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Originally Posted by JJRousseau
That is the rational thought but human beings aren't rational. I can't explain it, but a few million isn't enough for many people once they have achieved it. Haven't you noticed that the person who earns $10,000/year wishes he made $15,000 but the person who makes $100,000 wishes he made $150,000 and so on. Not rational at all.
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All of those people are still in the "we consume the majority of our income".
A strange thing happens as you leave the upper midde class -- and I'm including the average doctor+lawyer double-income person in the upper middle class. You start running into people who
don't consume the majority of their income.
Instead, they own investments.
To them, money is power. They don't earn money in order to spend money, they earn money in order to up their social status, or exercise power so their opinions are known.
At some point, money goes from being about resources, and becomes about who has more money than someone else. Yes, they want more money, but in a way different than most folk. The difference may or may not be as large as the difference in the desire for money in USA vs the 3rd world (where not having money is a death sentance).
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I spent two years roaming the halls of Ottawa because I wanted to matter - to have a positive effect - but you come to realize that the shit flows with or without you. First term politicians are there with the shield of naivety. The rest of them are there for the martini lunches - and might just fill their pockets on the way by. So, you saddle up to the bar - or get out.
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It is still true that Canada is far less corrupt than almost every nation in the world. And the same is true of most first world nations.
Thank you. =) I like to think of it as the motto of Market Socialism.
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Kurt Russell will be paying you a visit! 
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I missed the reference.
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It's far from a perfect idea. I simply embrace the philosophy of "Don't @@@@ with me, and I won't @@@ with you". It's not the way to run the world, just a consideration to be given when choosing from the range of what is practical.
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Ah -- all things being equal, the government which governs least governs best?
I just disagree that "all things being equal" is often true.
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It's interesting that most libertarians strongly discount Rousseau's Social Contract. I see the "Do unto others..." idea as just another angle of the "Don't do unto me..."
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"Each of us puts his person and all his power in common under the supreme direction of the general will, and, in our corporate capacity, we receive each member as an indivisible part of the whole."?
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Well I would be, but when it comes to selecting a new family vehicle, I must sacrifice considerable liberty in the name of marital harmony.
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=) You still are willing to work rather hard for the (collective) ownership of your car. The interesting part here is, you identify yourself with your family (to a certain extent, more than likely), so your family gaining ownership of your car will motivate you to make sacrafices and do things for other people (like, work).