Don't Abolish Billionaires

In terms of billionaires per capita, the U.S. ranks 13th while social democracies rank higher! We need capitalism, the greatest economic system on the planet in my opinion, with a system of taxation and rules and regulations that allow people to become billionaires while ensuring that everyone has access to health care and quality education without going into debt. The lack of universal health care stifles small business growth. People fear leaving jobs that give them health care in order to start a business that may fail. Because education is so expensive, many who have the ability to develop marketable skills cannot afford to do so or if they do, they accumulate financially devastating debt. If we had universal health care and free post secondary education at public colleges and universities, the U.S. would have more billionaires, not fewer.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/21/opinion/billionaires-innovation.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

@phranny said
In terms of billionaires per capita, the U.S. ranks 13th while social democracies rank higher! We need capitalism, the greatest economic system on the planet in my opinion, with a system of taxation and rules and regulations that allow people to become billionaires while ensuring that everyone has access to health care and quality education without going into debt. The lack o ...[text shortened]... imes.com/2019/02/21/opinion/billionaires-innovation.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

Has anyone here considered (if we have free college) how diluted it would all be? Harvard takes about 1000 students a year, so they now have 20,000? Just find a teacher in a park somewhere and give him a job to fill the vacuum? The curriculum would suffer greatly, there would be 700 people, maybe 1700, in newly built classrooms, I could go on and on. So unrealistic. The GOVERNMENT in effect deciding who will teach what. Just great. 80% of our teachers now are dems, or something like that, but you get my drift. No matter what side you are on, would you want such indoctrination ?

@averagejoe1 said
Has anyone here considered (if we have free college) how diluted it would all be? Harvard takes about 1000 students a year, so they now have 20,000? Just find a teacher in a park somewhere and give him a job to fill the vacuum? The curriculum would suffer greatly, there would be 700 people, maybe 1700, in newly built classrooms, I could go on and on. So unrealistic. ...[text shortened]... ke that, but you get my drift. No matter what side you are on, would you want such indoctrination ?

Pay attention, Joe, free tuition would apply to public colleges, not Harvard.

@handyandy said
Pay attention, Joe, free tuition would apply to public colleges, not Harvard.

Touche’ just had Harvard on my mind. Same reasoning but only Worse!!

@AverageJoe1 the suggestion of free college is for public institutions, state colleges, not private colleges and universities.

@averagejoe1 said
Touche’ just had Harvard on my mind. Same reasoning but only Worse!!

Worse? Those who pay taxes subsidize these public institutions cannot afford to attend. Making an education so difficult to obtain, is hurting our economy and our future.

@phranny said
Worse? Those who pay taxes subsidize these public institutions cannot afford to attend. Making an education so difficult to obtain, is hurting our economy and our future.

So you think that a person leaving high school should continue into college at no expense to the person? That, an entitlement program providing a college education in this country shoul be implemented? You think that?

@phranny said
In terms of billionaires per capita, the U.S. ranks 13th while social democracies rank higher! We need capitalism, the greatest economic system on the planet in my opinion, with a system of taxation and rules and regulations that allow people to become billionaires while ensuring that everyone has access to health care and quality education without going into debt. The lack o ...[text shortened]... imes.com/2019/02/21/opinion/billionaires-innovation.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

We can either follow your reasoning, or each of us can work hard on one thing for 10 years and get rich. I heard that on Fox, the 10 year part, and I fully believe it. If we rock and roll with capitalism as you say, sounds automatic on the face of it, till you said something about 'ensuring health care and education'. What does ensure mean? We have healthcare, you just buy into it. Education, student loan! If we do Your Thing, seems to me a HUGE drain on government, so more taxes would be required., So My thing of getting rich by working hard is out the window. Gotta pay everyone else's bills before I can put money into savings. Rats. And funny, it has been working for about 250 years or longer.

Cant see why everyone can't pull their own wagon,.... I think you want some to ride in the wagon. Well, don't you? If they ride, then your plan won't work. BTW, the segment on FOX was 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Socialist" They are millionaires ten times over, but want to get you all socialized nice and pretty. Socialism is for the people,,,,,it is not for the Socialists.

@averagejoe1 said
So you think that a person leaving high school should continue into college at no expense to the person? That, an entitlement program providing a college education in this country shoul be implemented? You think that?

The high school student's parents have paid for those institutions via taxes. Medicare and Social Security, often referred to as entitlements, are funded entirely by people who work. Money is taken directly out of our pay checks for both. We paid for it so we are entitled to it. It is not a gift like the tax breaks and legal loopholes given to the rich. Please read the following myth buster regarding Social Security. Due to an aging population, it does need a very simple fix. https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/21/opinions/social-security-myths-opinion-richtman/index.html
If you are truly interested in promoting the growth of small businesses and ensuring a competent future workforce for all businesses, universal health care and a quality, free public education through college is the best way to ensure that there will be lots of future millionaires and billionaires in the United States. As a wealthy, successful business owner, you should be well aware that being able to find a large number of competent and healthy workers is essential for your company to grow. Try growing your business in a country with a small central government and no or very few government funded institutions or infrastructure. That would be a third world country. Is that what conservatives desire? The U.S. could disenfranchise huge swaths of citizens, the rich could live off of invested wealth in gated, guarded communities complete with schools, hospitals, entertainment, shops, services and private airports. If you think this is impossible, look at who became POTUS along with some of the other idiots in Congress.

@phranny said
Try growing your business in a country with a small central government and no or very few government funded institutions or infrastructure. That would be a third world country. Is that what conservatives desire?

Do you think businesses don't grow in small goobermint countries? Businesses thrive in low reg, low tax environments.

@wajoma said
Do you think businesses don't grow in small goobermint countries? Businesses thrive in low reg, low tax environments.

"Governments have never been larger, but neither has the world ever been as wealthy, average life expectancies longer, or education and literacy rates higher than they are today. And perhaps big governments–and the taxes that support them—should get some of the credit for that."
https://qz.com/959103/on-tax-day-check-out-how-some-of-the-smallest-governments-in-the-world-serve-their-citizens/

Businesses thrive in countries where there are good roads, good communication systems, good education and good health care for all. People pool some of their wealth via taxation in order to create an environment that is fertile for business creation, development and sustained growth. A growing middle class is essential as people's purchasing power creates a reason for businesses to exist and grow. In the U.S., the middle class is in serious decline.

@phranny said
The high school student's parents have paid for those institutions via taxes. Medicare and Social Security, often referred to as entitlements, are funded entirely by people who work. Money is taken directly out of our pay checks for both. We paid for it so we are entitled to it. It is not a gift like the tax breaks and legal loopholes given to the rich. Please read the follow ...[text shortened]... think this is impossible, look at who became POTUS along with some of the other idiots in Congress.

Phranny you are complicating something that is already simple. BTW, you say "(if I) am interested in universal health care and a quality free public education through college"... But, I am not interested in that. Our country would cave in under the weight of its cost. God forbid we get those programs, entitlements. It is already simple, proven by our last 250 years.

As to being able to find competent and healthy workers, as a businessman, I, and millions before me, seem to be finding such people just fine. It has worked, been going on, for 250 years. Why do libs want to change everything?? Every day. Cortez just said it is OK to say M...F'er now. Are you ready for all this? You got kids? But, I digress.

You say Social Security is an entitlement?? It most certainly is not. Help me Rhonda. Y'all continue to hammer about 'tax breaks' to the rich. By the way, the rich have stuff that we want and need, so I wouldn't be too hasty in socking it to them, punishing them. You should read up on that....and by the way, 40% of our population do not pay fed income tax. Read up on who is paying their share of taxes. Whew.

As to "try growing business in a certain other country", this is this country. With the #1 economy in the world. I mean....... Look at one of your many quoted websites and check out the advances that have been made in the last 2 years. You gonna get that growth off the rails?

I still dont know what yall have against POTUS. You call him an idiot? Very interesting. Makes one wonder what else is wrong in your texts.

@phranny said
"Governments have never been larger, but neither has the world ever been as wealthy, average life expectancies longer, or education and literacy rates higher than they are today. And perhaps big governments–and the taxes that support them—should get some of the credit for that."
https://qz.com/959103/on-tax-day-check-out-how-some-of-the-smallest-governments-in-the-world-serv ...[text shortened]... ates a reason for businesses to exist and grow. In the U.S., the middle class is in serious decline.

There are a lot of reasons for the explosion of wealth and parasitical goobermint buratcracies are not amongst them. They breed on the back of wealth created, not the other way around. To your credit you do say 'perhaps'.

@averagejoe1 said
Has anyone here considered (if we have free college) how diluted it would all be? Harvard takes about 1000 students a year, so they now have 20,000? Just find a teacher in a park somewhere and give him a job to fill the vacuum? The curriculum would suffer greatly, there would be 700 people, maybe 1700, in newly built classrooms, I could go on and on. So unrealistic. ...[text shortened]... ke that, but you get my drift. No matter what side you are on, would you want such indoctrination ?

When the Left talks of free college, they are only talking about things like community college. In short, they just want to extend high school to create more dependency.

They will not lower their children to have to attend college in places like Harvard with poor folk.

In fact, lawyers in government are the pricks that tell us how racially unjust we are, and how segregating children in education, devoid of options like choice of schools for children, yet the legal profession is the most segregated of professions in the universe.

@wajoma said
There are a lot of reasons for the explosion of wealth and parasitical goobermint buratcracies are not amongst them. They breed on the back of wealth created, not the other way around. To your credit you do say 'perhaps'.

So your religion says. But such balderdash is contrary to actual experience in the Real World.