Spread The Wealth

Here's a better question:

Why does it matter?

Most people who work hard have money.

Most people who do not work hard do not have money.

HTFU and earn it.

If you believe it is a problem then does that make it "matter"?  You might disagree if it "matters" which is fair. 

I do not believe it is inherently a problem, no.  The very nature of our society, of life in general, is that there are those who have things and those who do not.  Some are better at running a business than others, and are rewarded appropriately.  Some are better at throwing a baseball than others, and are rewarded appropriately (based on what society feels is appropriate, at least).  There will always be those who have more of something than others, and are rewarded for that.

Until you define some terms this is just an abstract discussion.   What is the gap, and at what percent is it rising per year?  What is the definition of a "have" and a "have not"?  Why does something have to be "at fault" for it, implying that it's inherently bad (not saying it is or isn't). 

At a simple level, you work hard, you make money.  You don't work hard, you don't make money.  Economically speaking.

I did a cursory google search and came across this NewsHour article from 2002.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/economy/july-dec02/democracy_7-17.html

Here's an interesting quote from the article:

Phillips thinks this new piracy explains why the top fifth of all Americans now earn 11 times more than the bottom fifth -- the industrial world's greatest gap. And history, he claims, proves such gaps unsustainable. Consider the 1800s, he says, when the government let wealth grow unchecked and inequality first soared. 

Accdg to a website I just googled (IOW, can't vouch for it), top 25% earns an AGI of about $64K.  damn robber barons!!!!!

That's what I mean about defining terms.   I am reading your post like it's about the uber rich.  In reality, there has always been and always will be an uber rich, but these percentages have nothing to do with them.  You're talking about "wealthy" when in reality that's less than a plumber makes

Im only 19 years old and continue to gain infotmation on how these topics work.....or whatever......

It doesnt bother me when i see people wth a lot of money, or no money. (sometimes it does)

But i beleive the true problem lies when people "with" the money.....do absolutely nothing!! with it. They are retarded and spend their money on expensive houses, superplanes, weapons of mass "waste", media, stealth bombers, money spent on war, space exploration, drugs, blahhhh blahhhh blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh im sure many people could widen the list of billion dollar wastes of money! and thats what rattles me. People with money need to understand what their money could do for everyone and anyone.........

(wrote this in 2 seconds, but you should get the point) Please expand, i will come back.

P.S, mony would be nice, but i enjoy life and really only need money for new tri shoe, tri bike, FOOD, and race entry fees. Hopefully my job at Loblaws grocery can gimmie the help i need.

Or DC. Or most major cities. Many, many of my single friends and I make below this (sure, there are some people who make loads, but certainly not all of my friends who work at non-profits downtown). We manage, but that money doesn't get us too far.

also to note, this income would probably qualify for maybe a 200K mortgage loan.  No wonder we've made such a mess of things...

So....we should blame someone for this issue?  Is this an issue?  I'm not sure what point people are trying to make.

To clarify, from an earlier post, data from tax returns (2006, I believe)  I needn't point out that it appears that the uber rich (1%) pay quite a bit more in taxes to help those less fortunate?

For the record, here's The Tax Foundation's analysis of who pays what:

 Source:  http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/250.html

No one has pointed out how or why this disparity might be bad.  So what if there's a gap?  Does it make any real difference?

i find it very interesting that majority of persons who do not have money want there to be a level playing field; for there to be little "gap between the haves and the have nots". Especially when "our" culture celebrate people who are better than others in ever other way.
Such as.....
Sports of all kinds- all the people who are faster, stronger, can jump higher, throw faster and farther etc...
Spelling Bee's-the people who can actually spell
MENSA-- smarter than the rest of the folk
Models and Glamour mags-- prettier than most
TV and movies-funneir and more dramatic than most

I could go on and on and list things that Americans celebrate or take a deep fasination in that puts one section of a demographic above all others. I do not understand why the wealthy is not the same. I hold Opra and Bill Gates in the same esteem as Mike phelps and micheal Jordan.
as triathletes we look at these pro's and dream we were that good at this sport and work everyday to be better at it; we train to get better. WE DONOT wish for USAT to make rules to make the faster slower and be more at our level of the BOPers do we?

So why do we do this with wealth? Why do we want the wealthy to give up what they have worked hard for or come by from their family (see good running genes) and give it to the people who do not have as much. When we do not do that to anyone else in society?