No Increase in Wealth Inequality for Top 1% Since 1960

Trader,

So I ask you: How best to address this disparate situation? Shall we say that those at the top 0.1%, or 1%, or even 10% should be willing to give up their income to help others out? Shall we have the government address this situation and impose fines or additional taxes? How about having the government simply take the wealth from those top % persons (whether top 10%, 1%, or what have you), would that suffice?

In truth, in a Capitalist society (and in truth in EVERY society) there are those who have wealth and/or privilege, and there are those without it. In a Capitalist society it is those who invest, take risks, and persevere who most often are those who create wealth for themselves and their families. There are winners and losers, and no matter what Marx or Engels have to say on the subject, there is no way to have everyone share equally--and in fact, every attempt at this has resulted in failure, and most often in the last century also resulted in the murder of MILLIONS, EVERY TIME it was tried.

The fact is, I am not an "unbridled" Capitalist, I believe that whenever one is only concerned about making money that decisions are made to maximize that investment that may have an adverse reaction to others--whether to the environment, to children in labor markets, etc. I believe that it is in everyone's best interest to have the government set the limits to ALL business, and then step out of the way to let them compete on a level playing field. It is true that left to its own a Capitalist system may end up with a few that have more than the rest, but the only alternative to that I have seen is to have a very limited few try and control everything--Communism, or Socialism are perfect examples. The "disparity" you speak of exists even in those societies, as those in control will ALWAYS do things in their own best interests, regardless of all thoughts of altruism or goodwill to others. It doesn't work, won't work, and is a FAILED philosophy, human nature being what it is.

The best way to raise one's standard of living is not to bring others down, it is to lift them up with opportunity. Capitalism has been responsible for the greatest standard of living the world has ever known.