RobbieDec 14
Mike
Dec 13 at 11:10pmWeb
Show threadRichard W. Woodley ELBOWS UP 🇨🇦🌹🚴‍♂️📷 🗺️Dec 14

@mstarace

Although I would argue there is a point where there should be a ceiling. Let's start with a billion and work down.

Show threadRealGene ☣️Dec 14
@mstarace
Now with Alt-Text!
Show threadLMR 🇦🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏴‍☠️Dec 14

@RealGene @mstarace ehh, I mean… it really *should* put a ceiling on wealth if it wants to continue functioning. But it doesn’t intrinsically do that, that’s true.

Norway is a shithole afaik, and the only reason people are fairly wealthy on average over there is because of oil money. terrible example for a social democracy

Show threadD IngramDec 14
@_r And Norwegian resource exploiters like Equinor act all surprised when people protest their drilling in other peoples' back yards. https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/equinor-scraps-plans-to-drill-for-oil-in-the-great-australian-bight/1g5hhtccz
Equinor scraps plans to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight

Planned oil exploration in the Great Australian Bight will not go ahead after company Equinor decided to end the $200 million project.

SBS News
Show threadOliver SchönrockDec 14

@_r @RealGene @mstarace

" it really *should* put a ceiling on wealth"

^^this

Show threadFluxDec 14
@RealGene @mstarace wait doesn’t Norway also have a serious housing crisis iirc?
Show threadEmilio PeláezDec 15
@Umbreon @RealGene @mstarace many countries are, but a housing crisis with strong protections is still better than one without
Show threadFrank HeijkampDec 14
@RealGene
With #alt_text it is now worth sharing.
@mstarace
Show threadMarikaDec 14
@RealGene @mstarace reminder that we should absolutely put a ceiling on wealth though
Show threadThe FrogDec 14

@hermlon @mstarace @RealGene

Indeed. At some point, the simple fact some people are much richer than others is what *creates* poverty by simply allowing them to outbid everyone else.

In housing: say you have a plot of land in a sought after city centre. You could either build ten small houses or a big luxury one on it. If the rich guy can pay 700k and normal folks can pay 100k, you're better off making 10 houses. If the rich guy can pay 2M though...

Show threadmaradoDec 15
@hermlon @mstarace @RealGene progressive personal income tax is there to take care of those use case tho, right? I mean, sure, I don't know any government with such a system ever deciding to create a "top tier with 100% tax", but the mechanisms exist.
Show threadUrzlDec 15

@marado @hermlon @mstarace @RealGene The US had a 100% top tier during the time the robber barons were making their dynastic fortunes.

It's honestly a really good argument in favor of such a scheme.

Show threadKatieDec 14
@RealGene @mstarace Norway is a really good example for how run a society,though admittedly, it easier for a petrostate to do it than some others.
Show threadhendrikstierDec 15
@RealGene @mstarace @drahardja let somebody raise the floor! 🤘
Show threadSashinDec 15

@RealGene @mstarace I suspect it does lower the ceiling (are the richest in Norway as rich as those in the states) and there's no problem with lowering the ceiling, I don't like how it implies we shouldn't lower the ceiling.

Lowering the ceiling to raise the floor mean rich people get less power in exchange for lots of people being able to live.

Show threadViolet MadderDec 14

@mstarace

Still capitalism, however. And still planetwrecking colonial imperialism.

Which is why all of those very nice social democracies are seeing accelerating inequality and rising fascism, because they've always been on the same trajectory to corporate technofeudalism with all the rest of us. Their socialized safety nets are being dismantled by neoliberal-supercharged privatization and corruption.

Just takes a bit longer for the cracks to show.

Show threadGnome KatDec 14
@mstarace
Yo why is everyone making the same money suppose to be bad I truly don't understand this line of argument
Show threadLMR 🇦🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏴‍☠️Dec 14

@gnomekat @mstarace something something “if everyone could afford stuff, nobody would work anymore”

of course this is wrong and stupid and you should feel bad for thinking that. but whatever, you gotta market your ideology to the brainwashed masses ig

Show threadDanish AkhtarDec 14
@mstarace Other countries should learn from your country. 👍👌❤️
Show threadXenotime, Librarian of Æther Dec 14
@mstarace there are some very wealthy people living happily in Oslo.......

a few blocks away from the barista in the nice little coffee-shop, who was well-compensated and financially comfortable
Show threadGreen ex LibrisDec 14

@mstarace I think of social democracy as "hard to be poor, hard to be rich, easy to be middle-class". And I kinda like it.

to be fair, that should apply to any socialist country, but social democracies seems to be the most successful example rn

Show threadsoup2nutsDec 14
@mstarace "Raises the floor" AND, importantly, lowers the "ceiling" -- no billionaires with disproportionate control over laws and economics. sounds like aiming for the middle - and improving quality of life and leadership. brilliant. i'll buy some skis and be right over. LOL
Show threadSeán FenianDec 14
@mstarace The trouble with billionaires is that to them that's exactly the same thing. They are still not as much richer than the peasants. Every dollar an ordinary person has is a dollar they don't have.
Show threadnosdregamonDec 14
@mstarace ... but they feel less rich, if they can't see poor people jump through burning hoops, just not to starve...
Show threadJohnnieMacDec 15
@mstarace every country in the world has a housing crisis - thanks ab&b