A Limit on Maximum Wealth Must Be Implemented In Canada. Now is the time for the Canadian Robin Hood to step up, and take away from the rich to give to the poor before it’s too late. The inequalities between the rich and poor citizens are so obscene already, and yet still rising quickly. As Karl Marx puts it, “accumulation of wealth at one pole is, therefore, at the same time, accumulation of misery, the torment of labour, slavery … at the opposite pole.” According to Forbes magazine, in 2007, twenty three Canadians were billionaires. This means, their wealth is considered to be over one billion dollars each. Compare this to the fact, that in the same year, CBC News estimated Canada’s homeless population to be somewhere between 200,000 and 300,000 people. These are people who cannot afford the bare minimum. A meager amount, of just a couple hundred dollars a month in rent would be sufficient enough to provide them with a bed to sleep on at night. That being said, an important question arises. How much wealth would one need, in order to be happy? One million? Hundred million? One billion? It is believed by Daniel Gilbert, professor of psychology at Harvard University, that once basic needs such as food and shelter are met, the rest are little increments which have little effect on an individual’s level of happiness. You might be surprised to hear, but research determined that to “buy happiness” one would need just 40,000 dollars per year. A bundle of happiness could be gained, if only the billionaires weren’t so greedy. For example, does anyone really need a two million dollar car? I don’t think so. It’s time to put an ultimatum for the uber-wealthy. Share it or lose it.
Of course, as with any argument there are those who disagree. Milton Friedman is one of them. He supports the theory that a maximum wealth limit policy will reduce the incentive to