6. More on equality (or the lack of it)

This is in response to Mark Littlewood, director general at the Institute of Economic Affairs: “Oxfam is promoting a race to the bottom. Richer people are already highly taxed people – reducing their wealth beyond a certain point won’t lead to redistribution, it will destroy it to the benefit of no one. Higher minimum wages would also likely lead to disappearing jobs, harming the very people Oxfam intend to help. Oxfam ignore the many who have risen out of poverty”

What an opportunity for prescient naming was missed when Mark Littlewood was not called Mark Littlemind instead! Although of course, his agenda is clear, and he may consider himself a big mind, as a result of lack of in depth analysis. Very rich people are not heavily taxed, in fact, they are still able to pay NO TAX, a fact he conveniently ignores. And why would further taxation not lead to redistribution? It surely will, given the right redistribution policies, only possible when there is enough to redistribute. It is a common establishment fallacy to use past experience and current status quo to justify lack of change. On those rising out of poverty, the big question is how poverty is defined, currently, income of over $1 per day. Mr. Littlemind fails to, at any point, consider the morality of $60Bn personal fortunes when 1Bn people earn less than $1,000 per year. And, Mr. Littlemind, society is about morality, as much, and in fact more, than about practicality.