<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">On Tue, Jul 9, 2019 at 11:44 AM <<a href="mailto:spike@rainier66.com">spike@rainier66.com</a>> wrote:</span><br></div></div><div class="gmail_quote"><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_7135910265778145923WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> </p></div></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_7135910265778145923WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u></p></div></div></blockquote><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_7135910265778145923WordSection1"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><span style="font-size:14pt"> <span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">> </span>the point is we need a wealth tax. Or do you think this acceleration of the wealth gap can continue forever without a hiccup? </span></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14pt"><u></u> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-size:14pt;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">> </span>Ja, in a sense.  If there is a hiccup, it isn’t one we would notice. </p></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4">The same way nobody noticed the French Revolution? I would't bet my life on it. </font><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> </span></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_7135910265778145923WordSection1"><div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">></span>The super-wealthy gather in their places (Palo Alto is an example) and compete against each other.  </i></p></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><div> </div><font size="4">If the wealth gap acceleration continues for much longer the next big Palo Alto startup <span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">will be a </span>guillotine<span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> factory.</span></font><div class="gmail_default" style=""><br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><i><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">> </span>Meanwhile the rest of us go about our business the usual way.</i></blockquote><div><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><font size="4" style=""><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">I just learned today that millions of people can not continue in the usual way because Trump is STILL trying to destroy their healthcare. I'm not saying everybody should have the same about of wealth, I'm not saying anything even close to that, but if one person is building his second yacht that's larger than most cruse ships while millions die because they can't afford basic healthcare then there is going to be trouble.</font></font></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/09/health/obamacare-appeals-court.html">Obamacare in Jeopardy as Court Hears Case Backed by Trump</a><br></font></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">                                   </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4">Do you really expect millions of people will be happy to die quietly so they won't give their hyper rich overlords any inconvenience?  </font></div><span style="font-size:14pt"> </span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_7135910265778145923WordSection1"><div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><span style="font-size:14pt">>…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…</span></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">> </span>The way they did with the income tax?</i></p></div></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4">It's true, not indexing the tax rates was a major mistake. I suppose when much of the tax laws were written deflation seemed more likely than inflation. </font></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4"><br></font></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4"> John K Clark</font></div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div> </div></div></div>