‹ BackHN Continuity

Thread

California is chasing wealth that has feet

293 points · 870 comments · idbnstra

  1. binlog · · focus · HN ↗
    Wealth taxes are a symptom of a broken tax system. If you let someone get to hundreds of billions in net worth and then realize they haven’t been appropriately paying back into the system, it’s already too late. Like the article says they can simply say “no” in a variety of ways, from fighting in court to simply leaving.
    1. philipallstar · · focus · HN ↗
      > If you let someone get to hundreds of billions in net worth and then realize they haven’t been appropriately paying back into the system

      This is to once again mistake net worth for money. Net worth is not real. It is not a good measure of the money someone may be able to realise. They do not have hundreds of billions. There is nothing to tax until they sell some shares.

      1. slg · · focus · HN ↗
        It's strange that people always make this argument for wealth taxes, but you rarely hear it about property taxes. If "net worth is not real" neither is equity in real estate.
        1. N_Lens · · focus · HN ↗
          I feel like there's think tanks thinking up talking points that sound reasonable to convince internet communities against taxing the wealthy.
          1. the_sleaze_ · · focus · HN ↗
            It's interesting to see the level of discourse change across time as these same points are brought up again and again.

            It seems there are many many more people heavily invested in preventing land tax all of a sudden and are very informed whereas when that guy made a land tax visualizer a few months ago... crickets.

            <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=45425770">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=45425770

            &gt; but I struggle to even conceptualize what land value means

            One of the first comments. Now there are dozens of people who are suddenly well versed in &quot;georgeism&quot;?

            1. N_Lens · · focus · HN ↗
              Narrative control and algorithm driven propaganda is evident - Most people scrolling any kind of algorithmic feed would be shocked at the intimate detail the algorithm knows their mind, proclivities, aversions.

              Another evident thing is that people will start retreating from internet as this gets worse (With LLMs accelerating the trend).

Open on Hacker News to reply ↗

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.