How redistribution of wealth works... and why what we need is restoration of wealth.

[Capitalocracy]

Step 1. People with money finance the election system and offer back-end incentives for politicians to do what they want. You can't get elected without their money, if you give them what they want while in office, they give you a cushy job for millions of dollars a year when you leave office.

Step 2. Massive government contracts are handed out to these donors. They become even wealthier because of them. Also, the minimum wage remains stagnant and well below the cost of living, people are required to spend every penny on health care or die, and a system of deregulation combined with too big to fail lets big banks take all profits but makes the taxpayer pay for any major losses.

Step 3. Tax code is essentially written by the lobbyists hired by these rich people and corporations, filled with loopholes for them and secret costs transferred to the rest of us. Then the rich can keep complaining about their high tax rate, while actually paying a lower percentage than the rest of us.

End result? The wealth that the majority owns, controls, and produces, is taken from them by the government under the control of rich donors and corporations, and shoveled into the coffers of the already rich. You have a milkshake, and I have a milkshake, and you have a straw, and I have a straw, and my straw goes aaaaaaall the way across the room, and I drink your milkshake. I drink it all up.

This is how wealth redistribution works. What we need now is a little wealth restoration back to the people who produce that wealth.

[guruoo]

1. 'A public union employee, a tea party activist, and a CEO are sitting at a table

with a plate of a dozen cookies in the middle of it. The CEO takes 11 of the cookies,
turns to the tea partier and says, 'Watch out for that union guy. He wants a piece of your cookie.'

[Capitalocracy]

2. I love that one

it's funny because it's true

[raccoon]

3. Well said!

"You can't get elected without their money, if you give them what they want while in office, they give you a cushy job for millions of dollars a year when you leave office."

And if you DON'T give them what they want while in office, you won't have a second term, for sure.

Not only that, the powerful interests will "deal around you," as with fictional Florida governor Clinton Tyree.
See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2067394