hi all,
For all those conservatives out there who believe redistribution of wealth is strictly socialist philosophy i decided to post a quote from someone who disagrees with you.
No, not Karl Marx...
Adam Smith... Perhaps you've heard of him... He is the father of Capitalism... wrote the book "The Wealth of Nations"... ring any bells?
Ok, so he said...
"Servants, labourers, and workmen of different kinds, make up the far greater part of every political society. But what improves the circumstances of the greater part can never be regarded as an inconveniency to the whole. No society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part of the members are poor and miserable. It is but equity, besides, that they who feed, clothe, and lodge the whole body of the people, should have such a share of the produce of their own labor as to be themselves tolerably well fed, cloathed and lodged."
"The subject of every State ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the State."
Wow.. the latter sounds like a progressive tax system (i.e. wealth redistribution) to me... which conservatives seem to hate so much. But anyway...
The real problem however is that conservatives don't realize that they are in favor of wealth redistribution as well... but to them, the money should flow in the opposite direction. From poor to rich rather then from rich to poor. Say i have $5 and RWR has $20. If we taxed a flat rate, say 50% (just to make the math easier. lol) I would pay $2.50 in taxes and RWR would pay $10. Same thing happens next year... now i have $5 and RWR $20... Then next year $7.50 and $30.. and so on... The money she holds grows exponentially against the amount i hold. In a progressive tax, the idea is to reduce the inequality (not eliminate it). So, in one instance the money flows up, the other... it flows down. It's a balancing act... its not black and white.
What they also fail to realize is that you hurt the economy to do this because here is what happens...
Because wealth is a finite resource... when one person holds alot... that is less for others to get there hands on. So, when you fail to heavily tax the very rich, their wealth grows exponentially year by year, so less is available for the rest of us. Still with me? Ok, so... what then happens is the middle class disappears, and join to ranks of the poor. Once the middle class is gone (which has been happening since the 80's) there is two options so that the economy doesn't collapse... 1. companies go bankrupt because no one can afford to buy their products... or 2. Ridiculous amounts of credit are extended to the average consumer so he can continue to buy goods. Consumers default... and boom! Here we are.
This is oversimplified of course, but the tax system to Adam Smith really served to protect the economy by keeping unrestrained corporations from destroying themselves and taking the rest of us down with it.
Copy & paste to friend: (Click inside box; Ctrl + C to copy; Ctrl + V to paste)
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read more blogs!
Blogs by skyscraper948:
| Redistribution of Wealth... |
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dizzydoll
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Jul 2 @ 3:08PM
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it might be better to just go back to the batter business, at least we barter with neighbors and friends and all stay afloat... of course that cuts out the tax man, but since when does he care for us!
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dizzydoll
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Jul 2 @ 3:09PM
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oops, i do something wrong every time on your blog...
barter... i meant barter not batter
gosh, i am getting old
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edthepoet
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Jul 2 @ 3:44PM
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It's corp America that fighting the flat tax the most, they don't pay nearly what their suppose to pay.
For example: Goldman Sachs, on two billion dollars they paid 1%.
Once conservatives and corp world find what the flat rate number works in their fav they will jump on the flat rate band wagon instantly.
Rep are complaining about what obama wanting to change the tax rate to the 39 percent.
From 1932 to 86 the rate was 50% to as high as 94 %.
The progressive tax is a fair system.
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burnslikethesun
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Jul 2 @ 3:52PM
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f*** over thy neighbor, its all about me, and my 3rd world hooker.
Talk about your out sourcing huh?
Once again Awesome blog, 
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Josuha
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Jul 2 @ 3:55PM
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I'm not sure how Adam Smith relates to the U.S. tax system or 'supoort'.
There was 'no income taxes' during this time on 'labor'.
The First 'revenue tax' was signed by President Washington in 1789 and only taxed
"goods, wares, and merchandise, imported into the United States'
Tis was true until the late 180'ss for a time when there was an unapportioned tax on labor..but then stopped.
The 'income tax' of the 16th Amendment was in 1913
(Same time we gave over financial authority to the Federal Reserve..wonder why?)
America supported itself by tarriffs for the most part and NOT by an 'income tax'..(free money) from 1789-1913.
Now all of a sudden, it's 'free services' and 'free money' on the labor of Americans.
That was never the founding fathers intent.
"If the American people ever allow private banks
to control the issue of their money,
first by inflation and then by deflation,
the banks and corporations that will
grow up around them (around the banks),
will deprive the people of their property
until their children will wake up homeless
on the continent their fathers conquered." Thomas Jefferson
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skyscraper948
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Jul 2 @ 4:11PM
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The 'income tax' of the 16th Amendment was in 1913
(Same time we gave over financial authority to the Federal Reserve..wonder why?)
This is true. And i believe that giving over our currency to a central bank was the beginning of our downfall. Be that as it may... the tax system in our country is incredibly unjust. The tax policies of today's conservatives make nixon look like a pinko commie bastard. 
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skyscraper948
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Jul 2 @ 4:14PM
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f*** over thy neighbor, its all about me
exactly.  These are the self-righteous/moral majority conservative "christians" of today. Sorry, but it just doesn't make sense.
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Redwicket
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Jul 2 @ 4:30PM
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 Excellent explanation in Lay Terms that Everyone should, I say Should understand...
Kudos
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Josuha
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Jul 2 @ 4:41PM
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This is true. And i believe that giving over our currency to a central bank was the beginning of our downfall. Be that as it may... the tax system in our country is incredibly unjust. The tax policies of today's conservatives make nixon look like a pinko commie bastard.
Let's look at why.
The American system was never meant to be what it is now.
What essentially happened was, Wilson relieved the Federal government of 'doing business' and making money for support and placing that burden on the labor of Americans.
At the same time, he relinguished financial authority to a group of private bankers called the 'Federal Reserve'.
The words 'conservative' and 'liberal' have lost their meaning.
But we'll use them for this example.
Both have embraced 'fascism'..the marriage of corporations and the state.
The fight you see between 'conservatives' and 'liberals' as you call them, is nothing more than what your saw betwen Hitler and Stalin.
Who will control more?
The 'State'?
Or
The 'State and Corporations'.
But both are fascist in their approach and idealogies to finance and have been for a long time.
You must understand that ALL of their decisions are based on this philosophy and a 'World Economic System' to fully understand what has taken place.
And under the radar of most Americans.
It's just now it's 'in your face' fascism in regard to finance.
Also that government becomes 'bloated'.
It starts to spend more than it takes in.
The system is an ever increasing cycle of tax, spend more..tax, spend more, increase government, tax, spend more, increase government, tax..etc until it implodes on it's own weight.
Understand also, that fascism must achieve more and more power in order to survive.
That is taxation of the middle class, curtailment of states rights, intrusion into states soverntry., seizures of corporations..we have seen this also.
The system itself is flawed and to survive, there must be ever increasing revenue to sustain 'programs' and 'expansion'.
The 'Neocons' approach fascism by allowing coporations relief and taxing other classes.
The 'Liberals' wish to tax corporations..
However..now you are seeing an 'implosion' of this global system.
As I said, it cannot sustain itself as it gets to bloated.
The first priority of fascism is to sustain corporations.
This is why you seen the 'bailouts' to banks.
The secound is infrastructure and security.
Again, we saw this.
Now your will see the middle class taxed excessively.
This is the third phase of a collapse.
Destroy the middle class workers and there is no one left to sustain the government and it implodes.
Your in the third phase now.
The problem is the parties and their philosphies that have essentionally hijacked your political system.
Which are actually one party with two heads.
Go back to the country 'doing business' and let the people retain the wealth of their labor and you will have growth.
Repeat this mistake (as it has been repeated throughout history) and your going to fall again sooner or later.
Take also into account this 'global economic meltdown' and now you have the perfect storm'.
This is simplified but gives you an idea.
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CHARLIgurl1
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Jul 2 @ 6:17PM
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Repeat this mistake (as it has been repeated throughout history) and your going to fall again sooner or later.
I have lost count the number of times I have said that too.
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Borty
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Jul 2 @ 8:55PM
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Hey...when is this trickle down deal gonna happen?
I've been waiting in the sewer for years... 
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CHARLIgurl1
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Jul 2 @ 9:00PM
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LOL Borty.. well with all this taxation coming in.. the only trickling that will be going on is UP lol
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MrPaul
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Jul 2 @ 10:00PM
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 So if you work hard to get ahead you should get screwed.  ..But if you are lazy and sit on your a... waiting for a government handout you should be rewarded. Sounds fair to me...  .......What a plan Sounds like what obama boy and the gang are doing it to the American public right now....Who wants to bend over and be first  
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Fr8rain
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Jul 2 @ 11:07PM
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And then there's the double talk. He rants about jets for CEO's but the taxpayers got to pay for a trip in a jet for Mrs. O and the children to go to London for fish and chips and shopping. And I'm not talking just fuel for the jet I'm talking a massive amount of security people, motorcades, shutting traffic down, closing Westminster Abbey and more.
Yep, he's frugal isn't he?
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Herodotus
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Jul 3 @ 1:04AM
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The greatest irony, in all of this, is those protesting so much, have the most to gain.
Somehow, I cant see the CEO of Exxon or GE, pops in here for a chat and a political blog or two, yet judging, by the virulence, of some of the blogs, on here, you would think their vast fortunes were in danger.
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Redwicket
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Jul 3 @ 1:15AM
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And there is a BIG difference in a CEO (money grubber) and Mrs O ( OUR NATION'S FIRST LADY) for Crying out Loud 
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CPUfan
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Jul 3 @ 4:02AM
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Adam Smith was The Man to economic freedom just as John Locke was The Man to political freedom. The political and economic philosophy those two men mainly pioneered and established in the US, UK and Commonwealth was known collectively as liberalism.
That's why UK and Commonwealth Liberals, Conservatives (and Labour to a lesser extent) espouse liberal ideas.
And that's also what made them different to continental European theorists like Karl Marx, Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche - who incidentally were all anti-liberal Prussians.
The people who went off the liberal track in the US are known as the religious far Right. They couldn't have everyone choosing their own religion and politics, now could they?
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dancollins
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Jul 3 @ 10:28AM
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I am a conservative, but don't quite fall into the description you've painted here. My conservative beliefs have nothing to do with wanting all of the money or preventing others from acquiring abundance. Just the opposite. Conservative values seek to preserve the right of every person to use their ideas, words, labor and talents to enhance the quality of their lives. Pure socialism removes the incentive to strive for this. It rewards complacency and punishes ambition. China now prospers since embracing capitalism. The Soviet Socialist Republic and others have failed because the fundamental principles of socialism contradict natural selection and the basic arithmetic of life.
Are there greedy and evil conservatives out there who would like to keep poor people poor? You bet. Are there greedy and evil liberals out there who hide behind false sympathy for the poor in order to manipulate money from the bleeding heart wealthy? Absolutely. I don't think you can make an airtight case for either side of today's political aisle, and who would want to?
Caring for the well being of others isn't a political issue. It is a human issue. People who create wealth are much more able to help others than people who stand around with their hand outstretched, waiting for the government to donate what they have confiscated from others. Most wealthy people spend a lot of their time giving some of their wealth to people in need. The stereotype of wealth=greed & evil is mostly inaccurate. That belief serves the liberal political machine well though.
Politics is all about manipulating the opinions of the masses for personal gain. The days of politicians who actually gave a crap about the welfare of the people died sometime in the mid- 1900s.
The best we can hope for now is that capitalism does not get entirely swept away amid the misplaced pity spewn forth by liberals. The only people who truly prosper and live well in a socialist society are the politicians who conned us into accepting it.
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dizzydoll
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Jul 3 @ 11:14AM
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yup i hate that about politicians too, the ostentatiousness of it all. it doesnt matter which side of the fence you on.... its just darn right unnecessary for them and the entourage (wives, kids, in laws etc) to go shopping on another continent on taxpayers money.
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MrPaul
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Jul 3 @ 11:46AM
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Caring for the well being of others isn't a political issue. It is a human issue. People who create wealth are much more able to help others than people who stand around with their hand outstretched, waiting for the government to donate what they have confiscated from others. Most wealthy people spend a lot of their time giving some of their wealth to people in need. The stereotype of wealth=greed & evil is mostly inaccurate
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skyscraper948
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Jul 3 @ 7:19PM
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So if you work hard to get ahead you should get screwed. ..But if you are lazy and sit on your a... waiting for a government handout you should be rewarded.
Why is it that conservatives feel that everyone who is poor is simply lazy and everyone who is rich worked really hard for it? Hmmmmm... ever heard of Paris Hilton? I gotta tell you... at my job, the guys in maintenance are definitely the hardest workers and get paid the least. The executive director doesnt do jack shit as far as i can tell besides jog for 2 hours every morning. The lazy poor people thing is a bunch of bs... sorry.
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