassed billionaire.