2478. Taxes vs. contribution

We often hear that we should tax the rich, but taxes are unappealing .“But necessary.” We need a less threatening us vs. them approach.

A different approach is, how do the rich get so rich? Structural and regulatory policies such as the capacity of mangers to buy back stock shares in order to raise their income based on share price. And why should the increase in share price benefit share holders rather than all the people who made that increase happen?

Fairness would imply that everyone in the society that participates in something like the sale price of iPhones, would benefit from the sales. Apple couldn’t be Apple if thee existed no larger society. That society paid for the roads leading to headquarters, for the education of of the staff, the grid that feeds the buildings, and of course most of the innovations that Apple merely harvested extractively. Could we invent a system that would distribute profit in proportion to contribution?

If we are clear about this it might help insure fairness in the complex changes that will emerge in coping with climate and related catastrophes. If social innovations. as we go into climate emergency, are seen as fair it will encourage participation rather than resistance. If the proposed actions are more bucks from the greening, cynicism will prevail. We really need to be imaginative and compassionate.