Envy in a Time of Inequality

[ET]

[Dave Roberts]

There is one major fallacy, ET, in your last paragraphs. The reason that the percentage rose for the higher earners was that the country was in a deep recession that cut severely the income of the middle class. Therefore, their percentages of the tax bite of government was reduced.

To wish for a better equity ratio for the workers is not, at least for me, a matter of envy. I don't want to have to think whether I have five or six homes right now or whether my wife has 2 or 3 Cadillacs. At the same time, to question the ratio of distribution does not mean that I think all are greedy, but too many free market capitalists try to baptize Ayn Rand as though her approach matches Jesus. It certainly does not.

[Haruo]

Lots of wealthy people do lots of wonderful things with some of their wealth. A few of them put the overwhelming majority of their dollars to truly good use. And the poor are probably not any less prone to envy than the rich are to greed.

[William Thornton]

And I would add that the poor, or middle class, are no less prone to greed than corporate CEOs or other high income individuals especially when it is held out that the poor have a means of forcing transfer of wealth to their benefit.

[Haruo]

[KeithE]