American Wealth Inequality Represented Graphically (155,000,000 vs 400)

reply to post by AshleyD

not a clarification of what exactly you were trying to get at

What I'm trying to get at is crystal clear. An absurdly small number of people have more wealth than half a nation, which is completely insane. That's the point, nothing more, nothing less. My solution or remedy is already completely laid out in total detail in the thread I linked to.

In the eyes of another, everyone is the rich.

Yes, but that still doesn't justify the fact these people have more wealth than half of America. There certainly aren't any people in America (that we know of) who are richer than them. Some of them earn more wealth in a single day than most people earn in their entire lives. There simply is no "relative justification" here. The difference is beyond rationality and beyond comprehension. Of course I never expect true "equality", but I expect something at least remotely fair and equal, not astronomically absurd.

reply to post by boncho

I really think the graphic at the beginning of the thread is quite useless as all it does is show one symptom of a much larger issue.

Yes I can completely agree, there is a much larger issue which needs to be addressed, and if you read my last reply to you, you would already understand that I am aware of that. And in fact I have made posts about it before, such as the link labelled "money" and "bonds" in my signature. But this thread isn't about that, it's about actually showing people the result of this problem and that there is indeed a problem, and that the problem is truly immense. The next step is to understand the larger issues behind these problems, but as I said that's not the point of this thread. So stop trying to play down my post by side tracking the discussion into off topic areas and acting as if I'm missing the real point, when in fact I'm certainly not.

reply to post by AshleyD

There will always be inequality. And for every have-not, another have-not will be looking at them as the haves.

A perfect example of how powerfully naive postulates lead us off track...

Especially lacking in the true frame of reference.

reply to post by knowledgedesired


Do you think everybody is going to open the SAME business or what? Of course everyone can be in business for themselves. Some people will plant and sow and reap. Some will be glass artisans. Others will do carpentry. Others will repair appliances. Some will do pet grooming. Some will do landscaping. Some will install carpet. There are more than enough things that need doing for money, that there would be no problem if everyone had their own business. And if they bartered for each others services, there would be no income taxes to pay.

reply to post by Dustytoad


See the post above. Barter not Banker.

If the mafia owned half our country would we say they worked for it? If the Catholic church owned half our country would we say they earned it? Yet, if 400 robber barons own half we get their shills shouting how that is how it is supposed to be.

reply to post by ChaoticOrder


If everyone had $16,000, Big Macs would be $50, movie tickets for one would run about $300, and a new car would be a couple hundred grand. The equality standard is a fool's standard.

Here's how I see the problem, and how I think we can solve it. 1) Lack of financial and monetary education by the majority (the 155 million). Most people who blame the rich for all the evil in this world have no idea how to manage money, let alone make it work for them, so it's pure ignorance to say " Let's take (steal) from the rich (financially literate) and give to the poor (financially ignorant)." I guarantee you that within 1 to 2 years max, the rich would have not only all their money back, but more, and the poor would still be poor, simply because of financial education. 2) Government corruption through lobbyists. As long as lobbying is legal in this country, there will be corruption, simply because just like greedy wall street bankers, there are greedy politicians who care more about their pocket book than the good of the country and its people, and will therefore be purchased by money. By doing this, big money has the power to legalize what would otherwise, in some form, be considered illegal or illegitimate. 3) Inflation. Give everyone the same amount of money, and get ready for a temporary high inflation. 4) Fiat currencies die, sooner or later. The US dollar became 100% fiat in August 15, 1971 when then president Richard Nixon, with the stroke of a pen, severed the link between the US dollar and gold. Without that backing, the government literally got the green light to print into oblivion.

Solutions

1) Repeal the Banking Act of 1913 (the one that established the Federal Reserve Bank), arrest all the governors of the Federal Reserve branches, and try them under the Patriot Act for financial terrorism. This would send a clear message that the United States is back in business and justice is being done. The power for issuing money would go back to the congress, where it constitutionally belongs.

2) Financial education in public schools. As part of required learning, how to manage your money, how debt works, how cash flow works, and other important money management skills would have to become part of the curriculum in all three levels, elementary, middle, and high school.

But this is just my opinion. What do you think we should do to solve this crisis?

More to come...

Originally posted by burdman30ott6
reply to post by ChaoticOrder

 

If everyone had $16,000, Big Macs would be $50, movie tickets for one would run about $300, and a new car would be a couple hundred grand. The equality standard is a fool's standard.

That's simply not true.