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*Smiles* I don't see it as a single pie. I am not an eighteenth-century economist; I do not see it in zero-sum terms.
The comment about the wealth of America 120 years ago was simply in response to UT's comment.
If the wealthiest are taxed at a higher level and those taxes used to 'raise' the condition of the poorest then that has changed the picture.That is not a case of redistributing a fixed and immutable sum. If a minimum wage prevents the more unscrupulous employers from undervaluing their workforce, then that has changed the picture. As with unions, it has reduced the 'power' of the wage-payer, and raised the status of the wage-earner.
There will never be total economic, or indeed social equality. But the balance can (and should in my opinion) be altered. The gap will never be closed, but it can be narrowed. In order for the working-classes to increase their power and standing, it is, in my opinion, necessary to reduce the power and standing of the employers.
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