There is no finite wealth. For instance, I bought a house for $125,000, I have added lanscaping, pavers, terraced areas on hillsides, new sod, etc. My hard work, now my house is worth $350,000 and with an additon has 2,800 sq. ft. Hmm, this is only in the last 7 years. Some is due to inflation, but a lot is due to my hard work. People CREATE wealth through inovation, invention, and hard work. Lazy communists say it is because there is finite wealth and it has to be shared (forced through taxation or outright taking from the rich). I also have saved through my 402-k and other savings and hard work over 37 years for my retirement. Now me and my wife have a net worth of $1,100,000 ready for retirement. My pay is a arount $27 an hour now. I started my job 37 years ago making $4.15 per hour. I am 59. Someone on minimum saving 10% of their income can be a millionare in 35 years with simple interest. Two married people on minimum wage can have a decent living, yet save over time. One can build, make, farm, etc. use their inventiveness, and obtain wealth.
I know of a guy who took old mining equipment, and rebuilt it, then leased the mining equipment out to mining companies out west. He started making over $1 million a year leasing this rebuilt equipment. He knew mechanics and hydraulics, and spent his off hours from a regular mining job to rebuild this old abandoned equipment. Resourceful.
Hard work, good ideas, new inventions, all are rewarded if we are allowed to do so and not have to give up our harded earned profits.
Knowing how repair your air condition, furnace, build a room, repair plumbing, etc, one can save a lot of money. If one doesn't know how to do something, there are a lot of good books. Everything is in a book somewhere.
Japan has no natural resources, but their hard working people, willingness to change, invent, etc, they have the 3rd largest economy in the world. Same with other countries who use capitalism.
The Soviet Union tried pure communism and it didn't work. China tried, and until they started allowing capitalism, they were kept down.
America grew rich and powerful with capitalism, and private ownership of property, mineral rights, etc. Mexico had a standard of living about equal to the US in 1925, but with socialism and state ownership of mineral rights, kept their standard of living down.
As long as our economy GROWs, it raises all boats like a rising tide. TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT IS THE PROBLEM.
We had good laws regulating capitalism, but when government tinkers too much, it messes things up.
