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The problem is that markets also stop functioning when wealth inequality passes a threshold and becomes too severe. The reason that markets work is because par
by kibwen 4y ago
The problem is that markets also stop functioning when wealth inequality passes a threshold and becomes too severe.
The reason that markets work is because participants have "skin in the game", and losing money would hurt them, so they want to avoid losing money, so they try to make good decisions, and those that don't lose their money and are disempowered in the process. But once you reach a state where you're so wealthy that money no longer matters, you are able to distort the market at will, making it irrational (and thus inefficient) and destroying its ability to efficiently allocate scarce resources.
I wish more people understood this. You don't need to go full communism and make everyone's wealth equal, but if you want markets to work you do still need to make sure that the wealthiest are not so wealthy that they won't suffer from making poor financial decisions.
- WalterBright 4y ago> I wish more people understood this. Please provide a case history.
- pyuser583 4y agoEven the wealthiest man in the world is a few hands of poker away from poverty.