From: Erik Moeller (flagg@oberberg-online.de)
Date: Fri Mar 07 1997 - 12:58:20 MST
J. de Lyser wrote:
> Personally i don't aspire to become wealthy, as the more i work, the more i
> work for the state and the less for myself.
Wrong. If government works correctly, you don't work for the state but the state
works for you.
I *do* agree that this is often not the case today. That's what I want to improve.
The problem is that government is too corrupt and influenced (usually even set up)
by economy. For government does not have a general interest in acting "evil", but big
biz has, in order to
- sell more
- get rid of competitors
- get state subventions
- pay fewer taxes
they would do anything they can. In non-anarchies this is a bit limited (they can't
simply burn down their weaker enemies' factories), but as anarchies are not workable
this is the only possibility they see.
And don't forget that all large companies are practically owned by investment banks
like Morgan Stanley or Brown Brothers Harriman. There is no free market or real
competition, just a search for the highes profit rates.
In addition, those who do the hardest physical work (workers in factories, farmers
etc.) usually get the fewest money in capitalist systems and have to pay (relatively)
the most. For one who gets a million each month could pay 995,000 and still live
quite good. But one who gets 400 $ each month will have problems with paying 100 $ of
taxes.
> get by, and leaves me lots of time for individual development. Don't call
> it lazyness, call it rational behaviour in states that have maximum income
> tax scales of 60-70%, and where some have understood that time is our most
> valuable possession.
Wrong. I will only argue for Germany. We have a maximum income tax scale of 53 %
(which is supposed to be shortened to 40 % this year), but nobody pays that much. It
isn't different in the USA or anywhere else. Those who "work" more and make more
money (mainly by being unscrupulous and corrupt) often don't pay any taxes as all, as
they can afford the best tax advisors available.
That's why the share of wealth in Germany is so unjust. With 4,7 million people
unemployed, 150,000 millionaires and about 50 billionaires it is obvious that the
problem is not government, but economy.
Ah, and they have about 60 % MITS in Japan.
Freedom is an illusion. Free markets cannot exist, because money accumulates and
companies get more powerful the more money they have. They don't spend this money in
developing better products, but in advertising their existing ones and getting rid of
their competitors. If companies invest, they do not invest in employees but in what
promises the highest profit.
Capitalism is the true pyramid system. Lots of people pay and few get the money. In
the end, there's mass poverty, hunger and a few very, very rich (but usually not very
clever) guys.
I only see one motivation that drives all Libertarians. It's not the desire for
freedom or the desire for justics. It's pure greed. Oh yeah, and in some cases it's
stupidity.
Regards,
Erik Moeller
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Nov 01 2002 - 14:44:14 MST