THE COVETOUS LEFT

The root of leftist populism is covetousness.

And not the "greed" of the upperclass.

This covetousness is most evident with regard to the whole executive pay issue and with the so-called 'growing disparity between rich and poor".

The bottom-line this: BESIDES THE SHAREHOLDERS, it's really none of ANYONE'S business what any given private company pays its executives.

Paying them less will not make me or anybody else richer.

If they are overpaid, then MAYBE their products or shares will be overpriced and their profits reduced.

AGAIN: this matters not one whit to anyone except shareholders.

It is not the federal government's business - nor the business of ANY government - what one person agrees to pay another, (or what one group decides to pay an employee).

AGAIN: unless I'm a shareholder, paying other people less won't put one cent in my pocket.

The JEALOUSY which drives the left is irrational, and the so-called remedies the left prescribes are actually harmful to the general well-being because they decrease overall prosperity and economic growth (which is only spurred by incentives).

So, there's absolutely no upside to their whining - EXCEPT POLITICALLY: the populist politicians who exploit the ignorance and covetousness of the electorate gain in popularity.

The idea that the increasing wealth of the rich comes at the expense of the poor is equally ridiculous - and also rooted in covetousness.

It's the same crap as the old leftist canard that the First World became wealthy by looting the Third World.

FACT: most of the world's top 500 fortunes were made in the last twenty years. And most of the world's most valuable commodities and goods and services didn't even exist twenty years ago - or were not very valuable because they didn't have much use.

Wealth - like prosperity - is something which is created; it doesn't grow on trees; it isn't lying around in everyones backyard. It takes guts, risk, investment and sweat to make money - and to keep it.

If we penalize the people who are good at this we will all suffer.