Lord Herbert wrote on Aug 13
th, 2013 at 3:28pm:
Wrong.
The rich are never in need of social security for the very good reason their wealth is enough to finance their lifestyle through various investments and leasing of property, etc, etc.
It's not about need, but about keeping an advantage. Social security is like a clock that doesn't stop. It prevents the poor from being "left behind," but also prevents them from catching up to the rich. If everyone gets the same treatment, everyone will more or less stay where they are. The rich will still be rich. The poor will still be poor. The clock doesn't stop ticking for anyone. Nobody goes backwards.
It's not about need, but about stinginess. The rich always want to stay ahead.
Lord Herbert wrote on Aug 13
th, 2013 at 3:28pm:
Wrong.
The rich complain when they see Socialist governments under Labor redistributing their wealth to the poor through draconian taxes and levies.
Their wealth isn't being redistributed. They are keeping their wealth. Income tax isn't a redistribution of wealth. People with higher gross incomes will always have higher net incomes. Relative inequalities will remain.
Like I have said a number of times in different places, a market-driven system isn't truly objective. Pay grades go up exponentially. An income tax forces the relationship between income and effort/value more or less back into a linear relationship. If people don't like this view, it's because they love money more than the economy itself. If they really cared about the businesses they worked for, they would get a pay cut and stop complaining about taxes.
Lord Herbert wrote on Aug 13
th, 2013 at 3:28pm:
50 businesses go bankrupt in NSW each WEEK because of rental costs for business premises, business taxes and insurance, penalty rates and compensation for 'Mediterranean Back' sending them to the wall.
In that case they should cut taxes on businesses and do something about inflated property prices. Allowing
people to become
rich doesn't actually help the economy anyway. What does help the economy is allowing
businesses to become
rich.
If I was going to improve the income tax system, I would redirect a portion of income taxes back to the businesses they came from instead of the government -- provided they invest the money in something useful -- like R&D or purchasing capital goods. The government may have less revenue and be poorer, but at least businesses would lose less money.
Surely, a good, loyal employee would love to pay "taxes" to a business rather than a government?
Of course, a huge number of people would hate the idea, from all across the spectrum -- from the high-paid Andrei to the low-paid tradesperson. The unions would hate it. Nobody wants a pay cut.
Lord Herbert wrote on Aug 13
th, 2013 at 3:28pm:
How many times have we seen stories of early retirees investing all their life savings in a franchise at the local shopping mall, only for this to go bust within a few weeks because the advertising didn't match the reality?
I think they simply made some bad investments there. If they had put their life savings in a bank, this would have been less likely to happen.
Lord Herbert wrote on Aug 13
th, 2013 at 3:28pm:
I don't agree. You're taking a socialist viewpoint here.
Is this an attempt to discredit my view?
My view is more like "socialism for the people, capitalism for businesses." That's the way I think it should be. Allowing people to become rich doesn't help the economy. If they lose their job, they should receive the bare minimum required to find another job. Social security doesn't help people become rich, so that's fine with me.
In the meantime, the income tax system should be fixed so that a portion of it goes back to the business if it promises to invest it in something useful. Gross income should just be an ego-booster that says, "Mate, you did a good job there." It shouldn't mean the employee gets to keep the money. Company taxes should be cut for domestically-owned businesses -- ideally right down to zero. R&D and the purchase of capital goods should be subsidised to encourage innovation.
Basically for me, people shouldn't be rich. Businesses should be rich. In an efficient economy, the majority of people are poor and firms are bristling with activity and their coffers are full.
Lord Herbert wrote on Aug 13
th, 2013 at 3:28pm:
If the rich have legitimate complaints, then let's listen to them.
I've been listening to their complaints and most of them are for personal gain and self-benefit, not for the benefit of the businesses they serve. It's the "all about me" attitude.
Lord Herbert wrote on Aug 13
th, 2013 at 3:28pm:
Just ask Bob Jane how easy it was to go from hero to zero in the financial world.
Zero? Bob-Jane T-Mart's seems to be doing fine under his son.