Agreed and if you didn't work you would be burning through the cash you were sat on.

So the monies would be entering the economy/Tax pile through purchases and VAT, Fuel duty etc anyway.

Some seem to think that it is magic money that doesn't get spent if you don't work.

Little to do with jealousy and everything to do with one of my main mantras in life - if you've earnt it you should as far as possible be allowed to keep it (and conversely if you haven't earnt it you better have a very good reason why you should have it).

I suspect what he's thinking of is the story from July about £13 trillion salted away in tax havens by the über rich global elite. Money taken out of the general economy – and economically inactive right now.

It's not about jealousy it is about merit and reward. We are indoctrinated with the idea you get out what you put in. This was manifested in the "American Dream" where people could work hard and improve their lot. The American Dream is no longer because those who have made it have detroyed the dynamism (like they did long ago here) by taking all the good positions, ensuring access to the best facilities, etc by pricing the poorer out.



I would much rather live in a society where every generation has to live the dream for themselves, where they can improve their lot, give their kids a good upbringing, amass a fortune if they wish but then leave it all to philanthropic causes (voluntarily but by tax if necessary). Imagine what a great and vibrant society we'sd have them. Constant striving. Well endowed hospitals, universities, arts, etc - and all without recourse to the public purse. Taxation could be extremely low too.



The problem is the rich and powerful create the rules to suit themselves and their selfishness. Also why should anyone own land? Land is a nautral resource. Everyone should only be able to lease from the nation. Leases should be capped at, say, 80 years (equivalent to a good adult life-span). That would ensure that property acquisition does not hamper real economic activity, allow for freer movement of labour, etc.



Let's have rampant, beneficial capitalism rather than current nonsense. The logic of the current system is that one family will eventually own everything and the rest just given enough to survive (maybe). A return to feudalism in effect.

What do you imagine we have now, other than rampant, laissez-faire capitalism?



And unless you create some form of controls, then someone will always end up with more – and be able to use that extra money to make more at the expense of others.

On a related matter: look at this hypocrite, [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19487985condemning people for 'not working hard enough' or for a low enough wage (like them there Africans)[/url, when she had to work oh so hard to inherit her family's wealth.



And that's not 'envy'.

The majority of income is accrued by the same very small percentage of the population, that's why.







Many of the richest people in the country do nothing themselves.

Is the Duke of Westminster an entrepreneur? I think not.



Also, the gap between the two ends of the income distribution is widening all the time, the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer and it's time to redress this.



If you want those at the bottom to pay more tax, they will need to be paid higher wages first.

And if that happened, not only would such people be paying more tax (including through VAT) but would also be costing less in in-work benefits – or taxpayer subsidies to business, as they should be correctly called.

I guess you mean envy.



As the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, climbing out of poverty gets harder and harder.

The talented from humble backgrounds have to compete with those who are often less-talented but better-educated and much better-funded and consequently, more confident.

A financial risk on a limited income is much, much harder to face than it is when you know damn well that your family fortune is big enough to not even feel the impact if the risk fails.

So, if the key to increasing personal wealth is to quit smoking & drinking and simply work harder for less, without moaning. Why isn't Africa bursting at the seams with millionaire women?

Go on I'll bite - which industries do you think currently run under laissez-faire capitalism?

Banking (one of our "success" stories (ha, ha))- largely nationalised.

NHS - (largest 'er) - public

Railways - heavily subsided

Car industry - large subsidies to foreign companies

Pharmaceutical manufacture - subsidised via NHS

A large "third sector" - hardly rampant capatalism there

Hi - tech manufacturing - propped up by MoD



We're basically left with professional services as the bastions of capitalism - and they are dependent on the above! So, as I have said before we are effectively living in the socialist utopia that the Labour party always used to aspire to. Mintball has lost the plot with that statement!