First you'd have to establish what a happier society is. Happier in what way? Longer lives? More products? Eating whatever you want? And happier individuals doesn't necessarily mean a happier society as a whole.

Even if you reach consensus on the definition of a happy society you will still run into issues when you discuss the ways to realize this utopia. The most basic issue is motivation. What motivates people to work, to invent, to excel? Some will argue it's intrinsic to every person, others will say it's driven by rewards. And even if you reach agreement on this, what about differences between people? Not everyone can contribute the same way to society. In a perfectly equal society you benefit by hiding your talent so you don't have to work hard. In an unequal one you profit by exploring your talent.

Personally I believe income from work shouldn't be taxed heavily. However, income from other sources should be taxed as high as possible. I strongly believe people should be rewarded for their talents. Crawling out of the vagina of a rich person isn't a talent.

@HLRN<em>
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<em>"Income from work shouldn't be taxed heavily. However, income from other sources should be taxed as high as possible. - Crawling out of the vagina of a rich person isn't a talent."</em>

Wonderful line of thought! Work all your life but don't even <em>think</em> of leaving your kids anything - after all, it<em></em>'s a lot fairer to have the government steal your life's earnings than it being given to your children... lol.

That logic implies that richer people are more happy then poor people. I have my doubts.

Richness is not much related to happiness.

BUT poorness IS related to LACK of happiness.

Don;t forget that a poor person does not have the tools necessary to stick to a good

plan for their life, and that in many talented people is a CAUSE of un-happiness.

In any case are we sure that the rich always steals from the poor?

I am not much interested in 'everybody being rich', but I am interested in

'NOBODY being poor' which are two completely different things.

Now I have to go to my yacht club, there is a meeting. Sorry, I must leave.

I think you get it from the 3 previous comments, that the connection between rich and happy is only a false fiction good for a commercial publicity.