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Yes it is, at this high level of generality.

I think you're misunderstanding the terms. 'Equality under the law' means the same rules for everyone. As an example, say speeding tickets are $100. This is more burdensome to a low earner than a high earner. Equality under the law = unequal personal outcomes because of individual differences.

 

Your attributing it to this generation is lazy though, or more vocal, or stamping there feet and not wanting to play or something. Statistics shows a decline in male workforce participation. Reasons why are anecdotal at best.

You want more labor participation? Here's an idea...raise the wages lol. The laziest mofo on the planet will empty garbage bins for $100k a year.

If there's a decline in labor participation, it's that people don't feel like they get enough value out of working, simple as that. Maybe the younger generation values being dead moreso than making $30k a year as a pilot carrying $100k in student debt.

 

I can't pick one or the other because as they both currently sit, they are flawed options. I want different/better/more equitable laws. I also believe that penalties should be awarded with consideration to individual circumstances.

In your example, a simple speeding ticket should probably be handled based on income. But if either driver kills someone by speeding and driving drunk, the punishment should be the same. You know, the common sense element that seems to be so lacking. It's no secret rich people can buy themselves preferable outcomes.

What's that cliche? If the penalty for a crime is a fine, then that law only exists for the lower class.

Case in point: SEC and their fines. The rule breakers build the fines into the cost of doing business, while admitting neither innocence nor guilt. THAT'S what needs fixed.

 

I think we are back on a contested point here, that the reason people are less industries is that the cost of family stability (the inflation of goods, housing costs, and especially medical care) has risen much faster than wages, coupled with the fact that uniquely in america health care coverage is tied to your employment, people have relatively less mobility and flexibility to be industrious than they did say 40 or 50 years ago. Its pretty hard to put in 50 hours a week starting your own business when you have also do at least 32 hours a week just to get medical coverage and pay your mortgage, and possibly student loan debt, all of which is relatively costing you more than more than it would have 40 years ago. I dont really see how its that much of a contested idea though. The numbers are all easy to see, wages have not kept up with inflation or the increased value of worker productivity. Its just a simple economic fact that it is harder (costs more, i.e. takes more time) to buy certain things to advance yourself financially now than it was a few decades ago.

 

I think part of his argument was, "it's always been difficult." And that very well may be true. But today's kids have access to so much more information. Whereas our parents might have just accepted that's how the world works, and soldiered on through, today's generation might be looking at it as the flawed system it is and saying, "wait a minute, why should we put up with this when we're obviously getting screwed?"

 

Right. That's my point in totality.

There is evidence that the protestant work ethic:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_work_ethic

Led to previous generations valuing work independently of compensation, or at least less sensitive to it.

Simplified: Previous generations were willing to work harder for less.

I'm not judging that as right or wrong, I think it simply explains the growing discontent in an unchanged situation.

 

thats also partly why millennials and gen z are "less industrious". We are looking at this system with all the information we have and are all thinking "fuck this, its designed to trap us and suck time and money out of mostly everyone and in return give you a shred of happiness for all your hard work" People realize they would rather put in the minimum effort and actually enjoy their lives instead of chase the rat race for the slim chance you make it big and get rich. its just not worth it. I know I and many others my age think the same way. We're all "less industrious" because its just not worth it, we'd rather enjoy our youthful years before the world is destroyed by the relentless need for growth and income. Its depressing, because your choices are a. grind through your 20s and 30s to maybe get some semblance of financial stability and in result be indebted to the capitalist machine or b. enjoy the best years of your life but wind up un able to buy a house because you literally have to make 100k to be able to actually afford one.

i realize this sounds like a "boohoo woe is me i dont want to work hard" sob story but thats just not it. People want to put in the work and want to buy them selves some stability but when you look at the reality of what it takes/costs today, you really just kind of sit back and go "that just looks sad and miserable"

sooo, everyone is finally waking up and realizing they have been taken advantage of for how many years? whats the point? confirming that it is in fact a little bit bull shit?

 

Previous generations were far more religious and had access to much less actionable information.

The less religious and higher educated one is, I'd assume correlates towards more open world views. Long story short, I think tha youths have finally figured out the system is entirely rigged against them at every step of the way and they've had enough of it. I, for one, am happy for them. But I also like my house and air conditioning, so I keep working and bitch about it online.

 

Mother Nature trying to ruin my ribs.

 

Say its 5% of income. Still more burdensome for low earners, because high earners can cope with financial burden better in *every* situation.

This ignores that creating greater penalties for the economically successful (think high taxation on business owners) discourages the behaviors that create economic success - and that DOES hurt everyone equally.

 

Careful with those assumptions. I know plenty of quietly religious, highly educated, open minded people.

 

I haaaaaaaaateeeee that argument. "muh job creators!" It's a sick argument that perpetuates the very issues affecting the labor participation rates.

Imagine if there was no EPA, FAA, FDA. Plenty of companies would LOVE to go back to dumping sludge in the rivers. Individuals are completely and entirely expendable to corporations. You think your job wouldn't fire you in an instant if they needed to cut you for the sustainability of the business? Simping for big corporations is disgusting.

 

I can't reply to this while keeping the conversation within the rules, so I'll have to just let this one go.

 

we're so civilized here

 

The truth is not especially interested in whether you like it.

https://www.nationalreview.com/2015/12/counterproductive-corporate-taxation/

 

Propaganda. Who owns the news media? Who owns the capital? Of course they're gonna lobby for what's in their best interest lol.

 

Ireland is a complete outlier in the sphere of corporate tax rates, look who its neighbors are at the bottom of the list. If every fortune 500 company moves to ireland to avoid us taxes, well congrats to ireland, their plan to under cut the competition worked. Something tells me that every company will in fact not move their HQ to ireland.

might as well move it to Barbados to really get the most bang for your buck

 

Whenever someone posts something like this I wonder if they realize that no economist or policy maker has ever advocated for trickle down and that it's entirely a strawman creation:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trickle-down_economics

 

It's why the rich offshore their money and why basically every US corp is registered in Delaware. Capitalism gonna capitalist. Corporations and individuals will always seek to keep most of their money by exploiting any loophole available. It's why Billy G has his charitable fund setup to launder money and dodge taxes. People saying it's for "job creation" are delusional.