My preferred world is everybody doing better, even if some can afford things that are "obscenely expensive" (good for them!), because I think absolute well-being is more important than relative well-being.
How about a world where everyone has basic needs met, but a few can afford a large yacht?
Or a world where everyone can afford a yacht club membership, but a few people can afford TWO large yachts?
jonnycomputer wrote "In my preferred world, no single person would be able to afford a large yacht."
I'll say it again: "What an awful attitude." It just proposes taking away from people who have what he thinks is too much, without any benefit stated or implied for anyone else.
Inequality, rent-seeking, and now fraud are all topics that have been added later.
I didn't propose taking anything away. I said that in my preferred possible world no one would be rich enough that they can individually afford such extravagances. I made no claim about this world, not did I outline how that state of affairs would have come about.
It's focusing on the harm to specific individuals rather than any benefit, thus implying you consider that change a benefit in itself, rather than a necessary harm that enables some other benefit.
It's like Hillary Clinton saying she'd put coal miners out of business - it sounds hateful, regardless of the intent.
How about a world where everyone has basic needs met, but a few can afford a large yacht?
Or a world where everyone can afford a yacht club membership, but a few people can afford TWO large yachts?
jonnycomputer wrote "In my preferred world, no single person would be able to afford a large yacht."
I'll say it again: "What an awful attitude." It just proposes taking away from people who have what he thinks is too much, without any benefit stated or implied for anyone else.
Inequality, rent-seeking, and now fraud are all topics that have been added later.