pIs increasing income inequality a bad thing for America?

Next>

Results

66 %

Yes, it's bad.

34 %

No, it's not bad.

@Nov '12 c 126 comments V 332 votes

Detailed Results Next Debate Vote Now

Activity Stmts Popular

332 Votes

u

5 hr
DesignerLM voted

v Yes, it's bad.
8 hr
AlexNWA endorsed HeatherBousheyK

v Yes, it's bad.
21 hr
tomtheterrible endorsed HeatherBousheyK

v Yes, it's bad.
u

Sat
sml11 endorsed Dakota1993

v Yes, it's bad.
Sat
Stevel voted

v Yes, it's bad.
u

Fri
DrSilicon voted

v Yes, it's bad.
Fri
solodad voted

v Yes, it's bad.
Fri
Zach endorsed GlenWhitmanK

v No, it's not bad.
u

Fri
Andy2013 voted

v Yes, it's bad.
Thu
luna11 voted

v Yes, it's bad.
Thu
Bill2E endorsed Guru

v No, it's not bad.
u

Thu
Obsidion voted

v Yes, it's bad.
u

May 16
Gatnos voted

v No, it's not bad.
May 16
Jaybird1964 voted

v Yes, it's bad.
May 16
littlewolf8469 voted

v Yes, it's bad.
u

May 16
Okiegal79 endorsed MichaelLindenK

v Yes, it's bad.
May 15
Billy812 voted

v Yes, it's bad.
May 15

NoAmnestyEVER

v Yes, it's bad.

It is what it is, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer and liberals like Obama want us all to be equally miserable. Who in their right mind would say that income inequality is a "good thing" for America?

Post
May 14
RadAuthNat voted

v No, it's not bad.
May 14
O_S_Thomas endorsed HeatherBousheyK

v Yes, it's bad.
u

May 14
mbarnett endorsed AnneOstrich

v No, it's not bad.
May 14
JohnVicky endorsed Dakota1993

v Yes, it's bad.
u

May 14
Big_jeff voted

v No, it's not bad.
u

May 13
Realthinker voted

v No, it's not bad.
u

May 13
silentrunning endorsed Synthesis

v Yes, it's bad.
u

May 13
HMB1114 voted

v Yes, it's bad.
May 12
warwil630 voted

v Yes, it's bad.
u

May 12
Fyi1957 endorsed Synthesis

v Yes, it's bad.
u

May 12
tomincali voted

v Yes, it's bad.
May 11
Keyjo endorsed MichaelLindenK

v Yes, it's bad.
u

May 11
songbird voted

v Yes, it's bad.
May 11
looncraz endorsed MichaelLindenK

v Yes, it's bad.
May 10
juan voted

v Yes, it's bad.
May 10
jessejaymes endorsed MichaelLindenK

v Yes, it's bad.
May 10
ACTSmom voted

v Yes, it's bad.
u

May 10
JVJx voted

v Yes, it's bad.
May 10
foodbaby voted

v Yes, it's bad.
u

May 9
LilliB voted

v Yes, it's bad.
u

May 9
Jimbo voted

v No, it's not bad.
u

May 9
Bill voted

v No, it's not bad.
May 9
GodlessLiberal voted

v Yes, it's bad.
May 9
TerryConklin endorsed GlenWhitmanK

v No, it's not bad.
May 9
oldtimer2 endorsed MichaelLindenK

v Yes, it's bad.
u

May 9
buckilaked voted

v Yes, it's bad.
May 8
Rocker voted

v No, it's not bad.
May 8

Russell797

v Yes, it's bad.

Yes it is bad because it intensifies the us against them attitudes which prevail in the country. Also, the inequality comes at the expense of the middle class with growing numbers at the bottom and top.

B1

Post
u

May 7
skwisgaar12 endorsed LeslieAbi

v No, it's not bad.
May 7
Aaron262 voted

v Yes, it's bad.
May 7
BravoJuliet endorsed AnnLeeK

v No, it's not bad.
May 7
Proeducation voted

v Yes, it's bad.

May 15

NoAmnestyEVER

v Yes, it's bad.

It is what it is, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer and liberals like Obama want us all to be equally miserable. Who in their right mind would say that income inequality is a "good thing" for America?

Post
May 8

Russell797

v Yes, it's bad.

Yes it is bad because it intensifies the us against them attitudes which prevail in the country. Also, the inequality comes at the expense of the middle class with growing numbers at the bottom and top.

B1

Post
May 7

LeslieAbi

v No, it's not bad.

You get what you earn. If you're not earning what you're working for go somewhere that will recognize hard work. But DO NOT stay at the same place and complain and expect others to pick up the slack. YOU are responsible for YOU.

B1

e1 endorsed

Post
May 5

TheHandsomeOne

v Yes, it's bad.

It is at the root of all that is badly wrong with our nation and the world. http://preview.tinyurl.com/av3h4rb

Post
o

May 5

Republican1050

v No, it's not bad.

The only equality disparity is the folks who don't pay any of their taxes owed.

Post
May 3

890popbox

v No, it's not bad.

I'd expect to be making more money performing brain surgery than delivering pizza's door to door.. Would you guys rather everyone make $3 an hour no matter what the job? Or do you think those who work more than the average person should earn more for their hard work? The answer is obvious here..

B1

Post
May 2

Spirit02

v No, it's not bad.

Why try? So the rich and corrupted can get richer off of the slaves killing themselves to not get by?

Post
May 1

Goose

v Yes, it's bad.

For it to be good, you would need to also increase productivity equality. That is not happening.

Post
u

Apr 29

jond414

v No, it's not bad.

Its really paying dividends for the industrial prison industry as well as gun manufacturers and home security companies.

Post
u

Apr 28

fraps

v No, it's not bad.

It is a consequence of government policy and crony capitalism. We have not had a free market economy here for decades.

Post
Apr 28

DrFunkenstein

v Yes, it's bad.

It's great for the rich until the masses quit listening to the propagandists at Fox News and talk radio. Then the rednecks will be mad at the right people and start assaulting the rich with their stockpile of guns and quotes from their bible that tell them how rich people are evil. I wonder how fast Herb(Ann) Coulter can run?

B1

Post
u

Apr 27

4PeteSake

v Yes, it's bad.

It is the sort of thing that leads to revolutions!

Post
Apr 27

Middle0road

v Yes, it's bad.

Income and power inequality coupled with eventual discrimanatory abuse of certain populations started two major world wars in the last century. I also believe it is at the heart of such current conflicts as those in the Middle East and the small African countries who are constantly hampered by warlords and religious extremist who practice genocide in an attempt to change the mantles of power in those localities.

Post
Apr 26
Post Removed by Moderators
Apr 26

Fallstaff

v No, it's not bad.

This just a lieberal lead-in for socialism. Everybody work hard, take advantage of opportunities...or not. If you work hard and get educated, you do better income-wise. Those that choose not to do not deserve any money taxed from hard working people.

Post
u

Apr 25

BossTweed

v No, it's not bad.

Today's version of Democrats think America should be more like Cuba or North Korea. Big Brother Orwellian Elites handing out our bowl of rice if we OBEY their every whim.

Post
Apr 25

Canoochee

v No, it's not bad.

Post
Dec '12

Jean

v Yes, it's bad.

it should be performance based. struggles in life are the reality of life. even the people deemed to be rich have their own set of trials and tribulations. charachter of an individual and respect for others has been lost by the entitlement mentality.

Post
Dec '12

MRMacrum

v Yes, it's bad.

Of course it is bad. History is chock full of examples.

Post
o

Dec '12

sabbatical

v Yes, it's bad.

Is increasing income inequality a bad thing for America? - All bad things are increasing in America ...

Post
R Load more comments...

Mar '12

MichaelLinden K

Director for Tax and Budget Policy at Center for American...

v Yes, it's bad.

Ever-increasing income inequality will hamper economic growth. With more income concentrated at the top, those in the middle have fewer resources to consume the goods and services that our economy could produce. They also have less incentive and opportunity to create the ânext big thing.â Without that demand, and without those entrepreneurs, the economy will stagnate. Just as damaging, skyrocketing inequality undermines the very idea of an âAmerican dream.â As the rungs on the income ladder get farther apart, it becomes harder and harder to climb the ladder.

B5

r7 replies

e37 endorsed

Post
Mar '12

HeatherBoushey K

Senior Economist, Center for American Progress

v Yes, it's bad.

An economy top heavy with wealth is not good for our country or our economy and it is critical that we reverse today's historically high levels of inequality. Inequality isn't just bad for the 99 percent who've been left behind; it is actually responsible for some of the biggest problems facing Americans today - high home foreclosures, high unemployment, and an inability to get ahead. A robust and expanding middle class was the engine that transformed the United States into the strongest economy in the world. A strong middle class serves as a source of stable demand, it provides the foundation for entrepreneurs, and helps create the productivity gains that propel our e...

B4

r1 reply

e15 endorsed

Post
Mar '12

GlenWhitman K

Professor of Economics, California State University, Nort...

v No, it's not bad.

Inequality, in itself, is not a problem. Of course, we should be concerned about the absolute well-being of the poor. But income inequality tells us about relative, not absolute, well-being. Itâs like worrying about âheight inequalityâ â the difference between the tallest and shortest people â when the real problem is dwarfism. Inequality can arise from systemic unfairness, such as lobbying that yields government subsidies and privileges. But it can also arise from merit, such as creating innovations that improve the lives of many. We should correct the former and reward the latter, irrespective of their impact on inequality.

B3

r1 reply

e16 endorsed

Post
u

Jul '12

IMAQT

v No, it's not bad.

"You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the small men by tearing down the big men. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatreds. You cannot establish security on borrowed money. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves". William J. H. Boetcker, 1916

B4

r1 reply

e6 endorsed

Post
o

May '12

Guru

v No, it's not bad.

Hey, if you earned it what gives big daddy gubment the right to take it and disperse as it sees fit?

B2

r2 replies

e4 endorsed

Post
u

May '12

Synthesis

v Yes, it's bad.

When countries see a big gap between the poor and rich, what comes next is most of the times never pretty. Just history repeating itself

e5 endorsed

Post
May '12

BigD1391

v Yes, it's bad.

It is a terrible thing for America. The middle class is struggling to keep its position. Upward mobility is becoming less and less likely to happen. Jobs go overseas. Corporations exploit natural resources and employees. The gap is getting worse, and worse. Corruption is prevalent and it will take more than one President to really help get the economy back on track. Old men work hard their whole lives to die with 14 cents in their account. Something is not right.

B1

r1 reply

e4 endorsed

Post
Mar '12

AnnLee K

New York University Professor, Senior Fellow at Demos

v No, it's not bad.

Income inequality in itself is not a bad thing if the economy is robust with opportunities and many jobs are created. It is very bad when income inequality results from established players becoming rent seeking and blocking new competition from challenging them with new and disruptive products and services.

B1

e3 endorsed

Post
May '12

Dakota1993

v Yes, it's bad.

Is this even a real question?

e3 endorsed

Post

Politix

pIs increasing income inequality a bad thing for America?

Results