If he can't afford it, he can't. He deserves to go out of business. Fair capitalism is different from pure capitalism. If you want pure capitalism go to Georgia in 1830 and start buying slaves; if you even have the money to do so.
So restaurants, which usually have a very small profit margin, all deserve to go out of business because the owner isn't rich enough to pay his employees more? So....we don't want business owners having a lot of wealth but if they don't have enough they deserve to fail? Or even better how about the first three years of business? Because they can't afford to pay themselves they deserve to lose everything? Is that your point?
Yes. In fair capitalism it should even itself out. In pure capitalism it will become lopsided and eventually we find ourselves in the exact predicament you just described. The few most fucked up things about that particular one, eating leftovers from a restaurant is illegal, giving your leftovers to a homeless person is illegal. Both minor offenses, but still technically illegal. This country throws nearly the same amount of food away that it actually eats. Up the prices and maybe people will care more and actually eat the food the ordered instead of putting it in the trash.
No, you just described how we DON'T have pure capitalism, funk. The issue is that we have too much government, especially too much government that will throttle equal treatment in favor of forcing everyone to be on the same terrible level.
Ever since Roosevelt sent knee-breakers to deal with tailors who tried to hem pants for 9 cents instead of 10, we've not had capitalism.
I know we don't have pure capitalism, we have neither.. we have something skewed far worse. Even in pure capitalism Elon would be paying his fair share of taxes, but he isn't. He literally paid nothing in 2018. How does that make any sense? He's using the interstate system like the rest of us, except on a scale much larger... and he ain't paying for shit. I don't care how many people he's employing, a share of the burden shouldn't be written off. He has more money than any single person could spend in 10 lifetimes. He can keep 9, that's fine.. paying zero is batshit insane.
He does pay his fair share. If you have evidence of tax fraud that was somehow missed by the IRS, please forward it to them.
And while you're at it, maybe look at who pays what amount of what taxes.
Most of his "wealth" isn't in his pocket or bank account. It's the value of his stock, properties, employees, on and on.
He may not pay income tax, because he doesn't have much income (much like the half of Americans who don't pay federal income tax). But he does pay property tax, employee benefits, and everything he is required to pay taxes on.
The rhetoric behind "unrealized gains" tax and "wealth" tax sound pretty, but it would only ruin the lives of every American who isn't on government assistance, and most of the ones who are.
Oh I agree with all that, and I know it's 90% in stocks. I just find it fundamentally wrong. I don't have a good solution, but nearly anything would be better than such a mockery of the system this has become.
I don't see how the system is a mockery. If you have no skills you get paid very little and have very little. If you build and invest into yourself your life expands to the point where you grant other people the opportunity to start somewhere and invest in themselves. Seems to be working so far.
Ever since Roosevelt sent knee-breakers to deal with tailors who tried to hem pants for 9 cents instead of 10, we've not had capitalism.
And while you're at it, maybe look at who pays what amount of what taxes.
He may not pay income tax, because he doesn't have much income (much like the half of Americans who don't pay federal income tax). But he does pay property tax, employee benefits, and everything he is required to pay taxes on.
The rhetoric behind "unrealized gains" tax and "wealth" tax sound pretty, but it would only ruin the lives of every American who isn't on government assistance, and most of the ones who are.