Is it immoral to be rich if you've earned your wealth? If so, should there be a punishment for being wealthy?

Eric P

According to the current administration yes. Punishment-redistribution

Julia S

Taxation isn't punishment, Mr. Insinuation.

However, I do think people should be punished if they "earned" their wealth through immoral means. (Theft, extortion, cheating, etc.)

Dan

No, it's not technically immoral or wrong to be rich, but it is wrong how rich a person can become while how poor others can become. I think the rich pays a much lower tax percentage then the rest of us and that is wrong. There should be a standard tax law concerning earnings. I think that everyone should pay the same amount across the board for everything, a standard 15% on all income, a standard 5% for state taxes. No more and no less and that the government should take more responsibility in using that money more honestly and more appropriately and cut some of these wages that are far higher than is actually necessary.

I also think that the minimum wage should be raised high enough to where people can earn a comfortable living from a single 40 hr per week job in order to eliminate being poor and there should also be a cap imposed on how much the rich can make. We need a society that has a more justified living status across the board.

It really sickens me that someone can own 7 mansions and have enough money to support the next 20 generations of their family without any of them ever having to work again, while others are so broke that they cannot afford food, shelter, clothing, basic dental or medical care and risk becoming homeless if they miss just one hour of work in a pay period. It's terrible that the grand canyon actually looks like a simple crack in a sidewalk when compared to the problems caused by the social and economic gap difference between people in our country.

Kasey Perkins

Earning your wealth? No punishment. If you cheated, lied, or manipulated people or scammed to be wealthy, punishment. Now, everyone debates over inherited wealth. Sometimes inherited wealth means you had an ancestor that liked to enslave black people or Native Americans or was a pirate. I guess if you learn that your money was inherited, but your ancestor did something immoral to get it in the first place, make the most of it. Don't squander it. Donate some to charity, and put all your change in the charity jar at the Supermarket. Don't shop at the cheaper chains- support local businesses- even though they're more expensive, they're good for the economy as a whole and good for your community, especially if you live in a small town like I do.

J P

It's not immoral to be rich.

Smartguy

If it's immoral to have one thing in a greater quantity than other people, then that should apply to all things. If you have two tomatoes and the other guy has one, then you have committed an immoral act. Sound crazy? The same principle of logic applies in both scenarios...so if it's absurd to think of tomatoes in these terms than it is equally as absurd to think of money in these terms.

cannonball

It's not immoral. It's possible to make a million bucks without stepping on someone else's toes. Look at internet start ups or inventors. They simply created a website or a product that filled people's demand. They had great timing and they made it work. But let's get to the heart of the question here. And in order to do that we must examine capitalism. You see, capitalism is flawed from the very start. And many times, the folks who do become ULTRA wealthy are robber barons. They didn't do it alone. They purchased some friends in government if you know what I mean. And by doing this they can do all sorts of crappy things such as effectively bust unions, they can stomp out competition by creating an illegal monopoly, they can create huge scams that affect millions of consumers, they can be involved in inside trading, they can issue sub prime loans and recklessly gamble with our money, they can produce products that are dangerous to consumers, they can short sell and they can speculate on Wall Street, they can be awarded with an obscene amount of government subsidies, etc. The list goes on and on and on. And in many cases, white collar criminals get a bailout or a slap on the hand if they mess up. Just compare the sentences of white collar criminals to someone who is charged with a drug crime. Even possession of drugs can carry a much stiffer sentence than if you rob the poor with a white collar business scam. In other words, capitalism by its very nature encourages cheating and immoral behavior. And sociopaths know how to work the system to their advantage.

obamasbro

only if you are a pus*s*y wimpy liberal that is clueless.dude,enjoy the fruits of your labor.buy that Lamborghini,get that malibu beach house,get that super model babe ! you will be here ONLY ONCE !

Blue

Taxes aren't punishment.

jamie

well some people (i can not say who because we are on yahoo) really do think if you worked and become rich that you are evil and do not deserve it

mr.twocrows

I'd say it depends on HOW you got rich.

If you invented something that saves lives, fine.

If you exploited people, sold drugs, robbed,etc to get rich. . I think you get the gist of where I'm going with this.

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