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A comment on What if incomes grew like GDP?. Parent comment

Re:What if incomes grew like GDP? by nsajko on Tuesday December 22, 2020 @11:05PM (#25514274)
Your point is truthful but not completely relevant: Bezos, at least, did receive a considerable amount of money as funding for Amazon from his family. My point is that the money received from parents most often is, in fact, an advantage. Now that I wrote it down explicitly, I wonder why is it that I have to argue this, seems quite obvious.

(Note: I'm not saying the funding from parents was sufficient, or even necessary in Bezos' case.)

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Re:What if incomes grew like GDP? by nine_k on Wednesday December 23, 2020 @12:56AM (#25514834)
I see! It's a transfer between generations, though not an inheritance (which some people suggest to tax heavily).

Again, Bezos got about $300k from his family (both his parents were doctors), which, I think, is far below the level of "unjust inherited fortune" or what is usually people suggest to tax into oblivion.

Yes, when your parents help you, it's helpful — it's nearly tautologically true. This is why I as a parent do help my grown-up son sometimes. Limiting this behavior is not quite realistic, and would be met with a huge backlash (justly, to my mind).

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Re:What if incomes grew like GDP? by usrusr on Wednesday December 23, 2020 @08:23AM (#25517345)
The problem is not intergenerational help, that existed at least as much if not more in times of less inequality. The problem is the size of the spoils. Intergenerational help is only brought up as a counter to the tired "it's your fault if you aren't a billionaire" defense (which is rarely brought up by billionaires themselves but all the time by their broke admirers)
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