Why is it not considered greedy to get other people to work and take
profit from their labor? Is that not a tax upon the laborers?


Gilligan wrote:
Because getting other people to work and organizing their labor is work and
value added.

In other words, "leadership" and "initiative" are themselves
valuable commodities.


It is not a tax because the laborers agree to a wage and are
paid that.



In cases where the laborers agree, sure.
What about cases where the laborer is coerced, or given
false information about the terms of his employment?




I am poor. I earn less than minimum wage. I think progressive taxation is
punitive.


Well then, are you in favor of regressive taxation?




Just think of it as hush money to keep the starving masses from becoming
so enraged at their lot in life (as compared to yours) that they riot and
burn your house down.



One can use the same argument for owning assualt rifles.


One can, except it would take a very callous and foolish
rich person to think that he is going to keep a determined
crowd of rioters away, in the event of serious class
warfare. For one thing, they'll be armed too. For another,
there will be more of them than the rich person has bullets.

I think we should bring back the custom of rich people
hiring bands of armed retainers. Livery and maintenance!
Feudalism rules!


It's true that lots of fools are rich, but it's not true that *every* fool
is. If we are going to appeal to logic, then let's use accurate logic.



I said any fool can go out and earn tons of money. I did not say all fools
go out and earn tons of money.


Nor are all rich people foolish.

DSK