Wealth

[Liverpool]

That man is my brother - he is retired now - and is a Chairman of the Board for a Health Research Organisation - On the Board of the Creating Local Jobs Committee - On the Board of the Local AFL Competition - Treasurer of a Local Industries Association - all of which are honary positions (doesn't get paid for the time he gives them). He mentors senior executives in both Public and Private companies and has been asked on many occasions to join various company boards. (Not bad for a Public School Boy whose parents and he paid his way through his first year of uni). All because he worked clever got the breaks and now wants to give those who are younger and are willing to try to work clever a lucky break.

Exactly...he CHOOSES to help others and picks areas he feels need the most help or where he would like time/money/resources to go to help others.

And thats been my main argument on this thread....that the rich shouldn't be punished and have their money siphoned away to areas that the Government or a third-party deems 'worthy'.
It should be a freedom of choicefofr people to help others if they want to.

Just because your brother is rich doesn't mean he automatically has a responsibility to help....its simply his choice and I think that choice should remain.

 

[RemoteTiger]

Exactly...he CHOOSES to help others and picks areas he feels need the most help or where he would like time/money/resources to go to help others.

And thats been my main argument on this thread....that the rich shouldn't be punished and have their money siphoned away to areas that the Government or a third-party deems 'worthy'.
It should be a freedom of choicefofr people to help others if they want to.

Just because your brother is rich doesn't mean he automatically has a responsibility to help....its simply his choice and I think that choice should remain.

My brother and his friends don't see it as a choice they see it as an appreciation that they got the breaks and therefore should help others where possible - the only choice is how and where their help is applied. There was never a debate as to should we it was how do we?

And all the people who are multi millionaires that I have met have the same outlook on life.

There is one thing that does get up their nose which supports your argument - they have great difficulty in accepting the current Government's constant increase of tax on them - and the more tax they pay the less people they employ and the less others they can help. The less people they employ or help means there is less money in the economy which leads to other businesses not getting revenue which means they too have to lessen their workforce.

All this from a Labor Prime Minister that always says Jobs Jobs Jobs everytime he talks about the Global Finacial Crisis - it just does not add up. Unless of course the jobs are from Government Projects.

 

[jb03]

(Not bad for a Public School Boy whose parents and he paid his way through his first year of uni).

What is the point of this sentence RT? Are you shocked that a public school graduate made it to Uni; and who paid his way through Uni after his first year?

 

[Liverpool]

My brother and his friends don't see it as a choice they see it as an appreciation that they got the breaks and therefore should help others where possible - the only choice is how and where their help is applied. There was never a debate as to should we it was how do we?

That may be so, but it is still someone's choice if they choose to appreciate their standing in life or not....they shouldn't have "appreciation" forced upon them.

 

[RemoteTiger]

What is the point of this sentence RT? Are you shocked that a public school graduate made it to Uni; and who paid his way through Uni after his first year?

Back in those days mid 60's it was not the norm - Private Schools produced most of the Uni students because it was only those whose parents could afford it - scholarships were available but nothing like they are now and there was no such thing as HECS.

It was only after Whitlam got in that tertiary education became truly available for all who wished to attend.

After our first years at Uni both he and I earned scholarships which lightened the burden on the folks. Interestingly the scholarships came from the Commonwealth Bank and the Wales Bank.

 

[Play Centre]

"that as a society we are one - if society breaks down we all flounder"

Agree completely and I am glad yr brother is helping out in the different ways he does. :clap

 

[Liverpool]

Just checked on Wikipedia, the top 100 billionaires on the planet, and it got me thinking. How much is enough.
I'd say 1 billion should be the cut of. How could you spend more than a billion dollars. Its probably too high, but I'm cutiing some slack for those who have grown up with opulance and probably couldnt hack driving around in a Merc.
If we, the planet's dwellers, redistributed only the top 100 Billionaires wealth, we would have around 1 Trillion dollars to play with. Imagine how much we'd have if we got every Billionaires extra monies. And check out where some of those billionaires live, India, Mexico, Brazil ect ect.
And we spend over a Trillion on "defence".

Dukeos,
I came across this today....thought you'd be happy to read this:

Bill Gates urges fellow rich to share their wealth
5 hours ago
OSLO (AFP) — The world's richest man Bill Gates Wednesday urged fellow billionaires to give away most of their wealth, saying sharing brought far more joy than passing on money to descendants.
"I think all billionaires should give away the vast majority of their fortune," the Microsoft co-founder, who has given away a large part of his 40-billion-dollar fortune to fight poverty and disease, said at a public debate.
"I'm not saying they shouldn't leave anything for their kids or to have a little bit for themselves but yes, I think they would enjoy it, I think their kids would be better off, and I think the world would be better off.
"I want to share with them how much fun we've had."
Fellow American Warren Buffet, the world's second richest man with a fortune estimated at 37 billion dollars, had announced in 2006 that he would leave a part of his wealth to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h37xgxUGSoxn8tHWAxhkesTyVk7Q

See.....CHOICE....if people make the choice themselves to share their wealth, it is far more fulfilling and sincere than having any rules or laws enforcing it onto people.

 

[dukeos]

Dukeos,
I came across this today....thought you'd be happy to read this:

Bill Gates urges fellow rich to share their wealth
5 hours ago
OSLO (AFP) — The world's richest man Bill Gates Wednesday urged fellow billionaires to give away most of their wealth, saying sharing brought far more joy than passing on money to descendants.
"I think all billionaires should give away the vast majority of their fortune," the Microsoft co-founder, who has given away a large part of his 40-billion-dollar fortune to fight poverty and disease, said at a public debate.
"I'm not saying they shouldn't leave anything for their kids or to have a little bit for themselves but yes, I think they would enjoy it, I think their kids would be better off, and I think the world would be better off.
"I want to share with them how much fun we've had."
Fellow American Warren Buffet, the world's second richest man with a fortune estimated at 37 billion dollars, had announced in 2006 that he would leave a part of his wealth to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h37xgxUGSoxn8tHWAxhkesTyVk7Q

See.....CHOICE....if people make the choice themselves to share their wealth, it is far more fulfilling and sincere than having any rules or laws enforcing it onto people.

Yeah, the billionaires have had a most unfullfilling life, its good that we can in some way, help them. ;D

Only joking. If i gave the impression that i wanted billionaires hang upside against their will till all their money dropped out, i appologise.

I would have preffered to have them kicked in the groin till all their money popped out. Only joking again.

Its fantastic that some of the tycoons are contributing to humanity. Would it be a little synical to note that new money billionaires are more likely to help?

Wouldnt it be great for most of that old money to find its way back into circulation. Whats Paris Hilton doing with "her" money??

 

[Rosy]

Im not talking about the bloke who works his six days, builds a nice business that gets him 800,000 a year. Im giving a $1 billion (1000 Million) dollar cut of FFS. Whats the point of having more than you can spend. Half or more of these people didnt lift a finger, a bit of old money of the back of slaves.

I've been thinking about this thread. I don't agree with forcing people with heaps money to hand it over. They made it and they can do what they like with it although I admire people who do donate their money for the benefit of others. It has made me think there are plenty of people in this world, often poor, who can benefit from assistance other than money though.

Those of us who don't have a fortune to divvy out amongst the needy can still do our bit without it costing us a cent. There are plenty of people who would benefit greatly from the efforts of volunteers, and it would lighten the workload of those who do generously give their time. A bit of time in a soup kitchen, a friendly chat to the elderly in nursing homes, delivering meals on wheels, minding a high-dependency child to give someone a break. There are endless ways we can make less fortunate people's lives a little bit easier. We can do it from the heart rather than be forced to hand money over and we don't need any financial ceiling to do it.

As with handing over money by force I don't think volunteering should be compulsary either. Far better to do these things willingly and from the heart.