Wealth doesn't trickle down – it just floods offshore, research reveals

a reply to: TheLegend

What can we do about it?

Simple, yet ... difficult? Personally painful?

Instead of selling your time/labor to a corporation, you can choose to use that time to...
Grow/raise as much of your own food as possible.
Preserve some of the excess for hard times.
Sell/barter away some excess to get materials you can't make/raise yourself.
Develop in yourself a skill and expertise that is valuable in real life (growing things, making things, fixing things, treating illness, etc). Trade your time and expertise for things you need.

Heres the biggie ... don't buy things on credit that you can live without. ("I want it real bad" is not the same as "I can't live without it").

If each of us individually decides to stop feeding the beast, it will adapt or die.

So, I am working toward these goals myself. Its a transitional thing... I do a little more this year, and a little more next, and I get closer as time marches on. Takes a lot of planning and willpower to transition from wage labor to living simply. And a lot of "I don't care if my neighbor has 60 pairs of shoes in her closet, I can get by with 6 pairs".

I totally get the temptation of "That sounds like a great plan! As soon as that becomes the norm, I'm there!!". Totally sucks to be the nutter that goes first. The one who can't go along to the night out because it's not in the budget this month. The one who cant keep up on the latest Kardashian or DWTS doings because you're in the garden weeding or in the kitchen preserving.

Yep, might lose some of the friends who thrive on the rat race because your schedule will be different than theirs. You'll gain others whose lifestyle matches your new deal.

I like shiny things as much as the next gal, but they aren't worth subjecting myself to serfdom/slavery until death takes me.

a reply to: Aazadan

Certainly impossible to repatriate the handful of corporations that would make the tax rate the most important deciding factor.

However, before we get to the bottom of that barrel, we could be repatriating the ones who think a 10% rate plus quick access to the American consumer market sounds sweeter than a 2% rate and 6 weeks shipping time from factory to store is hurting their time to market.

Any tax bill Sanders ever voted for, didn't have loop holes, it had plans for people to keep their own money. Unless he voted against tax codes with the built in exceptions, he is basically saying either "if you like your plan, you can keep your plan" or I will have the most transparent government ever. In other words, pied piping the sheeple.

If it's greed, when people want to keep their own money. What do you call people who want to take other people's money?

originally posted by: Edumakated
What you money grabbing socialists don't get is that capital is fluid. People will only take so much before they say F it and move their money. Margaret Thatcher told you socialism only works until you run out of other people's money.

In fact, the OP proves that a few rich actually manage quite well to live on other peoples money. It's socialism all right - for the ones that already have plenty. They can do almost anything they want, absurd or not, in the full knowledge that we, the people, will simply accept this, lead by fools that teach us crummy logic about "trickling down" of money.

We don't need no trickling down, we need fair distribution of labour and income.

originally posted by: CantStandIt
a reply to: TheLegend
What can we do about it?

You have my full attention, Sir! [er.. Madam]..

Heres the biggie ... don't buy things on credit that you can live without.

Agreed. But your beast still thrives nevertheless unless you are prepared to live a very basic life. You seem to believe that austerity is what is needed - and that's exactly what the neo-liberal pickpockets want you to believe!

Actually, there is plenty for all, it's just a matter of decent distribution.

And a lot of "I don't care if my neighbor has 60 pairs of shoes in her closet, I can get by with 6 pairs".

If your neighbour has 60 pairs of shoes in her closet, she is hoarding. But if there are plenty of shoes available, I don't care, actually. I do care, however, about those shoes if others on our planet have to go barefoot involuntarily. We should spread wealth and income and prevent hoarders from hoarding. Especially so when it comes to money.

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
...can't that be said about pretty much everything in life, though? How far down the rabbit hole do we chase this? At what point does:
Take a Second Job!!!
Live More Frugally!!!
Learn a Trade!!!
or
Look Elsewhere for Work!!!
enter the picture? Personal responsibility, my friend, personal responsibility. I realize modern America has made this a forbidden concept, because it is the anathema of the welfare state and of political control over a kept class of voters, but if we'd have lacked it at the founding of this country, Europeans never would have made it past the first winter at Plymouth Rock.

originally posted by: 321GoThere is an attitude of entitlement that festers in Europe and the US at the moment. The cycle of poverty is self-perpetuating to some degree, and can made worse by the State benefits system.

The only "attitude of entitlement" that -I- see, is the attitude that demands that the poorest of citizens must trade all of their LIFE for but a few crumbs for their efforts. Wages have not been balanced with the REAL cost of living for literally DECADES. Personal responsibility cannot beat a RIGGED system.

But I guess they could always "take a second job!" - and see their children even less than they already do.

Or perhaps "live more frugally!" - and eat every three days instead of once daily...fasting is good, right?!

And while they're at it "learn a trade!" - which means quitting both jobs you initially wanted them to have, and spending money that they don't have.

But if all else fails, they could "look elsewhere for work!" - because we all know that poor people take several amazing vacations a year, so it would cost them literally nothing at all to relocate.

/FACEPALM


Until the utterly despicable MESS of a system is reconfigured to serve ALL of the people, and not just a select few, I guess some of you will have to step gingerly over the starving masses whilst they die in the street.

This planet is abundant enough for everyone, minus PROFITS, of course.

a reply to: 321Go

Good. Tell them to leave, pillage somewhere else, and stay away. We can begin again and make new rich people. Maybe ones with better morals and empathy. Hell, lets just make better human being's.

originally posted by: ForteanOrg

originally posted by: CantStandIt
a reply to: TheLegend
What can we do about it?

You have my full attention, Sir! [er.. Madam]..

Heres the biggie ... don't buy things on credit that you can live without.

Agreed. But your beast still thrives nevertheless unless you are prepared to live a very basic life. You seem to believe that austerity is what is needed - and that's exactly what the neo-liberal pickpockets want you to believe!

Actually, there is plenty for all, it's just a matter of decent distribution.

And a lot of "I don't care if my neighbor has 60 pairs of shoes in her closet, I can get by with 6 pairs".

If your neighbour has 60 pairs of shoes in her closet, she is hoarding. But if there are plenty of shoes available, I don't care, actually. I do care, however, about those shoes if others on our planet have to go barefoot involuntarily. We should spread wealth and income and prevent hoarders from hoarding. Especially so when it comes to money.

I get it! I understand! Take the wealthy hoarders 60 pair of shoes and guillotine her in the public square for her demonstration of hoarding and unfairness because some people have to go barefoot!

That's original.

originally posted by: TonySI get it! I understand! Take the wealthy hoarders 60 pair of shoes and guillotine her in the public square for her demonstration of hoarding and unfairness because some people have to go barefoot!

Ah, I see that I managed to express myself insufficiently, I'm sorry. As I'm opposed to the death penalty I would never advocate such harsh methods. Also, though you seem to think hoarding shoes is a crime - I don't think it is according to current Law. There is, alas, no penalty for those that hoard. Maybe there should be - and maybe the ones that hoard money should be penalized. Even then, death never solves much; it would be much better if the hoarder was sentenced to live the rest of his or her live having the income of the least payed one he employed.

All the more reason why currency disruption in the yuan, euro, and countries unstables will and should experience currency collapse.

Maybe 1percenters will lose a wad, or maybe it will influence them to ship the bucks back to some stability.

If our government isnt going to change the reasons it happens, then there aren't other solutions other than collapse.

But we should remember our government considers corporations as individuals instead of taxable entities. And as such it means nothing to the late steve jobs having apple stash over a quarter of a trill of stagnant monies cash offshore.

We tax our corporations quite heavily in the us. But most companies operate in tax agreements and one-off shelters or deferments. This way the bottom line is marginally affected by taxes, and cash windfalls with no place to go end up stashed overseas.


Wanna know where the real tricle down septic system is? Total up bank cash reserves. Yes some banks run dangerously low. And some dont. But not much of the bank bailout funds from the gov really went anywhere.

a reply to: AlaskanDad

Isn't that still trickling down? India and Taiwan for example have made huge leaps and bounds in their quality of life due to globalization of wealth.

Is it just irritating that it isn't going to our own countries? Yes.

a reply to: AlaskanDad

Where's captain obvious when you need him?

We all knew this. We all still talk about it. So what's being done about it? Nothing-because not much can be done.

If the west cracks down on these Tax avoidance measures and minimum wage exploitations, the big wigs will find somewhere else! If Ireland cracks down, they'll shift assets to Nigeria, and if Nigeria cracks down, they'll shift assets to Greenland, and if Greenland cracks down...

Pitcairn Island could end up being the envy of the west, all forty odd of their citizens could welcome their cayman island 'refugees'...

originally posted by: ketsuko
Technically speaking ... it is trickling down overseas. We need to look at why it's being shunted aside and correct those problems.

It is countries that are willing to take a very tiny slice of a huge pie that help shield the money. Thus the Cayman Isles harbors Mitt Romney's money and others. Trying to be competitive with the Cayman Isles in tax structure would be insanity...very different country, economy, scale, size...and once we strip the USA of all budgets to meet the Caymans..then some other country will low-ball...hell why not Somalia? Being the lowest bidder is a race to the bottom of the barrel in quality of life.

We don't need to ask WHY they are hiding their money...legally and otherwise..we need to find mechanisms to keep money circulating at home. As it stands, we have a tax structure that has evolved in a way that rewards the wealthiest with a greater interest rate for "parking" their money rather than investing it in the USA.

originally posted by: xuenchen
Well Marx always said we need central banking and progressive taxation.

Looks like somebody took up the idea.

Nothing like walking the plank.

Who is capable of stopping all this insanity?

Go Burnie !!!

Are you saying that Trickle Down Economics is a child of progressive or leftist movements? BS, its not the Child of the GOP either but they have adopted this child and fed him enough to get big and strong. Are u being sarcastic ?

a reply to: anarkyangel

It's fine. The GOP playbook dictates that if a GOP policy suddenly tastes sour for the public, it was the liberals' fault.

When companies threaten to leave America over having to pay taxes, we should show them the door, and then ban them from selling to Americans. I find it hard to believe that no other company would step up to fill that void.

The only thing Trickling Down from a Wealthy person is their will on to your actions shepple. A rich guy started his own bussines created jobs and a valuable service and his estate is now worth 6 million dollars. I like this guy. He helps were he can. A wealthy guy came up with an ingenious way to take from everyone without beign called a thief, his company moved overseas most jobs ( thanks to treaties lobbied in the goverment democrats , rep, and indep) and his tax rate is lower than a recently graduated student on his first year working.

Wealthy ppl dont stay wealthy by trickling down anything not even Sh1t, even that they find a way to make a profit. Good luck waiting for a wealthy person to trickle down money to help out on anything that will not have their name on it. They aree so vain they really think this world is theirs.
White men in this Merica have been hipnotized in to thinking they will all be wealthy if only they let wealthy white men have it all, they look like me they say they will help me. Just get rid of the lazy negroes and rapy mexicans. Go Trump show your fellow mericans how much you are going to take care of them. Lol

People that work hard will always be rich, ppl that steal and fix the game become wealthy. Lying is stealing the truth from the person your lying to. Good luck merica with ur Tricle Down Economics I live here too but I dont believe in dreams I believe in personal responsability, I have the personal responsability to tell your hipnotized self to WAKE the F¥CK UP.

For all those thinking hard work makes you rich at the moment? It bollocks.

I am what you can be considered "rich" and I know many wealthy people, only 2 likely got there through hard work from poverty. Everyone else it was either luck or they were born into money.


Me?

I was born in a white middle class family. They moved to a area were I could get a good education. My university was paid for so I came out with only £2K debt. My first job that was high paying was by accident and luck and hardly involved hard work just being in the right place at the right time. I take vacations twice a year and rarely do over time but earn 6 figures a year.

I am privileged.

When I die if I have children they will inherent a # load of money they will then use to set up there own business and have opportunity most peoples children on this thread will NEVER have.

And you know what? That to me is not fair and it sucks.

When it comes to education and employment opportunity I think all children should have the same opportunity and success and failure based on there IQ not there parents wallets.

When a corporation gets "sued" for 100 million dollars, and they lose the case. Who do you think gets that money? A sister corporation gets it. That's who! That sister corporation could come in the form of taxes and fees and blah, blah, blah. All they're doing is distributing that money from one business to another. lmfao

The war on drugs. jajajajaajaj

When they "seize" some drugs that was being "smuggled across the border", what do they do with all that money, (oops i mean) drugs??? Do you think they burn the product????????? And the cash they seized? Who gets that??????

THE SYSTEM gets it. That's who! They give a dog and pony show, but ultimately, the drugs they say they "seized", goes right back to the streets. They want us to THINK there is a "War on Drugs". It ain't no "war". IT'S A GAME!

El Chapo didn't "escape", and Trump knows it.

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

Go cry about being poor to all the starving people in third world nations. Oh you poor baby you. Bet you eat three square meals today, and you had your starbucks this morning though eh? Lmao! ~$heopleNation