From Bloomberg View Seven Troubling Trends for 2015
By Noah Smith – Jan 6, 2015, 9:00:09 AM
Why do we care about wealth inequality? Many economists and writers have come up with reasons to fear the trend, but I can’t help feeling that University of Chicago finance professor and blogger John Cochrane is right when he says that it’s all about political power:
[M]ost inequality warriors get down to the real problem they see: money and politics. They think money is corrupting politics, and they want to take away the money to purify the politics. As Berkeley economist Emmanuel Saez wrote for his 2013 Arrow lecture at Stanford University: “top income shares matter” because the “surge in top incomes gives top earners more ability to influence [the] political process.”
A critique of rent-seeking and political cronyism is well taken, and echoes from the left to libertarians.
Whether this is the reason to fear wealth inequality, the trend to most people is simply flat-out disquieting. It seems to signal that something isn’t working in our economy, even if we don’t know what that something is.
Yes, it is about political power. While left wing politicians espouse the effects on the middle class, they rely on the wealthy for their contributions and their power and they allow themselves to be influenced by those individuals be they from Wall Street or Hollywood and Vine. In addition, they claim the solution is more government doing more for the middle-class, yet another way to create power. Who is going to vote against people who do so much for them … Ha‼️
It’s a big game of find the scapegoat and the gullible to believe it all. Yes, the system is rigged …. by the people who have power and want to keep it and keep you in line. The people in Washington, that is. Instead of seeking more ways to unleash the power of the great middle-class, we create victims and hamper their initiative.
Think about this. How silly is the idea that the so-called 1% seek to hold down the middle-class? These entrepreneurs, capitalist, etc aren’t stupid. They know their wealth comes directly and indirectly from the masses who consume what they make or from those companies they invest in. Why would they rig the system against the middle-class and thereby jeopardize their own wealth? Would the value of Apple be what it is if the middle-class couldn’t buy its products?
This country can’t survive on the 1% buying cars and iPhones or standing in line for Soaring or buying a home, etc. The middle-class must be strong for economic growth. So ask yourself, who benefits from a struggling middle-class, from a victimized middle-class? Who is most influenced by money and acts against the middle-class and benefits from promises of “more?”
Well, it’s the political class. Implement term limits, diminish the influence of the political class and those who manipulate them and you don’t have to worry about the great inequality. But hey, for all too many people it is far easier to simply blame someone else.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
I don’t believe that Politicians should be able to receive retirement at the same rate they receive while sitting in Congress. Most of them are on vacation or have done nothing for many years now. I believe there should be limits of terms just as President’s have set.. With long term politicians comes the ability for bribes, hand outs from lobbyists, and unfair assistance to his/her Constituents who elect them. I believe an 8 year term is long enough with them returning to the private sector after serving an 8 year term without awarding them an ungodly $ for retirement when most of the middle class are lucky to find a job that pays appropriately for their experience. Thus affording new ideas from new elected and perhaps more enthusiasm for the ones who elected . We have had enough of the do nothing Congress and need some action that is for the people rather than for themselves. Someone needs to initiate a term limit on our politicians to prevent what we have been experiencing for so many years – no action, no help to the middle class, no help on any important issues. What will it take to get a term limit on our ballots? No one is getting help, not even the President so whoever it is that can initiate the term limits of our congressmen needs to do something.
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Nobody in Congress or the President receive retirement benefits equal to their salary. If they do receive a pension, it is half or less than salary.
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