viewfromthebellybutton

Greater income equality/redistribution of wealth. Most of the world probably wants this as well, but it’s the top 1% that would be the hardest to convince that it would probably even be in their own self interest to pursue it. It would take a sea change of such magnitude to persuade, not just them, but the world’s shareholders, that nothing short of a revolution (which, if violent, would be horrible) will do. What I am talking about is a re-adjustment of the way we evaluate “worth”. I am speaking in broad strokes here, but the point is the same: If an employer is making more money than he will ever be able to spend, but is not paying his workforce a living wage, what does that really say about him, and a culture that would see this as a “good and acceptable” thing? Yes, in our capitalistic society, the accumulation of vast wealth, what is referred to as “f-ck you money” (Fuck You Money | Bankers Anonymous), is seen as a noble goal in and of itself, and it is “socialist” or “communist” to question the wisdom of that philosophy. But is it? Or is it even immoral to accept socialism or communism if the end is to see that people who work hard get a good life? How about instead of “f-ck you money”, we start to value “appreciate you money”? The kind of wealth an employer might achieve that would enable him to stop the accumulation of wealth for its ownsake and say, “Hey, my employees, I really appreciate that you have worked hard to make me a fabulously wealthy man. In return, here’s a big fat raise, healthcare, school stipends for your kids, whatever…” How about we stop doing business, inasmuch as it is possible, with oligarchs who have already accumulated their fat share of “f-ck you money”, but that isn’t enough so they continue to ship jobs overseas? What’s the big deal about Burger Doodle or BigMart expanding to new markets–“creating jobs, jobs, jobs!!!–if those jobs are going to be too crappy to make a living at?
I’m sick and tired of people who believe in “trickle down” voodoo witchcraft and fairy dust economics bloviating about how “the rich just need fewer taxes, then they’ll create more and greater  jobs and pay people lots of money!!!” Hogwash! The only way trickle down works is if you force it to: Tell them, “Invest back into your own people and your own country, or we will tax the sh-t out of you FOR REAL; I mean you-will-feel-it for real!”
Pipe dream? Yeah. Probably. But it beats pitchforks and torches.