There is no movement from the left on tax hikes. They don't want to be accused of tripping and falling. A religious belief can't be used as an excuse for inaction.
What is right and just? When it comes to this age-old subject, it's back in the news. There are two things to be concerned about right now. In addition, there is a national debt that's out of control. As part of a multi-billion-dollar investment in the country's armed forces and climate protection, as well as the relief of high energy costs, the German government has committed more than 200 billion euros.
This is just a brief summary of the current fiscal year's costs. The expense of housing and caring for the Ukrainian migrants is yet unknown.
Only the most naive people believe that every crisis will lead to growth and that debt would immediately be lowered by a rise in the economy's output. You can't expect any of the intersecting crises to be short-lived: supply delays, food shortages, sales issues, and skyrocketing energy costs. In the absence of any evidence to the contrary, assuming that the economy will soon revive is akin to blind faith.
The challenge of intergenerational fairness is accentuated by the enormous national debt. Can the current generation of people accept the near limitless ability to incur debt if they severely restrict the alternatives available to future generations?
By the end of April, 2021, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled that elements of the German Climate Protection Act were unconstitutional. Among the reasons offered was that too much CO2 reductions would be deferred into the future. Future generations will be harmed by this. Even while this resolution focuses on climate change, the notion of fairness is applicable to many other issues.
The rise in prices, or inflation, is the second issue on the list. It has risen by 7.3% in the last year, the largest annual growth in 40 years. Economists point out that everything is becoming more and more costly, whether it veggies, butter, flowers, or gasoline. Robert Habeck, the country's economics minister, predicts that "we will grow poorer."
Social inequality rises because of this. Those who are impoverished or who are on the verge of becoming poor will be in a precarious position. The number of crew members on your second boat may have to be reduced if you are wealthy but going a bit poorer. There are a wide range of outcomes even when the inflation rate is the same.
Flat energy rates from the federal government have compounded the issue of justice. Despite the rising levels of poverty among the elderly, the poorest pensioners get nothing. Despite the already widening income difference in Germany, the same amount of money is distributed to high and low earnings. Treating everyone the same is unfair. That eliminates any distinctions.
Inflation and public debt have a particularly negative impact on young people and the impoverished. As a result, they should have precedence in the political debate. Additional anti-inflationary measures will be implemented in accordance with necessity rather than the watering can theory.
So the ruling alliance of Greens and FDP faces a touchy issue: tax rises. Since iron is a liberal wall. They don't want to be accused of tripping and falling. Dogma, on the other hand, is no replacement for sound judgement in matters of politics.
Example: The top executive at a multinational corporation makes nearly one hundred times the salary of an intensive care nurse at Corona Regional Medical Center's trauma centre. Why not ask the wealthiest one percent of society to pay a bit more to the funding of governmental responsibilities than they have in the past?
Large riches, regardless of how they were made or how they were obtained, are under scrutiny if a multiple crises like this threatens to separate society. As a human being, we all crave justice. Justice has always been a major concern for social democratic leaders. This is a custom that needs to be revisited as soon as possible.