Quote from: hase0278 on May 07, 2018, 07:51:47 AM

What good points are you referring to? Are you referring to the ones I quoted here:

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In a time of immense wealth, no one should live in poverty, nor should the middle class be consigned to a future of permanent stagnation or anxiety.

They might not experience poverty, but society itself will suffer from abundance of negligent people if ever Chris Hughes' desire comes into fruition. Wouldn't it also be unfair for rich people who worked hard for that money?

There are many in middle class america who pay 50% or higher taxes. Years ago, Warren Buffett's tax rate was 17%. That was without him utilizing tax loopholes or making a real effort @ tax evasion. Many wealthy pay less than 17% income taxes. Recently it came to light that 1% of the worlds population owns 40% of the wealth in the entire world. Some wealthy individuals complain that they pay the majority of taxes. Then again if they own 40% of all the wealth in the world isn't it difficult to imagine a scenario where they do not pay higher taxes than the poor or middle class whose global holdings of wealth are significantly less?

If the middle class is willing to part with 50% of its earnings, then I think the wealthy should expect to pay at least 20%. The way things are now, there are wealthy businessmen in america who pay around 2% income taxes, without factoring in the AMT(alternative minimum tax). There are many large corporations like google who utilize tax loopholes then have the cost of constructing their server farms funded by government tax subsidies. Then they receive tax cuts which give it an unfair advantage over its competition. Its like a form of rich peoples welfare.

Its easy to think the rich are being treated unfairly, I'm certain those are the only stories people hear about in the media. But once fundamental details about how things are implemented in the real world become available a very different portrait of things can emerge.

Quote from: hase0278 on May 07, 2018, 07:51:47 AM

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There are many ways to pay for a guaranteed income. However, I do think that the resources can and should come from the people who most benefited from the structure of the economy.

I agree that resources should come from people who got the most benefit out of the economy's structure but I think they shouldn't provide it for free. With their money, they can open more business to help give jobs to others who needs it.

There are corporations like apple and intel who sit on $80 billion dollars in stockpiled funds that they don't use for creating jobs nor anything. The myth about large corporations being the largest creator of new jobs doesn't pan out. Its small businesses who are the biggest source of new jobs in the country. Not big established names. If anything large corporations repress new and emerging technologies, they also centralize markets and create monopolies, all of which kills jobs.

Quote from: hase0278 on May 07, 2018, 07:51:47 AM

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We had tax rates at 50 percent for several decades after [World War II]. In the same period, we had record economic growth and broad-based prosperity. Im not making the case, in the book and in general, that we just need higher taxes. It matters what our tax dollars are going to.

Rulers of that era and now are different. Economic growth and prosperity by that time came from spoils of war, not mainly from taxes.

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Cash is just the simplest and most efficient thing to eradicate poverty and stabilize the middle class. -Bloomberg

Cash would not simply eradicate poverty and stabilize the middle class, it would just make them more negligent and slothful.

I agree high taxes and economic prosperity post WWII is a terrible example.

Post WWII a good portion of the developed and civilized world was bombed back to the stone age except for russia and the united states. America had a prosperous WWII as they were in the business of helping other nations rebuild--at a profit. They made reconstruction loans to foreign nations--with interest.

Its not evidence high taxes are a good or even sustainable policy.