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Just to point out that François Hollande, when he said, "I hate the rich" during the presidential campaign, got burned for defining "rich" as someone who made more than 4000 a month. I'd say even those making 8000 a months are not perceived as obscenely rich in Europe.
What do we define as unhealthy inequality ? I fully agree with you that 200 k is already obscene, but that's not the public perception of it. Someone who did well on the property bubble, buying a 200 k house at the low point and selling it when prices have doubled, will be in that bracket ; and that's the case the opponents will put forward.
Even many parts of the upper middle class making that kind of money yearly are not perceived as "one of them" by most of the population. That's the arguments that have been used to push down the rates : it's normal people that are benefiting from lower taxes.
Unhealthy inequality is currently that of the upper percentile of the population, the kind of income that allows one to own large companies, etc. That's income above 500 k, not 100 k. It's possible to make those earning more than 500 k into them ; not as much for those earning more than 100 k. And high marginal rates will be much more viable if they only hit the wealthiest ; as pointed by the Hollande polemic : if you aim too low incomes, the tax rates will quickly come back down. Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
Assume 0% below 1x GDP 10% between 1x and 2x GDP 20% between 2x and 4x GDP 40% between 4x and 8x GDP 60% between 8x and 16x GDP 80% between 16x and 32x GDP 90% above 64x GDP 100% above 128x GDP
I.e., you shouldn't make more than 256k/mo... When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
Assume 0% below 20x GDP wealth 2% between 20x and 40x GDP 4% between 40x and 80x GDP 8% between 80x and 160x GDP 12% between 160x and 320x GDP 16% between 320x and 640x GDP 18% between 1280x GDP and 2560x GDP 20% above 2560x GDP
Assuming GDP/head = 25k, we're talking no wealth tax below 500k, and 20% above 64M. When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
Assume 0% below 30x GDP wealth 1% between 30x and 60x GDP 2% between 60x and 120x GDP 4% between 120x and 250x GDP 8% between 250x and 500x GDP 12% between 500x and 1000x GDP 16% between 2000x GDP and 4000x GDP 18% between 4000x GDP and 8000x GDP 19% between 8000x GDP and 16000x GDP 20% above 16000x GDP
The top bracket kicks in at 400M. When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
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