Quote Originally Posted by Lemur View Post
Can you imagine any level of inequality that would be dangerous for social cohesion? Or is that impossible?
Certainly. The underclass will always envy what the creative class has built. History has shown that the higher the level of perceived economic inequality, the greater the level of social disharmony. This thread is a perfect example. People are railing against Wall Street and unnamed 'speculators' without taking any personal responsibility for their own economic conditions. It is easier to play victim than acknowledge poor choices. Wall Street is powerful in the country because the underclasses willfully hand over their money to the speculators. Everyone was perfectly happy entrusting their financial future to the street until they weren't.

None of that means that I must accept the premise that you and I are inherently equal in our ability to create value or that we should, in fact, enjoy rough economic parity. The differences in our intelligence, work ethic, upbringing and several dozen other individual factors determine our relative success.

See how vapid this statement is?
Yes, because you changed the sentence. I chose my words very carefully.