Johns Hopkins Medical Centre - World Coronavirus infection Map by Country.

[guy]

Just noticed, the dog is sitting next to me salivating while I eat my ham sandwich - I will redistribute a bit (maybe a tithe)

[Pigmy Pony]

Just noticed, the dog is sitting next to me salivating while I eat my ham sandwich - I will redistribute a bit (maybe a tithe)

Your dog is seeing you as one of the top 1% earners in the world, and he would love your wealth to be re-distributed. But he won't say anything because he loves you unconditionally

[Marco]

Marco's point about individuals being wealthy enough to influence the political process does have some merit to it. But really it's mostly the big corporations that have that power, not individuals.

And so what about the individuals who own the big companies, one of which you mentioned earlier (Bezos), and someone who's profited MASSIVELY from the Coronavirus pandemic, and with the slow (but sure in time) death of the high-street, is set to become even richer and more influential in future!

He's someone I'd love to 'relieve' of a few billion, but most importantly in the process, GROSSLY REDUCE his influence on how people shop, thus keeping his monopolizing tendencies in check and handing more power back to the high street!! Gates and Larry Page would be two others I'd gladly 'demonetize'.

Marco.

[Macca]

And so what about the individuals who own the big companies, one of which you mentioned earlier (Bezos), and someone who's profited MASSIVELY from the Coronavirus pandemic, and with the slow (but sure in time) death of the high-street, is set to become even wealthier and more influential in future!

He's someone I'd love to 'relieve' of a few billion, but most importantly in the process, GROSSLY REDUCE his influence on how people shop, thus keeping his monopolizing tendencies in check and handing more power back to the high street!! Gates and Larry Page would be two others I'd gladly 'demonetize'.

Marco.

That would be one approach but it would be very difficult for a number of reasons. You subdue Bezos/Amazon another pops up to take his place. The market always runs ahead of legislation so you're always playing catch-up. Plus by making such significant changes in what in business is legal and what isn't you risk running into lot of unintended consequences many of which would be counter-productice.

As Tony Soprano says, 'Every thing you do affects some facet of everything else.'

A more effective approach would be to establish a rival influence on government thus offsetting the power of the corporations. You don't change the system to win, you game the system to win. With the internet this is no longer an impossible dream. Doubt it will ever happen though.

[Marco]

That would be one approach but it would be very difficult for a number of reasons. You subdue Bezos/Amazon another pops up to take his place.

Not if you prevent them from doing so by 'disincentivizing' the accruing of huge wealth, from ground roots level up. If you know from day one you're only going to be allowed to earn so much, or it'll be taken from you and given to others who need it more, then you're less likely to want to become another Bezos!

A more effective approach would be to establish a rival influence on government thus offsetting the power of the corporations. You don't change the system to win, you game the system to win. With the internet this is no longer an impossible dream. Doubt it will ever happen though.

Possibly, but I don't like 'sticking plasters'; I prefer fundamentally fixing problems *at source*, so would seek to change the system, as the current one is rotten to the core. And it could be done IF you had enough power and influence, but used it for the benefit of good, not evil....

Who or what decides how 'the system' works? THAT is what I'd attack first with all my might!

Marco.

[Firebottle]

What really gets my goat is the betting on currency fluctuations or commodity prices when no added worth is generated.
It just seems that money is taken out of the overall system without any concern of profit or loss.

Doesn't seem ethical to me.


Oh Steve, put me down for one of the chunky Kit-Kat's.

[Macca]

What really gets my goat is the betting on currency fluctuations or commodity prices when no added worth is generated.
It just seems that money is taken out of the overall system without any concern of profit or loss.

Doesn't seem ethical to me.


Oh Steve, put me down for one of the chunky Kit-Kat's.

I don't know but I'd make an educated guess the currency markets alone employ hundreds of thousands of people world-wide from the top brokers down to the office cleaners. Plus you still have to pay tax on your profits. And all those people have to pay tax on their salary and on almost everything they buy with the remainder. Which they spend on goods and services thus spreading it around.

So it isn't wealth creation but it is economic activity which you need too.

[Marco]

No thoughts on post 4375?

Marco.

[struth]

as martin says bezos may be richest person on planet but its mostly stocks and shares i think. his salary isnt huge from amazon. he has had lots of good ideas and probably deserves his wealth, not to say its still obscene but if people are not incentivized then the improvements etc may never happen. its maybe just a shame that money is the incentive, or at least the end product.
of course if you then use the money to help the deprived, you then get criticized for trying to do all kinds of stuff...its a black old world

[Pigmy Pony]

Always an education for me Martin, reading your posts. keep up the good work!

Sorry Alan, I ate your Kit Kat. But I'll have another one for you when we next meet, I promise