Should Action be taken to Reverse the Rich/Poor Gap in the U.S.?

Question

According to Forbes, the richest 400 Americans are worth $1.25 trillion. That is equal to 50% of the U.S. populations networth.

Goldman Sachs is paying $16.5 billion in bonuses this year.

With the seemingly rich getting richer and the middle class staying the same, do you feel some correction needs to be made?

If so, what form of corrections do you suggest?

Thanks in advance.

Mac

Maybe 1.25 trillion is more than the networth of the bottom 50% of the U.S. Population. I am not sure.

Answer 1

The poor should go get work at Goldman Sachs.

I don't think any "correction" needs to take place. If people are too lazy to get out of the situation they are in, why should we punish those who did?

Answer 2

Only the Rich Pay Taxes!
The Top 50% pay 96.54% of All Income Taxes
The Top 1% Pay More Than a Third: 34.27%
• EIB Numbers Breakdown...here
• IRS PDF: Data for the Latest Calendar Year
• NY Times Buries Truth on Taxes: tscript,
• CBO Report: Effective Federal Tax Rates Under Current Law, 2001 to 2014
• CY 2001 Posted Forever: here
• Myth Buster: Democrats Get More Campaign Cash from "Rich"

Answer 3

Your figures are not accurate. The national GDP is ~$12 trillion per year, so there is no way that $1.25 trillion is 50% of the population's net worth. Our federal government alone has a budget of ~$3 trillion. Nice to know that a bunch of corrupt politicians hundreds or thousands of miles from where you live control 1/4 of your wealth, isn't it?

Even if your figures are wrong, your basic premise is correct. There is a large gap between the richest among us, and the rest of us. First of all, government (in any form) is NOT the answer. As my figures earlier showed, they already control 1/4 of the GDP and haven't fixed anything (poverty, crime, healthcare, etc.) so there is no reason to give them any more money or control.

The way to fix the problem is us, you and me. If you don't like Goldman Sachs paying $16.5 billion in bonuses, then don't give them your money. Unlike the government, you have a choice about giving your money to a company. Those billions of dollars don't come out of thin air, people like us (consumers) give it to them. If we choose to give our money to somebody else, then they don't have the money to give billion dollar bonuses.

The bottom line is this. You are free to do business with any company you choose. If you don't like what they do, then choose to give your business to somebody else. If you get the government involved, they'll just mess everything up, like they always do, and then pay themselves $168,000 per year (of your money) for life.

Answer 4

I do not see the need for the government to interfere at all. I do not see this as a problem. I do not envy the rich, nor am I stupid enough to believe that wealth is a zero-sum game.

I see this as continuing proof of the greatness that is America, where there is no limit to what you can achieve.

Answer 5

It would be rather difficult to reverse the fact that some ppl snatches everything, money & material things, while some gets next to nothing....same story in alot of places.

Answer 6

yes unless you can justify why you can make more than 400 times more than you employee, what ever argument you have to justify with it can be applied even more so to those who make 400 times less than you because someone on minimum wage spends their money on what they need so what do the rich spend it on.... just what do they need that cost more than 400 times more!

Answer 7

Yes, people should work to acquire more skills to improve their life instead of waiting around for the government to take care of that for them.

Answer 8

Yes, I agree, something needs to be done. Government controlled healthcare is my suggestion. Greedy insurance companies.

Answer 9

Send the poor to the moon.

Answer 10

We need to get rid of the nanny state so the lazy bums "who can't get a job" get off their *** and get to work.