More than a million have used UK food banks in the past year

[Footsoldier]

I'd suggest the second sign produces the same response as we've seen from certain posters in this thread ( one in particular ) :

http://www.upworthy.com/a-guy-hung-...-neck-to-make-a-solid-point-and-it-worked?g=3

Says it all really doesn't it. They crucified him then ignored him.

[yt]eBuC_0-d-9Y[/yt]

 

[Bakero]

Social progress has also been made for centuries and the many people's lives have improved. Why are you so keen for this progress to stop?

Where have I mentioned it to stop?

What about the millions who work hard but are still poor?

Been going on for generations and will do for the foreseeable future.

 

[Footsoldier]

You've lost me. Face palm?

 

[Beach Hut]

I don't despise the rich. I believe that they, in general, could do more for society. Call it social responsibility.

Really so in this social program of yours at what point should you have to hand what you earn to others ?

 

[Bakero]

Where have I mentioned it to stop?

What about the millions who work hard but are still poor?

Social progress has also been made for centuries and the many people's lives have improved. Why are you so keen for this progress to stop?

Been going on for generations and will do for the foreseeable future.

You've lost me. Face palm?

Just because when people point out problems you reply 'that's life.' You seem very content with the status quo. If people had had your attitude throughout history no progress would have been made.

1215 AD

Noble man - "I question the divine right of the king"
Footsoldier - "That's life, mate"

1910 AD
Woman - "Why can't we vote too?"
Footsoldier - "That's the way it is, Luv, and it will be for the foreseeable future"

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Really so in this social program of yours at what point should you have to hand what you earn to others ?

You do anyway, via taxation.

 

[Beach Hut]

You do anyway, via taxation.

Why not answer the actual question, at what point of personal wealth would your social responsibility program start ?

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Why not answer the actual question, at what point of personal wealth would your social responsibility program start ?

Well, it's up to the person, isn't it? Besides, where have I suggested enforcing a social program?

I'm suggesting that material wealth could be better spent and I certainly wouldn't want to waste vast sums of money on flash cars or what-have-you when it could be put to much better use elsewhere.

 

[Beach Hut]

Well, it's up to the person, isn't it? Besides, where have I suggested enforcing a social program?

I'm suggesting that material wealth could be better spent and I certainly wouldn't want to waste vast sums of money on flash cars or what-have-you when it could be put to much better use elsewhere.

So even though an individual earns that money you would advocate a law on how they spend it ?

Also that would totally stifle thinking out the box, taking risks and creativity, you would not be very welcome in the private sector.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

So even though an individual earns that money you would advocate a law on how they spend it ?

No! Where have I said that, you twonk?

I'm suggesting that the super-rich should take more responsibility.

 

[Beach Hut]

No! Where have I said that, you twonk?

I'm suggesting that the super-rich should take more responsibility.

Why is it their responsibility to assist others ?

I just do not get it and also suspect if this was the case they would not bother having the can do mentality to achieve business success.

Totally stupid in my view however I suspect we are bound not to agree given you work in the public sector and myself in the private.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Why is it their responsibility to assist others ?

I just do not get it and also suspect if this was the case they would not bother having the can do mentality to achieve business success.

Totally stupid in my view however I suspect we are bound not to agree given you work in the public sector and myself in the private.

Social responsibility. Why should anyone help out anyone? Well, some people like to help out those less fortunate.

What are you burbling on about? We won't agree as we work in different sectors? I think you have been at the vino, haven't you?

 

[Beach Hut]

Social responsibility. Why should anyone help out anyone? Well, some people like to help out those less fortunate.

What are you burbling on about? We won't agree as we work in different sectors? I think you have been at the vino, haven't you?

Sorry BOF you are totally loosing me on this, we are miles apart

 

[beorhthelm]

I'm suggesting that the super-rich should take more responsibility.

i'm wondering why you assume that they dont. often the super-rich are the largest donors to charity and causes.

 

[Tubby-McFat-Fuc]

 

[Barrel of Fun]

...we are miles apart

That much is clear.

i'm wondering why you assume that they dont. often the super-rich are the largest donors to charity and causes.

The rich man giving away one of his gold coins, doesn't equal the old dear who gives away her very last silver coin. (Paraphrased from a parable)

Besides, according to Forbes there are 939 people worth over $2bn. The world's billionaires have an aggregate wealth of $6.5tn. There are still people with no access to clean drinking water.

 

[Titanic]

The rich man giving away one of his gold coins, doesn't equal the old dear who gives away her very last silver coin. (Paraphrased from a parable)

In what way does it not 'equal' ? I'd imagine the recipient would be quite happy with something worth 75 times as much (assuming the coins are the same size).

 

[beorhthelm]

The rich man giving away one of his gold coins, doesn't equal the old dear who gives away her very last silver coin. (Paraphrased from a parable)

no it isnt equal, in the real world away from parables the gold coin will do a lot more. what you seem to be saying is if you have more you should give more, once you have and you still have more, give more, and you still have more...

as much as drinking water or many other problems shouldnt be with us anymore, the facts of the matter are they are despite the best efforts of many people with a great deal of money. one might conclude there's more to it that throwing cash at a problem. for example Band Aid where we saw all those pictures of the starving and we raised money and sent food, when apperently there were unused grain stock sitting in Ethiopia. (no idea why, corruption or incompetence, or both most likley)

 

[Don Quixote]

Been going on for generations and will do for the foreseeable future.

Are you 'rich'? If not I expect it is because you don't work hard enough.

 

[Creaky]

He's not obliged, and that is the problem. Super-rich individuals are not made to reinvest their money back to society which goes a long way to explaining why so much of the world is in poverty, and why even the majority in wealthy nations often struggle to make ends meet.

If you taxed the personal wealth of the worlds 1,500 richest people by just 10%, it would raise $0.5 TRILLION - more than the GDP of Belgium.

That is a totally fallacious argument!

If you taxed the 1,500 richest people in the world as you suggest all that is happening is that the £0.5 trillion is being handed over to governments to spend.

You will have a hard time convincing me that amateur businessmen, (politicians), will use those resources more efficiently than those who built that wealth in the first place and create a greater level of wealth amongst the general population than it currently does. Not only that but share prices of companies owned by these individuals will fall as 10% of the shares will need to be sold each year in order to pay the new taxes. This will have two effects, firstly it will reduce the pension pot and investment values of millions of workers but it will also reduce the wealth that you are trying to tax, reducing not only the amount of the 'new tax' but also the existing taxation. Also by selling those shares you are taking out of the economy billions of pounds that is currently invested in other ways by other individuals - someone has to buy the equity being sold in order to pay the taxes.

Whilst you, or I for that matter, may not approve of the methods and business practices of some of the new money Russian billionaires there is little doubt that since the fall of the Soviet Union and the growth of capitalism the individual living standards of the large majority of former soviet citizens has improved dramatically.