You cannot morally impose the wealthy to support the rest. It has to come through legislation and organization of labor.
Also cutting tax rates and encouraging 'pass-through' S-Corps, the latter of which really helped many people skirt taxes:
* https://archive.is/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/0...
* https://phys.org/news/2026-10-private-business-fortunes-reve...
* https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250378507/theeverywheremi...
In the late 1990s, under Clinton, the US was in a fiscal position such that people were worried about US Treasuries (bonds) not being available anymore because of surpluses. Then there was Bush (wars, tax cuts), the GFC, Trump 1.0 tax cuts, Trump 2.0 tax cuts: and people are wondering how the US can solve its fiscal mess? How about you go back to 1997 (tax rates), the last time this was a non-issue.
But yeah.. hard work is not rewarded. The funny thing is. The kids see it. They are not dumb ( as much as TikTok trends would suggest otherwise ). The ronin-like approach to working relationship is very visible now and, as a corporate drone, I can't help but be impressed given the near constant propaganda onslaught.
In fact, if we were to look at the abandoned as an economy of its own, minus the upper income levels, it actually still has a lot of members, and money is a part but does not have to be all of it.
The quiet group to which I refer is a group of people who believe in working together to support each other, and not making a big noise about it. We are finding ways to live working around the current system, and I do think it is gaining support. It takes a mix of support, room/space to experiment and a spirit of partnership first over domination.
FWIW, I'm not anti-capitalist. But I am pro-good life for everyone, and I think the extremes, market failures and inequalities of our current system - well - we can do better.