Fcuk, all I want is a house of my own and the time to enjoy it

There's no such thing as a recession - just the rich refusing to let the rest of us have any

Yes there needs to be a return to progressive taxation. For the next decade the average person can expect stagnant wages growth and trickle down does not work, so it needs a little help by the taxation system.

There was an interesting point made by someone on the TV this morning, and that was that if all the companies is this country too on just one person, we'd wipe out unemployment instantly, and how many of these companies are run/owned by these people? How many people do they employ?

Why is that people who've worked hard to build up a fortune get villified? I have no problem with people like Richard Branson and Alan Sugar, who built up their fortunes by working hard. I don't have anything about those that are rich because they had rich partents - you can't pick who your parents are. Then there's the charitable work a lot of these people do, but gets conveniently forgotten.

Is it jealousy, or are people in this country so afraid of hard work that they expect to be handed everything on a plate? If you want to get rich, then it's down to you and no one else.

It is nothing to do with jealousy. The rich bought the last tory government and even the labour governments of the last 13 years to stop taxation rising on the rich. The fact that we are now a more unequal society for more than a hundred years should be a warning. Countries with high levels of inequality have far higher crime rates than those with more equal societies. Japan is far more equal than us and has a substantially lower crime rate. Same for the Scandinavian countries as well. It might turn out to be a few protests but it could end up in a revolution. Also the rich are not job creators that is the work of businesses. So taxing the rich does not harm job creation. I would prefer to see businesses get lower tax rates on retained earnings to encourage them to create jobs.

So you're suggesting that:

1. The election process is not democratic and a small minority can "buy" the result
2. All crime is a result of inequality, and culture has nothing to do with it?
3. Who owns the businesses that employ people, and where does the money come from to start these businesses?

I think there are other, more fundamental problems in this country that even removing or reducing the inequality in money won't solve. Our culture is all wrong - there is a growing proportion of the population that have no respect for others (unlike Japan), and we have social problems that the rest of Europe doesn't (binge drinking, drug abuse). We're on a path of self-destruction, and I don't think that simply redistrubuting moeny will cure the problem.

1) the election costs are substantial so the Tories have relied on the tax dodger Lord Ashcroft who was supposed to be domiciled here for tax purposes for his peerage yet remains a non dom. Labour have had their non doms as well, whose donations have enabled them to ignore the unions. So a few non doms have effectively bought the manifestos of the two main parties.
2) No that is ridiculous. There are drugs, and alcohol which are the causes of some crimes. Though not all drugs and all situations. If you can afford your drug habit then you do not need to resort to criminal acts ie Pete Doherty (various), Enid Bagnold (heroin) etc. Some crime is for excitement. Sweden has a more equal society yet it still has crime and no go areas. The petty crimes are primarily committed by the Locals and the more serious crimes by the immigrants. The general correlation is for crime to increase with inequality of incomes. There are other factors as well but it is not just cultural either.
3) Everyone owns a business through their pension funds and insurance. The institutional investors own shares in public and private companies on our behalf. These super rich barely own a controlling stake in their business much of the time. Richard Branson may be a billionaire but that is because his businesses are also funded extensively with bank loans. So the tax payers through their ownership of some of the banks is also responsible for ownership of Virgin Group. If you were to set up your own business then you would be the owner and job creator. Though if the very rich get tax breaks it is generally at the expense of smaller businesses and the workers.

Why are you not rich? What is stopping you?

I'll tell you why I'm not rich. Those who owe me money refuse to pay it. Not that they're hard up or anything, it's just I'm small beer to them and therefore don't count. And I'm not a big enough bully, or rich enough to chase them through the courts to get what I'm owed.

See? It's good being self-employed. All that entrepreneurial spirit being put to good use.

Maybe self employed is not the best career for you then. Do something you are good at or change your attitude. I didn't know you need to be rich to sue somebody, are you sure you looked at all your options properly? It very easy to start the process of winding down the company that owns people money...

Courts is not so much a matter of money, but of validity of claim. My Dad has taken people to court on more than one occasion over non-payment and either lost or been awarded bare minimums by the system. These were all things that appeared at face value to be cut and dried cases as well.

No, you're right. I'm sure there are better careers for me, but I rather like pottering on this way. Something will turn up.

Incidentally, while I'm owed money, my example was not a personal one. It's of a business I've worked for.

1. Discover what you're good at.
2. Do you enjoy doing that?
3. Is there an economically viable market for your labour?
4. What are the barriers to entry into that market?
5. What is the competition like in that market? Are others doing the same thing, but better or for less?
6. Are you better served working for someone else, and foregoing the income potential for the pleasure of letting someone else worry about your tax, pension and employment paperwork, or going it alone and taking care of all that paperwork which accumulates (especially if you then start employing people)?


Given that many people don't make it past point number one, that's why most people aren't rich. Equally, if we were all 'rich' then nobody would be.

My point is, it takes time, effort and determination to become rich. Nobody becomes rich overnight and that puts people off. Everybody wants everything now and they are not prepared to work for it.

Start with little things and do them well. Then make things bigger (but still do them well) and at the end you will reach the stars...