Hacker News Reader

Comment by candu | Hacker News Reader

There's a pernicious assumption here in equating "recreation" with "laziness". All of us deserve to have fun once in a while, regardless of socioeconomic status. Recreation can improve mental and physical health, provide great opportunities for social interaction, and exercise parts of our brain that don't otherwise get exercised.

View on HN

The problem is often people who work, work hard and importantly pay taxes, don't have the time for this recreation.

So you can say that " All of us deserve to have fun once in a while, regardless of socioeconomic status." But for someone who is working too hard to take the time to have fun, this rings kinda hollow. And I can bet it stings a bit to have your taxes going towards paying for someone to do the things you don't have time to do yourself.

I went through a stint of working in cafe's recently, and one always had a group of people who would turn up after leaving the job centre (you have to go here to qualify for benefit money) in the early afternoon, and would just basically hang out. Frankly I had to fight the jealousy, I wish I could spend every afternoon hanging out with my friends. I had to remind myself how much it sucks to be unemployed, and how nice I have it. I can imagine this could seem unfair to someone in a more stressful position.

You'd be getting the UBI too, could always take some time off...

If you work a job that allows you no free time that is your choice. Whining that other people have leisure time is absurd, if you want leisure get a better job.

I am disturbed by people's aversion to taxing the wealthy. After WW2 the top tax rate in the US was over 90% and until the 70s it was over 70% but since then we have been systematically fooled by the wealthy to believe the absurd "Job Creator" story and income inequality has sky rocketed as a result.

Frankly if you can't see why someone working hard would be annoyed with their money going towards taxes that pay for people to enjoy a life that they are not enjoying, then you are no better than someone saying "Don't be lazy, just get a job". People do different things, some people want to make lots of money or have a 'good' career, and sometimes you have to suffer through the bad side of your choices. A bit of empathy goes a long way.

I don't think the place to aim for is income tax. Tax in the 70s was crazy (the Beatles wrote a pretty famous song about it, it was in the 90%s in the UK). Frankly I don't think income tax should ever be above 50%.

Taxing capital gains on the other hand should be higher than in the 20%s for people "making" millions a year this way. Not to mention how easily corporations dodge tax, or how people can inherit vast fortunes without doing or risking a thing. Aiming at raising income tax is just pointing badly off people against slightly better off people, all whilst the truly wealthy are ignored.

Even the most high power CEO in the world can take long extravagant vacations. Do you think he is crying because someone in Detroit can work part time and relax half the week? Your argument is bizarre.

But a doctor who's had an 80 hour week, saving lives, helping people, and spending time away from their family, can't feel it's unfair they have to pay for someone to stay at home and relax.

The world is more than CEO's and part time workers.

How is that any different from a CEO with long hours and high pay? No one is forcing this person to be a Heart Surgeon. They could do very well as a Suburban GP with basically 9-5 Hours and still high pay and prestige.

I actually think you are just one of those "Taxation is Theft" libertards.

People seem to have an interesting psychology around perceiving government spending, as if their tax dollars are going 1:1 into a specific thing. Looking at a welfare recipient and thinking "they're taking my tax money" vs "they're taking 0.000000x% of my tax money".

But, I agree about income taxes in general as a tax on high income labor, not the wealthy.

Considering the top 20% of Americans will pay 87% of the income tax this year, how much more should they pay in your estimation?

https://www.wsj.com/articles/top-20-of-americans-will-pay-87...

Reply on news.ycombinator.com