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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>John Clark<br><br><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div><div><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in'><div><div><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=gmaildefault><i><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>>> </span></i></span><i><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Once that number is set to a billion dollars in assets, we recall that currency value is arbitrary. </span></i><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>>…Yes that number is arbitrary, we might decide to set it at half a billion or maybe 2 billion, but the point is we need a wealth tax. Or do you think this acceleration of the wealth gap can continue forever without a hiccup? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Ja, in a sense. If there is a hiccup, it isn’t one we would notice. The super-wealthy gather in their places (Palo Alto is an example) and compete against each other. Meanwhile the rest of us go about our business the usual way. Neither the super-wealthy nor the proletariat know much or care all that much about what the other side is doing. I don’t obsess about it. I know the people in Palo Alto have more money than they know what to do with, but my only involvement with them is driving thru to donate to the blood bank or visit the marvelous Stanford book store.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>>…Come on Spike, do you really think that is an inescapable objection to the idea of a wealth tax? Just adjust the point where the tax kicks in with the inflation rate…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The way they did with the income tax?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>>…Some people will always try to cheat on their taxes, even today some people do exactly what you describe above and sometimes they get away with it, but usually they don't and end up in jail… John K Clark<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Sure but with the wealth tax, they wouldn’t need jails. They would only need a place to pile the ashes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>John, the whole notion is embracing murderous totalitarianism in order to stop all the unreasonable optimism and unfairness of wealth disparity. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>I’ll taaaaake… optimism and disparity for 500 please Alex.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Besides that, I would argue that the optimism isn’t necessarily unreasonable. I have so many great ideas, sooner or later one of them will make buttloads of money.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>spike<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>