<![CDATA[People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country"]]>People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country"

And I'm like "Maybe, if we get lucky. But let's try it first and see how we go."

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/2ad260a7-55bb-4393-b186-6cd27c9f070f/people-keep-saying-if-we-do-a-wealth-tax-rich-people-will-leave-the-countryRSS for NodeMon, 28 Sep 2026 14:13:20 GMTSun, 27 Sep 2026 03:57:24 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:56:00 GMT]]>@pezmico
Like oh no, the people who extract and hoard the value of other people's labour out of our economy might leave and stop doing that if we ask for some of it back.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/petealexharris/statuses/117342166063513125https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/petealexharris/statuses/117342166063513125Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:56:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:47:40 GMT]]>@jeremy_pm @Iveyline @pezmico a quote that I was reminded of last night… hasn't aged one second

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://neopaquita.es/users/ehproque/statuses/117342133346022716https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://neopaquita.es/users/ehproque/statuses/117342133346022716Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:47:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:42:46 GMT]]>@pezmico so, we get money to do stuff with *and* they stop hoarding all the houses? What are we waiting for?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://neopaquita.es/users/ehproque/statuses/117342114026635020https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://neopaquita.es/users/ehproque/statuses/117342114026635020Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:42:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:24:39 GMT]]>@pezmico Yeah, I say we take the risk.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.cologne/ap/users/116232768628584081/statuses/117342042815313118https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.cologne/ap/users/116232768628584081/statuses/117342042815313118Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:24:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:22:58 GMT]]>@jeremy_pm @Iveyline @pezmico
I approve the edit of "worth" 😉

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mas.to/users/Andii/statuses/117342036191259403https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mas.to/users/Andii/statuses/117342036191259403Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:22:58 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:15:31 GMT]]>@pezmico
If only it was that simple!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/Cyclist/statuses/117342006877613188https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/Cyclist/statuses/117342006877613188Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:15:31 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:10:50 GMT]]>@pezmico Well... That's kind of the point... Contribute or find another place to leech off of.

Also nothing a well designed (and actually enforced) exit tax won't handle.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://troet.cafe/users/Darkroux/statuses/117341988469262987https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://troet.cafe/users/Darkroux/statuses/117341988469262987Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:10:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 07:23:55 GMT]]>@pezmico, yes, it's a misconception that the rich are big spenders.
If you already have everything...

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.nz/users/Antigrav/statuses/117341803988395090https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.nz/users/Antigrav/statuses/117341803988395090Sun, 27 Sep 2026 07:23:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 07:18:09 GMT]]>@pezmico spoiler*… they don’t leave (sadly).

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/orangefloss/statuses/117341781349715581https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/orangefloss/statuses/117341781349715581Sun, 27 Sep 2026 07:18:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 07:14:18 GMT]]>@simon_brooke @Iveyline @pezmico

Yes, I'm well aware of framing of worth, it was the wrong choice of words - I blame the source of the information for my mistake.

I could go back and edit the word "worth" perhaps "has hoarded" would be more appropriate, but then what would we have to talk about?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.nz/users/jeremy_pm/statuses/117341766179151850https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.nz/users/jeremy_pm/statuses/117341766179151850Sun, 27 Sep 2026 07:14:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 07:00:40 GMT]]>@jeremy_pm @Iveyline @pezmico

I hate that use of language. Graeme Hart is not *worth* $10.2 billion. Graeme Hart is not worth anything more -- or less -- than any other human being.

Graeme Hart may *have acquired* $10.2 billion, and, if so, seeing there's no honest way of acquiring wealth at that rate, it's reasonably certain that he *has stolen* most of it.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/simon_brooke/statuses/117341712581231991https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/simon_brooke/statuses/117341712581231991Sun, 27 Sep 2026 07:00:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 06:39:37 GMT]]>@pezmico Two words: "exit tax"
I highly suggest a more strict policy around leaving.
Hoarded wealth is always gathered using many accounted and unaccounted supports from all of society.
The idea that rich people have created all their wealth with the hard work of their bare hands needs to end. I'm not saying they shouldn't be rewarded, but wealth should flow to all of society pretty shortly afterward.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.sdf.org/users/neverhurry/statuses/117341629787749147https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.sdf.org/users/neverhurry/statuses/117341629787749147Sun, 27 Sep 2026 06:39:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 06:38:08 GMT]]>@98Percent @jeremy_pm @Iveyline @pezmico
Strongly agree. I find myself internally rewriting 'worth'most times I see it in these contexts.
I should list the alternatives I land on sometime. "has" is neutral enough to be a catch all. What I aim for is something that hints at something being 'off' without being libellous.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mas.to/users/Andii/statuses/117341623985510124https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mas.to/users/Andii/statuses/117341623985510124Sun, 27 Sep 2026 06:38:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 06:36:09 GMT]]>@pezmico The Riches have a lot of good stuff they want to destroy before they go to their private fortresses in Hawaii or Uruguay or New Zealand or wherever. There's no point in building one of those retreats if you don't screw up the rest of the world first.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.social/users/12thRITS/statuses/117341616145494959https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.social/users/12thRITS/statuses/117341616145494959Sun, 27 Sep 2026 06:36:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 06:22:14 GMT]]>@jeremy_pm @Iveyline @pezmico Are you sure “worth” is the right word? Maybe “has” would be better?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.nz/users/98Percent/statuses/117341561484847609https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.nz/users/98Percent/statuses/117341561484847609Sun, 27 Sep 2026 06:22:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 05:21:54 GMT]]>@Iveyline @pezmico

It's worse than that, the filthy rich elite never risk their wealth on long term projects that benefit the country instead they buy state owned assets or competitive businesses to kill opportunity for the rest of us and competition. By controlling the market are able to profiteer on the basic costs of living.

For example Graeme Hart purchased the New Zealand Government Printing Office in 1990 for for $23 million.

Graeme Hart is now *estimated to have pilfered $10.2 billion. 🤔

*Edited from "worth"

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.nz/users/jeremy_pm/statuses/117341324238946738https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.nz/users/jeremy_pm/statuses/117341324238946738Sun, 27 Sep 2026 05:21:54 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 04:50:15 GMT]]>@pezmico It's the hungry entrepreneur with a big dream, limited resources, and determination that make a nation economically. Not the rich. They've already made their money and are more risk aversr. That's why the "Golden Visa" to attract rich immigrants is a dumb idea.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.nz/ap/users/115828656027457735/statuses/117341199745385222https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.nz/ap/users/115828656027457735/statuses/117341199745385222Sun, 27 Sep 2026 04:50:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to People keep saying "If we do a wealth tax, rich people will leave the country" on Sun, 27 Sep 2026 04:22:31 GMT]]>@pezmico

The other leg of containing wealth inequality and returning prosperity as well as democracy to any nation is breaking up the corporations that make a significant amount of wealth inequality possible.

And transparency laws to put a cap on the upper size of wealth.

Taxes can only clawback stuff already taken from people

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.ai/users/GhostOnTheHalfShell/statuses/117341090692544922https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.ai/users/GhostOnTheHalfShell/statuses/117341090692544922Sun, 27 Sep 2026 04:22:31 GMT