this post was submitted on 11 Oct 2023
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Work Reform

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A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.

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[โ€“] ScrotusMaximus@lemmy.ninja 23 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

That's why the quiet part is to borrow against the assets in perpetuity. No tax on money you take out in loans using your investments as collateral! This is effectively a home equity loan for the rich. Now, you can't keep paying interest on your growing loans forever. Why, ScrotusMaximus, that would be unsustainable! Not to mention that baby faced intern fresh out of grad school with 300k of student loans to be repaid keeps pointing out your interest only loan to his supervisor and posting on Work Reform.

So move onto step two! You and your other insider buddies are going to do a little pump and dump action. For this phase of the plan we are going to crash the market, and write off the impaired value of our investments and debt. Scrotus, that sounds complicated, you might say. Sure, maybe for a peasant such as yourself, it might be. All we have to do is make our investments worth less on paper! A little bad press, some failed deliveries, an enshittified platform, a war breaks out on the wrong people. Nothing is actually changing hands. That would be silly. This has the added intentional bit of killing off the bank or investors we owe money to, figuratively of course. We're not actually killing anyone, mind you. That would be a crime and as we all know crime is only for the poors.

A year or two passes. We are on our yacht living off the loan money. We are in the final phase of our plan: no one bought the snake oil, the enshittified apps aren't making ad revenue and that war sure hurt that new market. Our investments are worthless and we can't borrow anymore money to pay for the yacht diesel or scantily clad deck boys. Gosh darn it, Scrotus, now what?

It just so happens the bank that loaned us money had to be bought out by JPAmerica Bank with taxpayer bailout money thanks to the votes from our friends ๐Ÿ˜‰ in government, and good news! They're willing to work with us to refinance the loans because an investor bought our shitty debt for pennies on the dollar! What a sucker, amirite?

No tax on loans! The poor hate this one trick

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[โ€“] tdawg@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

How do you feel about limiting loans against assets and total wealth based taxes?

In general I try to avoid talking about these things because people get touchy and act like the situation is hopeless. Captial Gains taxes does have an affect and it does improve the situation. And obviously what you brought up are clear concerns with how it is often setup today. So I'm interested in how we could continue to make things better in that regard

[โ€“] Serinus@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 year ago

I'm not really in favor of a wealth tax. Maybe, if we really need to claw back our mistakes, but I think there are better approaches.

A tax on loans based on wealth seems great though. If you have the wealth, why are you borrowing? What are the legitimate uses of secured loans?

Capital gains taxes should be higher than payroll taxes. Always and forever.

Marginal tax rates exist for a reason, and it's absurd that we stop progressive taxation after $700k. The difference between making $800k/year and making $15m/year is ridiculous. At $800k/year you at least want to make the business last for a decade. After you cash out for $15m in a year, are you really accountable to anyone?

[โ€“] unfreeradical@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I'm just spitballing here, but maybe the solution is just, like, you know, tax the rich...?

I mean, really tax them, you know, all in, no bars, just get in there, and tax the hell right out of them.

Whad'ya say? Think it might work?

[โ€“] tdawg@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes that's why I said "total wealth based taxes." If you want to make a meaningful contribution to the conversation maybe actually read what other people are talking about

[โ€“] unfreeradical@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I get it. You want dialogue, discussion, and deliberation. Nothing hasty.

There are lots of angles to consider, and one thing for sure is no one ever gave them much thought.

Perhaps it would take at least two more decades of development and planning to achieve any kind of tax code that is more sensible and equitable than the one currently in place.