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Not to put too fine a point on it, but the current system depends on keeping a cadre of people on the financial hairy edge so that they can be coerced into doin

by lisper 6y ago

Not to put too fine a point on it, but the current system depends on keeping a cadre of people on the financial hairy edge so that they can be coerced into doing the actual work. If everyone were a millionaire, the result would not be a bunch of happy, financially independent people, it would be rampant inflation while the newly expanded money supply went chasing after what remained of a rapidly shrinking pool of accumulated goods, and then, when those were gone, we'd end up right back where we started, just with a few extra zeros on all the price tags.

deleted 6y ago
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sparrc 6y ago
The proposal isn't to make everyone a millionaire, it's to give everyone an index investment at birth that they can't touch until they retire, at which point it would presumably be worth around a million dollars. btw I'm not saying this is a good idea, I just wanted to make the point that there is plenty of money to pay for something like this.
pmoriarty 6y ago
"Not to put too fine a point on it, but the current system depends on keeping a cadre of people on the financial hairy edge so that they can be coerced into doing the actual work." Not just to do the work, but also to do the dying. Enlisting in the military is often a resort of financially destitute people who don't see many other options.
- brewdad 6y ago
  It's not something most people want to admit given the US worship of our veterans but the military in the past 40 years has largely been a successful jobs program.
  - pmoriarty 6y ago
    "the military in the past 40 years has largely been a successful jobs program" Well, among other things, like participating in mass murder.
  - bassman9000 6y ago
    It's not something most people want to admit I think it's pretty well known and understood. Not only a successful jobs program: a training/education one too, and the prime social ladder.
throwaway2245 6y ago
> depends on keeping a cadre of people on the financial hairy edge so that they can be coerced into doing the actual work. Which is maybe why Bill Ackman's proposal here doesn't really make money accessible to working-age people, when they most need it to set up a less hairy lifestyle.

by lisper 6y ago

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

sparrc 6y ago

The proposal isn't to make everyone a millionaire, it's to give everyone an index investment at birth that they can't touch until they retire, at which point it would presumably be worth around a million dollars. btw I'm not saying this is a good idea, I just wanted to make the point that there is plenty of money to pay for something like this.

pmoriarty 6y ago

"Not to put too fine a point on it, but the current system depends on keeping a cadre of people on the financial hairy edge so that they can be coerced into doing the actual work." Not just to do the work, but also to do the dying. Enlisting in the military is often a resort of financially destitute people who don't see many other options.

brewdad 6y ago
It's not something most people want to admit given the US worship of our veterans but the military in the past 40 years has largely been a successful jobs program.
- pmoriarty 6y ago
  "the military in the past 40 years has largely been a successful jobs program" Well, among other things, like participating in mass murder.
- bassman9000 6y ago
  It's not something most people want to admit I think it's pretty well known and understood. Not only a successful jobs program: a training/education one too, and the prime social ladder.

throwaway2245 6y ago

> depends on keeping a cadre of people on the financial hairy edge so that they can be coerced into doing the actual work. Which is maybe why Bill Ackman's proposal here doesn't really make money accessible to working-age people, when they most need it to set up a less hairy lifestyle.