Comments on: Piketty on Ireland http://www.irisheconomy.ie/index.php/2009/04/16/piketty-on-ireland/ Wed, 16 May 2012 23:20:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Brian J Goggin (bjg) http://www.irisheconomy.ie/index.php/2009/04/16/piketty-on-ireland/#comment-5525 Brian J Goggin (bjg) Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:03:58 +0000 http://www.irisheconomy.ie/?p=1791#comment-5525 @Owen C: "Piketty seems to be far far left of what most people consider to be reasonable." For what values of "most people"? bjg @Owen C: “Piketty seems to be far far left of what most people consider to be reasonable.”

For what values of “most people”?

bjg

]]> By: James Conran http://www.irisheconomy.ie/index.php/2009/04/16/piketty-on-ireland/#comment-5499 James Conran Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:21:26 +0000 http://www.irisheconomy.ie/?p=1791#comment-5499 Note though that the 80% rate is only proposed to kick in above €2million - Picketty explicitly says that such a rate applied to more than a very small percentage of the population would probably be disastrous. And given that the top marginal rate in the US only came below 70% in 1980, it would appear that every postwar president until Reagan was "far far left of what most people [today] consider to be reasonable". See this graph on the history of top US marginal rates: http://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/graph.jpg Note though that the 80% rate is only proposed to kick in above €2million - Picketty explicitly says that such a rate applied to more than a very small percentage of the population would probably be disastrous. And given that the top marginal rate in the US only came below 70% in 1980, it would appear that every postwar president until Reagan was “far far left of what most people [today] consider to be reasonable”.

See this graph on the history of top US marginal rates: http://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/graph.jpg

]]> By: Owen C http://www.irisheconomy.ie/index.php/2009/04/16/piketty-on-ireland/#comment-5483 Owen C Fri, 17 Apr 2009 07:22:55 +0000 http://www.irisheconomy.ie/?p=1791#comment-5483 Please also note that Piketty is currently calling for a top tax band of 80%, not on the basis of it being able to generate additional income, but purely to discourage top execs from paying themselves too much. I'm all for a progressive tax system, but Piketty seems to be far far left of what most people consider to be reasonable. His arguments are more moral and political-based than economic. Please also note that Piketty is currently calling for a top tax band of 80%, not on the basis of it being able to generate additional income, but purely to discourage top execs from paying themselves too much. I’m all for a progressive tax system, but Piketty seems to be far far left of what most people consider to be reasonable. His arguments are more moral and political-based than economic.

]]> By: Mark Dowling http://www.irisheconomy.ie/index.php/2009/04/16/piketty-on-ireland/#comment-5450 Mark Dowling Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:38:33 +0000 http://www.irisheconomy.ie/?p=1791#comment-5450 The French deal with capital/jobs flight to Eastern Europe by ordering their corporations to bring the jobs home from there (see Renault). It's harder to tell multinationals to do this in the Irish context. The French deal with capital/jobs flight to Eastern Europe by ordering their corporations to bring the jobs home from there (see Renault). It’s harder to tell multinationals to do this in the Irish context.

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