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The internet was created by governments, much of its technical infrastructure through open source projects, and I’m pretty sure most of those billionaire compan

The internet was created by governments, much of its technical infrastructure through open source projects, and I’m pretty sure most of those billionaire companies had at least some employees (many of whom I assume were also educated in public schools and state universities). So, yes, quite obviously, they made it on the “backs of society.”

manigandham 7y ago
We all pay taxes and benefit from "society". There's nothing special about it, and you too have the freedom to start your own company.
- claudeganon 7y ago
  This presumes that societies are run and tax so as to provide equal benefits to all. This is disproven by, I dunno, the history of every society.
  - manigandham 7y ago
    Taxes are not equally paid either. I'm not sure what your point is. Do you want to limit wealth? Do you want to ban entrepreneurship? Do you want communism?
    - claudeganon 7y ago
      You’re right. Workers now pay a higher tax rate than Capital owners: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/10/16/us-now-taxes-wages-higher-rate-than-capital-fueling-income-inequality-study-finds/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/10/16/us-now-ta... What I want is for the value workers create to be returned to them, not hoovered up by the wealthy in some distortive, unjustifiable scheme that prizes Capital ownership over everything else, including the lives and well-being of the majority of citizens.
      - manigandham 7y ago
        Sure, I agree with removing capital gains taxes. Remove corporate income tax too. That would eliminate a lot of the discrepancy and tax loopholes. But tax rates are meaningless otherwise. The top 1% pay as much as the bottom 90% combined, and the bottom 40% pay nothing at all.
    - 93po 7y ago
      >Do you want communism? Yes >Do you want to limit wealth? Absolutely
      - manigandham 7y ago
        No thanks. No need for an ideology that has killed hundreds of millions while keeping the ones the survived in poverty. Any wealth inequality that exists in capitalism is only magnified in communism where an even smaller group of people have both political and monetary power.

manigandham 7y ago

We all pay taxes and benefit from "society". There's nothing special about it, and you too have the freedom to start your own company.

claudeganon 7y ago
This presumes that societies are run and tax so as to provide equal benefits to all. This is disproven by, I dunno, the history of every society.
- manigandham 7y ago
  Taxes are not equally paid either. I'm not sure what your point is. Do you want to limit wealth? Do you want to ban entrepreneurship? Do you want communism?
  - claudeganon 7y ago
    You’re right. Workers now pay a higher tax rate than Capital owners: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/10/16/us-now-taxes-wages-higher-rate-than-capital-fueling-income-inequality-study-finds/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/10/16/us-now-ta... What I want is for the value workers create to be returned to them, not hoovered up by the wealthy in some distortive, unjustifiable scheme that prizes Capital ownership over everything else, including the lives and well-being of the majority of citizens.
    - manigandham 7y ago
      Sure, I agree with removing capital gains taxes. Remove corporate income tax too. That would eliminate a lot of the discrepancy and tax loopholes. But tax rates are meaningless otherwise. The top 1% pay as much as the bottom 90% combined, and the bottom 40% pay nothing at all.
  - 93po 7y ago
    >Do you want communism? Yes >Do you want to limit wealth? Absolutely
    - manigandham 7y ago
      No thanks. No need for an ideology that has killed hundreds of millions while keeping the ones the survived in poverty. Any wealth inequality that exists in capitalism is only magnified in communism where an even smaller group of people have both political and monetary power.