How does being moderately rich and wanting to keep the money you earned, make you greedy? I don't think it does.

However, being uninformed, uneducated, perfectly able to work but depending on the government to support you then wanting to take more money from someone who has actually earned it - does!

GREED:
a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (as money) than is needed


for me, its human to want to SURVIVE, ie , have the basic NEEDS


GREED involves desire for an EXCESS of needs,,,,,

ones information or education or ability to work has little to do with 'greed',, imho

how much EXCESS one feels they 'deserve',, has more to do with it,,,

and WHO will decide WHO needs WHAT,the Collective,my Neighbor,Preacherman?

How do you argue with someone who is convinced a known and proven liar is telling the truth?

the same ones who decide which needs and wants are 'greedy ' or not, I suppose,,,

So a person only gets to have the basic needs now in your world? Why should person A work hard so that person B who does nothing can have an equal amount of whatever they do?

What's the rationale for that thought? Whatever happened to having initiative? Pride? Where is that even remotely fair?

no qualifiers were given

there is working hard and there is working smart,, people have income doing both those things

there are people who work 'hard' and still do not have the basics while others working 'smart' have an excessive amount

I don't know of a situation in America where a person who does nothing has an 'equal' amount with someone working

some wealthy do 'nothing' and have more than those who work and some do 'nothing' and have less

nothing wrong with initiative or pride, but neither puts food on the table or provides safe haven for families


in a country this rich, people should expect to CONTRIBUTE to keeping it that way

not everyone skill set or health will allow them to contribute the same ways or the same types of efforts, but everyone can contribute something

and people should be expected to CONTRIBUTE in order to earn income,, I have no issue with that

I have issue with blaming people for their jobless situations as if jobs can just be picked out of trees , and looking down our noses at those in need simply because they are IN NEED,, which they are gonna be DURING the time when they are looking for a way to contribute that will put food on the table and provide safehaven for their families,,,

Greed can also be applied to slackers.

When welfare, living in mama's house and living off the scraps of others can live better than GETTING A JOB, that's greed.

Slackers do that and claim they will only apply for high dollar positions when they only qualify for minimum wage.

Tele-soliciting pays minimum with bonuses for exceeding quotas.

can, does, always has

greed is not monopolized by any particular socioeconomic class, neither is 'slacking'

Just my example and opinion.

Slackers see me coming and all of a sudden they can't do the type of job I need done.

I have one Mexican, without legal permit to work here, I can count on to do an honest day.

The rest know me and know I crack da whip.

They slack, they pack.

Telemarketers will only pay the minimum for only a short while. They see slacking, they sends em packing.

sounds like the Starnes-Heir Scheme in Atlas Shrugged!

http://thesnarkwhohuntsback.wordpress.com/favorite-passages-from-atlas-shrugged/the-story-of-the-twentieth-century-motor-company-atlas-shrugged-part-ii/

The Story of The Twentieth Century Motor Company – Atlas Shrugged – Part II

So if I earn a $1 million a year and the government steals 35% of it to give to a group of people that can't or won't earn it, then who would be greedy?

Again with the misguided definitions because by your definition it wouldn't be the bloodsuckers but the one actually capable of earning something.

speaking for myself, if I 'earned' a net of 650000 per year, I would be happy,,

but that's just me


understanding that my dollars wouldn't have MY name on it so that I could be able to argue that MY SPECIFIC dollars ended up in the pocket of some who couldn't or wouldn't earn it, as opposed to it ending up in the pocket of those who can and will and are in need,,,,



if I griped that 350000 was feeding and clothing and providing shelter for families s well as military and seniors and disabled, instead of also coming to me,, ID feel greedy,,,but that's just me

It's the long term parasites that get on Social Security. All kinds of ways to collect money and benefits. Each child brings a nice check every month.

I've never been out of work since I left school when I was 18. Now I work for myself here in the UK. I pay my taxes and employ a few of my mates too. My company is growing now and that's not through greed, but hard work, luck and good work ethics. I treat my employees right and do my jobs right for the people that I do work for. I pay my way and always will. Money doesn't motivate me, but the desire to leave a decent legacy for my son and soon to be born grandson does. I was lucky. Quite a few of my mates and people I know, have lost their jobs recently, through no fault of their own and the job outlook is looking bleak for them at present. They want to work, but apply for job after job, to no avail. Those are the ones that I respect! I also see people run around with no thoughts of ever applying for a job, or even working at all, ever! That annoys me big time, as they think the World owes them a living? I count myself fortunate to be in the position that i'm in these days, but also realise that I could lose it all tomorrow in this current financial climate, or if I become complacent.

That's great if, it's all coming in and nothing going out.

As a business owner, I've had to pay rents, utilities, restocking supplies.

Fuel, building and vehicle maint., tires.

Home mortgage, utilities, more insurance, home repairs, clothes,food, and oButtmacare.

Building, vehicle,million dollar surety insurance.

Bookkeeping fees, yearly business renewals, ever ten years renewing my business name.

State taxes come out of the gross as well as federal. That was another 8.5% of gross.

So, beings net is no reflection of take home, would you still be satisfied living on 12,000 a year. That would be more near take home number you're looking at.

I was speaking for myself

I would gauge whether the net was worth the expense before I took exenses on


if a business wasn't making the profits for my TAKE home to be worthwhile, I wouldn't choose that business

however, the question was what if I had a million,, and if I had a million that was taxed at 35 percent, that would still leave me 650000, with which I would be exceedingly happy,,