Where Is Their Fair Share?

There are some very rich people spouting that they are going to make the rich pay "their fair share". Why have they not voluntarily done it then?

I say this not to blow my own horn but to make a point. When I was age 20 I decided that I would always keep what I needed to live comfortably and give the rest away. I have never been rich or even close to rich. But if some average guy like me can do it, why don't they? I suspect that they don't really mean it or they would already have done it themselves.

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CopperCicada · M

The rich used to do just what you describe, and society was greatly benefitted by it. The best examle was Andrew Carnegie. In 1889 we wrote The Gospel of Wealth where he called for the rich to engage in philanthropy for the benefit of society. He spent the last third of his life giving away +90% of his wealth. 350M$ in 1880's currency, 6B$ in today's currency. And today, because of the concentration of wealth, we have people worth much more than that.

Really · 80-89, M

@CopperCicada Thanks for the reference to Carnegie. He's the one I think of whenever this subject arises.