is this the mother of all our error injustice violence war crime suffering danger selfdestruction?

Question

[fiscal] reward for excellence - the golden calf ppl actually made themselves poorer - they were driven to do it by a desire/need to express portray make visible their wealth - that drive made them poorer & they thought they were richer - they werent, they were poorer, they deceived themselves, they got it wrong, they increased their sufferings, they deprived themselves - which reminds me of the state of humanity today: everyone striving to be richer, to have symbols of their excellence, & quite blind to the selfdeprivation they are causing by that striving - EVERYONE [the 1% paid above avg & the 99% paid below avg] 100 times unhappier - [proof that everyone agrees that we are 100x unhappier: everyone will agree that, if a govt takes 90% off 90% of ppl, that will make everyone 100x unhappier [less peace order liberty democracy safety freemarket economic stability & smoothrunning] ] - but this sound proof makes no impression, starts no braincogs turning
ppl keep reerecting plutocracies

Answer 1

Please cite your sources on relative happiness. I would argue that happiness has increased in many areas and people are working much less than in the past (40 hours/week vs 70+ pre industrial revolution). People are living longer lives. More people are more educated even in the poorer nations than any time in history. Infant survival rate has greatly increased everywhere, regardless of poverty. Many of the scariest diseases can now be treated or completely disappeared (polio, small pox).

Not everyone seeks wealth. Plenty of people work for 40 hours and than focus on hobbies, family, sports and other non-market activities. Extreme wealth isn't necessary to travel the world, live comfortably or experience art and culture.

Under you're argument people would be worse off without rewarding excellence. Starting with Newton, we would not have modern science or producivitiy without endowing universities and rewarding top sciences. We would not have modern industry without capitial accumulation and rewarding businessmen for their vision.

If you think a form of communism would stop war, look at the Hungarian revolt, look at what the USSR did in Afganistan, look what China did to there own citizens in Tiatamin Square (sp?). Russia. Economic equality does not insure happiness and world peace. You can find numerous examples of countries with similar GDP/capita going to war for many silly reasons.