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Comment by whitepoplar | Hacker News Reader

The problem isn't that some people have a lot of money. The problem (in America) is that too many people fall through the cracks. I think a healthy society would be one where there's a strong social floor, but uncapped upside potential for those who want to pursue it. However, if a company gets government support, de facto or otherwise, then I'm 100% in favor of pay caps.

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I disagree. In America I think it’s more than just “some people fall through the cracks.” It’s a lot of people, and it’s not some unfortunate accident that befalls the occasional worker, it’s a systemic problem affecting tens of millions of Americans. The kind of poverty we have in America, the richest nation on earth per capita, is insane. And it happens because those in charge are satisfied. Who’s in charge? The people who can afford to buy the favor of politicians. They LOVE the huge supply of desperate workers we have because it means big profits.

And that’s what this article is about.

I never said, "some people fall through the cracks," I said "too many people fall through the cracks." It's very systemic, hence the need for a social floor without cracks. No person should be denied medical care, food, basic shelter, or access to education.

It also shouldn't be surprising that the rich and powerful want to be taxed as little as possible. I think both sides get too hot-headed and the discussions inevitably turn to "let's take their money away!" vs "let's advance the creation of a social floor for everyone!" I don't think it's a bad thing at all that some people are rich, but I think poverty is a very bad thing.

Hey I’m right there with you, and sorry if I misread your comment. I strongly advocate for a voluntary solution to the missing social floor through the use of collectives and total automation of basic human needs. I don’t think taxation is a good long term solution because it’s inherently not voluntary and thus will always cause tension.

It wouldnt be a problem that people made too much money if it wasn't for the fact that those people are making too much money by taking it from others. You can grow the pie and everyone wins, but when executives go from a few multiples of an average workers pay to several hundred[1], thats a zero sum game

[1]http://fortune.com/2017/07/20/ceo-pay-ratio-2016/

Does that 40B translate into more innovation or production from him? I don't think so.

There is no way Bezos could pursue Blue Origin as fast as he has without being having multiple Billions of net worth. Rockets are expensive and extremely risky.

So your premise is incorrect.

Have they produced anything actually useful yet and the capital wouldn't have dissapeared from the economy if it was shared more equally.

Pointing to a billionaire's hobby as a reason he deserves to keep billions instead of his workers getting a living wage seems like a weak argument

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