5 ms·

I’m still a high earner so I’m fine. I still have approximately $7500/month after my taxes are paid. That’s a lot since all medical care, 1 year parental leave,

I’m still a high earner so I’m fine. I still have approximately $7500/month after my taxes are paid. That’s a lot since all medical care, 1 year parental leave, my kids education from kindergarten through high school etc are “free”, e.g. paid with my taxes. My point was not to complain but to say to the guy that claims that we need a new system with more wealth distribution that those systems already exist. There are a limit though to how high you can tax someone before they stop producing.

__pache__ 4y ago
That's insane salary, props to you on that
fbrncci 4y ago
I was earning similarly in Europe. The moment I realized how much tax I was paying (51% bracket), I moved to Asia to work remotely. I honestly don’t care what’s being paid from my taxes, but to me that amount felt like theft. I now pay ~20% while being well above 10k after taxes.
- satvikpendem 4y ago
  This is why comparisons between the US and Europe regarding wages are always fraught. For some people, it makes sense to pay a lot of tax for the benefits it confers. For others, like you and me it seems, it is not really worth it to pay that much tax and not really receive the rewards. But everyone who discusses conflates some people's preferences to suddenly be everyone's preferences, and this is simply not a true comparison.
webmobdev 4y ago
You made a good point. But I don't think people are advocating taxing people like you but the super rich. The disparity between the few super-rich and the poor is so huge in many countries. Wealth that is not being put to use by the super-rich is money wasted. All this hoarded wealth could be put to so much good.
- __pache__ 4y ago
  Why is it bad some people are extremely wealthy? I'm sorry but it's just true that a few people are incredible. Elon musk. Steve jobs. These people are basically worth infinity, their potential and vision is extremely useful to humanity. Sorry a few make it to the NBA, but everyone can try.
  - webmobdev 4y ago
    The problem with the super-rich is that they have more money they can spend. The not spending is the problem. Money is good for public welfare only when it is earned and spent. Investments are supposed capitalist solutions to this - to make money "work" for you. But it's a broken circular system that seems to only make the wealthier more wealthy. (It's also becoming dysfunctional with speculations). It doesn't seem to be creating an egalitarian society because people with money often have access to better opportunities. And that's a huge hurdle tomorrow for your kids trying to compete with Elon Musk's or Steve's Jobs kid who are born with wealth.
    - __pache__ 4y ago
      Of course they can spend the money ... Musk risked a fortune Honestly I think you're just jealous. I started from nothing and have a few million. It's not crazy. There are like 30 million millionaires in the USA. Do you think the economy is zero sum? Elon musk _took_ money?
      - webmobdev 3y ago
        > I started from nothing and have a few million. And if you need that millions throughout your lifetime, that's fine. But imagine you have so much money to spend that you don't really know how to spend it in your lifetime? That's the problem.
        __pache__ 3y ago
        There is no amount one couldn't spend -- why are you even saying it this way? You could get by on like $1,000/mo. Live in a tent, eat rice + protein supplement or whatever, and donate the rest to Africa. Why don't you do that? If you're posting on this forum: you are in the top 1-5% of the entire world. You have a refrigerator? You should be ashamed and sending that refrigerator to someone who really needs it. You can get by with dry food. Obviously this is ridiculous. We live in capitalism, which just means _you_ own stuff and control it. If you own a company and that company makes 10,000,000 people happy every day, you're going to make a gorillion dollars. You deserve it, you're literally making that value... ugh.. Then you can do with that whatever you like, just like you can do whatever you like with your refrigerator. Where's the inherent evil? 10,000,000 people giving $1/day is 365 * $10,000,000 a year in revenue. Where is the evil?! Of course with that money you'll at least put it in the bank, which helps with liquidity, bank runs, funding millions of mortgages, etc... ugh... ya'll don't appreciate how good things are.

__pache__ 4y ago

That's insane salary, props to you on that

fbrncci 4y ago

I was earning similarly in Europe. The moment I realized how much tax I was paying (51% bracket), I moved to Asia to work remotely. I honestly don’t care what’s being paid from my taxes, but to me that amount felt like theft. I now pay ~20% while being well above 10k after taxes.

satvikpendem 4y ago
This is why comparisons between the US and Europe regarding wages are always fraught. For some people, it makes sense to pay a lot of tax for the benefits it confers. For others, like you and me it seems, it is not really worth it to pay that much tax and not really receive the rewards. But everyone who discusses conflates some people's preferences to suddenly be everyone's preferences, and this is simply not a true comparison.

webmobdev 4y ago

You made a good point. But I don't think people are advocating taxing people like you but the super rich. The disparity between the few super-rich and the poor is so huge in many countries. Wealth that is not being put to use by the super-rich is money wasted. All this hoarded wealth could be put to so much good.

__pache__ 4y ago
Why is it bad some people are extremely wealthy? I'm sorry but it's just true that a few people are incredible. Elon musk. Steve jobs. These people are basically worth infinity, their potential and vision is extremely useful to humanity. Sorry a few make it to the NBA, but everyone can try.
- webmobdev 4y ago
  The problem with the super-rich is that they have more money they can spend. The not spending is the problem. Money is good for public welfare only when it is earned and spent. Investments are supposed capitalist solutions to this - to make money "work" for you. But it's a broken circular system that seems to only make the wealthier more wealthy. (It's also becoming dysfunctional with speculations). It doesn't seem to be creating an egalitarian society because people with money often have access to better opportunities. And that's a huge hurdle tomorrow for your kids trying to compete with Elon Musk's or Steve's Jobs kid who are born with wealth.
  - __pache__ 4y ago
    Of course they can spend the money ... Musk risked a fortune Honestly I think you're just jealous. I started from nothing and have a few million. It's not crazy. There are like 30 million millionaires in the USA. Do you think the economy is zero sum? Elon musk _took_ money?
    - webmobdev 3y ago
      > I started from nothing and have a few million. And if you need that millions throughout your lifetime, that's fine. But imagine you have so much money to spend that you don't really know how to spend it in your lifetime? That's the problem.
      - __pache__ 3y ago
        There is no amount one couldn't spend -- why are you even saying it this way? You could get by on like $1,000/mo. Live in a tent, eat rice + protein supplement or whatever, and donate the rest to Africa. Why don't you do that? If you're posting on this forum: you are in the top 1-5% of the entire world. You have a refrigerator? You should be ashamed and sending that refrigerator to someone who really needs it. You can get by with dry food. Obviously this is ridiculous. We live in capitalism, which just means _you_ own stuff and control it. If you own a company and that company makes 10,000,000 people happy every day, you're going to make a gorillion dollars. You deserve it, you're literally making that value... ugh.. Then you can do with that whatever you like, just like you can do whatever you like with your refrigerator. Where's the inherent evil? 10,000,000 people giving $1/day is 365 * $10,000,000 a year in revenue. Where is the evil?! Of course with that money you'll at least put it in the bank, which helps with liquidity, bank runs, funding millions of mortgages, etc... ugh... ya'll don't appreciate how good things are.