2 ms·

It's a tautology that if someone makes more money, they will literally do something with it. The question is: who cares? In other words, would it be something

It's a tautology that if someone makes more money, they will literally do something with it. The question is: who cares? In other words, would it be something meaningful, or no? Is anybody at that income level less "free" in any substantial sense because they have to pay a bit more in taxes? Again, I claim that for most people actually paying those tax rates, the answer is no, mostly because marginal propensity to consume decreases with increasing income. And, at that level of income, not having a few more bucks to invest just doesn't seem meaningful, either. Let's hear some specifics. Name one specific thing someone at this level of income might do that extra income that meaningfully impacts their life. Your inability or refusal to do so so far seems to support my point here. Here's my concrete example: if we added +13% to Jeff Bezos's accounts, do you really think that would change his life even a tiny bit? Would it change meaningfully even if we subtracted 13%? I'm just gonna say that's a no either way.

ethbr0 5y ago
Presumably Bezos would spend more money on space travel. And Warren Buffett or Bill Gates would spend more on charity. And Larry Ellison would buy another and bigger yatch. Or Elon Musk would just keep it in a bank account. Which one can feel on way or the other about, but it's disingenuous to claim that's nothing. It's not nothing. So make the full claim you want ("I support laws that tax the rich and decrease their freedom, so that poorer people can have a stronger social safety net and more freedom."), being honest about all sides, instead of the edited version ("I support laws that increase freedom for everyone {because money doesn't have value to rich people}."). And recognize that if it's moral umbrage you're taking, the same reasoning extends down the income scale. (Making the assumption that you're not making minimum wage, and I'm not) Presumably someone who is making minimum wage would believe many of the things we do with our additional income, but would not do without it, are "not meaningful."

ethbr0 5y ago

Presumably Bezos would spend more money on space travel. And Warren Buffett or Bill Gates would spend more on charity. And Larry Ellison would buy another and bigger yatch. Or Elon Musk would just keep it in a bank account. Which one can feel on way or the other about, but it's disingenuous to claim that's nothing. It's not nothing. So make the full claim you want ("I support laws that tax the rich and decrease their freedom, so that poorer people can have a stronger social safety net and more freedom."), being honest about all sides, instead of the edited version ("I support laws that increase freedom for everyone {because money doesn't have value to rich people}."). And recognize that if it's moral umbrage you're taking, the same reasoning extends down the income scale. (Making the assumption that you're not making minimum wage, and I'm not) Presumably someone who is making minimum wage would believe many of the things we do with our additional income, but would not do without it, are "not meaningful."