Income Equality and Your Nation

[Fatatatutti]

Expecting others to support you, when you are perfectly able to support yourself, is seen as being despicable.

Just for the record, in Fatatatutti (and I'm sure a lot of socially-responsible nations would agree), nobody "expects others to support them". On the contrary, people who have more feel obligated to share with people who have less.

But that has nothing to do with income equality anyway. In Fatatatutti, like anywhere else, the people who work the hardest don't necessarily make the most money.

[NS Gleeson]

Expecting others to support you, when you are perfectly able to support yourself, is seen as being despicable.

Just for the record, in Fatatatutti (and I'm sure a lot of socially-responsible nations would agree), nobody "expects others to support them". On the contrary, people who have more feel obligated to share with people who have less.

That's called charity, and I can agree with that concept. You give not because the state requires it, but because you know it's right to help people, especially the helpless. That was one of the things I meant when I said "...if you legitimately need help there are ways to get it..."

I'll stop cluttering this now.

[Fatatatutti]

You give not because the state requires it, but because you know it's right to help people, especially the helpless.

There's no difference between giving through the state and givng through a private agency. 'Income equality' is about the final result, not how it came about.

(And I wouldn't call it 'clutter'. A little discussion is better than just having one person say, "Five," and the next person say, "Nine.")

[NS Gleeson]

You give not because the state requires it, but because you know it's right to help people, especially the helpless.

There's no difference between giving through the state and givng through a private agency. 'Income equality' is about the final result, not how it came about.

(And I wouldn't call it 'clutter'. A little discussion is better than just having one person say, "Five," and the next person say, "Nine.")

I disagree there's no difference, and that's all I'll say because this thread was not meant for us to argue in. It'd be useless anyway. I won't convince you, and you won't convince me.

[Fatatatutti]

... this thread was not meant for us to argue in. It'd be useless anyway. I won't convince you, and you won't convince me.

I'll leave it to the thread originator to decide whether he 'meant' for us to discuss income equality in our nations or just answer 'Yes' or 'No'.

I'm not trying to convince anybody of anything. I'm just trying to explain how things work in my nation and why they work. That's RP.

[NS Gleeson]

... this thread was not meant for us to argue in. It'd be useless anyway. I won't convince you, and you won't convince me.

I'll leave it to the thread originator to decide whether he 'meant' for us to discuss income equality in our nations or just answer 'Yes' or 'No'.

I'm not trying to convince anybody of anything. I'm just trying to explain how things work in my nation and why they work. That's RP.

Ah, that was my mistake then. Thanks for the information, then. Gleeson works a bit differently, to say the least, but, to each his own, yes?

I also happen to know what RPing is, thank you. Sent you a telegram, BTW.

[Sorgan]

What is this "Income Equality" you speak of? Everybody gets what they deserve and what they earned. If a man works his heart out in the oil fields or in the mines he will not get the same amount of money as a man who dusts a table. Not very equal if you ask me.

[Fatatatutti]

Everybody gets what they deserve and what they earned.

Why does one worker 'deserve' more than another? How do you determine how 'hard' somebody works?

[The Eternal Netherwold]

Everybody gets what they deserve and what they earned.

Why does one worker 'deserve' more than another? How do you determine how 'hard' somebody works?

20-hour workdays with pay whenever the employer feels like it.

Income equality is not in our vocabulary.

[Fatatatutti]

Everybody gets what they deserve and what they earned.

Why does one worker 'deserve' more than another? How do you determine how 'hard' somebody works?

20-hour workdays with pay whenever the employer feels like it.

Income equality is not in our vocabulary.

You didn't answer the question. Why does one worker 'deserve' more than another? Is mining coal for 20 hours more 'deserving' than brain surgery for six hours? Because that's not what the income levels suggest.

[N e o Z e o n]

hold on... you guys PAY your citizens?

[Eidenn]

In Eidenn, things are generally separated into 'layers' of income: People at a certain level of employ or skill will earn the same as others with that level of employ or skill. Since employment and thus income is based on the personal ability of the individual, some are higher-paid than others.

And hey, if you make some good decisions and your family winds up rich, good for you. That's just more taxes off the top for the government.

[Allbeama]

Does your nation have income equality (Everyone tends to earn the same salary)

Seculartopia has a considerable amount of income equality through wage guarantees and tax credits.

We are proud of our income inequality. It means that people actually get what they earn through their efforts.

We are also proud that, over time, not only the rich get richer, but the poor get richer too.

right. That's how it works always. Trickle down all that wealth and paradise follows.

[Allbeama]

What is this "Income Equality" you speak of? Everybody gets what they deserve and what they earned. If a man works his heart out in the oil fields or in the mines he will not get the same amount of money as a man who dusts a table. Not very equal if you ask me.

What if that man dusts his table for a CEO that thinks for the hell of it that a clean table is worth more than the miner or oil rig crewman makes?
Because his table is very important and he has the money for it. Or that CEO himself who probably spends most of his time on the clock at a golf course but makes 100 million a year?

[Mortshnefran]

There is a large wage disparity among Mortshnefran's people. There is no minimum wage, and no income tax. while the wealthy do exert considerable economic power, they essentially no more political power than the average citizen due to extensive checks and balances as well as the limited nature of the government

[RightWingChristians]

Sure. All Citizens of the nation of RightWingChristians are guaranteed these items at birth:

Rosary Beads
Rifle of Choice
5 Mags of Ammo (or Clips)
1 Bible




Everything else is earned.

[Sorgan]

Everybody gets what they deserve and what they earned.

Why does one worker 'deserve' more than another? How do you determine how 'hard' somebody works?

20-hour workdays with pay whenever the employer feels like it.

Income equality is not in our vocabulary.

You didn't answer the question. Why does one worker 'deserve' more than another? Is mining coal for 20 hours more 'deserving' than brain surgery for six hours? Because that's not what the income levels suggest.

Like I said it matters on the job. A man who mines for 2 hours compared to an intern who works 5 hours the miner will get more due to the labor that he puts in and the experience he must have had. It all up to the employer. We have no income equality what so ever.

[Seculartopia]

hold on... you guys PAY your citizens?

Yep. At least my government does, were communist.

We do if there is a problem with employers,healthcare,insurance,retirement,pension,tax refund,etc. plans and tax credits, plus many companies have stock owned by the Government.

Income Equality though, just means the government regulates that everyone earns an equal or near-equal salary.

[Meridiani Planum]

Meritocracy is fantastic, but it doesn't last.

We don't consider ourselves a "meritocracy". This is a foreign concept to us. Life in society (at least our society) isn't fundamentally about rule.

the rich find ways of passing on their benefits to their children.

The poor do too. Everyone does. However, we also have a saying: "Rags to riches and back to rags in three generations". When rich familes don't have the government to protect their riches, it is often the case that familes lose their riches along with their productive virtues.

The genetic lottery is the enemy of all that is good and decent in humanity.

Please pick your evil. Ether it is charity towards one's children, or it is genetics. Make up your mind!

Regarding genetics, perhaps it is "unfair" that people have different genetics. That's not a reason to penalize people who use their personal genetics to the best of their ability. That's still justice.

I could accept income inequality with 100% inheritance tax, but anything less is the breeding ground for aristocracy.

We don't have enough government power for there to be such an "-ocracy".