Let me be plain: a society that allows one man to hoard the wealth of a nation while others struggle is not a just society. An individual holding such a fortune is a policy failure. In a world with finite resources, such fortunes should not exist. This concentration of riches is a concentration of power. We ask that you establish a principle: that all wealth above a generous threshold be returned to the people through a near-total tax. Furthermore, essential assets he controls, like the kingdom's largest mines, should be broken up and returned to the public trust, ensuring they serve all citizens, not just one man's ambition.
The Wealth of a Nation
A proposal to cap or heavily tax extreme wealth sparks a debate: is there a limit to how much one person should have?
Chapter I: The Account
The Facts
1
A single nobleman's personal wealth has grown to exceed the kingdom's annual treasury.
2
His empire is a primary source of employment for a large part of the population.
3
A popular movement is proposing to either cap or apply an extreme tax to individual wealth beyond a certain point.
4
The level of such a cap or tax, and its legality, are completely unprecedented.
The Full Account
Lord Valerius, a man of humble origins, has built an economic empire of unprecedented scale, with a personal fortune now exceeding the Crown's own annual treasury. His network of mines and foundries employs a tenth of the kingdom. In response to his rise, a movement led by the People's Tribune has proposed a 'wealth limit.' The proposal suggests that any personal fortune beyond a certain, yet-undetermined point should either be seized by the Crown, or be subject to a near-total tax rate, perhaps as high as 99%. The collected funds would be used for public works. The Tribune's movement is gaining traction, forcing a kingdom-wide debate.
Chapter II: The Arguments
Accuser:
The People's Tribune
Defendant:
Lord Valerius, Industrial Magnate
I built my fortune within the laws of this kingdom, risking everything on ventures that have enriched us all. My success has created tens of thousands of jobs and funded innovations that will define our future. This proposal, born of envy, seeks to punish ambition. A 99% tax is a seizure, and now the Tribune speaks of breaking up my life's work. They are no longer talking about taxes; they are talking about outright theft and the dismantling of our kingdom's economic engine. This is not justice; it is a revolutionary's call for ruin.
Chapter III: Your Deliberation
Should the kingdom limit extreme personal wealth, and if so, should it be through a hard cap or a punitive tax rate on fortunes above a certain threshold?
0 deliberating
47 judged