Income Distribution in USA - Chart and Graph

Heres the article I got this from - Article

This chart shows that the poorest 90 percent of Americans make an average of $31,244 a year, while the top 1 percent make over $1.1 million

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According to this chart, most income groups have barely grown richer since 1979. But the top 1 percent has seen its income nearly quadruple:

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And this chart suggests most Americans have little idea of just how unequal income distribution is. And that they'd like things to be divvied up a lot more equitably:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/7519f34166a9.jpg[/atsimg]

Just a little bit of a gap I believe.

Anyways, I just thought it would be interesting to share these.

Just goes to show you that the only way we'd want it 'the way we want it' would be to eliminate the entire upper 1% by force.

Watch the world go round.

Well I'm in the poorest 90%wonder of wonders.Never had much and never will have much.I'm not rich but I'm honest.Nice post S&F

This video is another great illustration:

It's too band that most Americans have been led to believe that income redistribution = socialism.

It's the Top 1% that's leading these sheep to oppose the very thing that could level the playing field.

I would like to hear your excuses as to why your on the bottom.

So you think that since I'm in the top 1% I should share what I've worked hard for with you? What have you people done to improve your income?

reply to post by topdog30

so are you really in that top one percent....or are just some wannabe that sees the need to protect all that wealth if you ever achieve it??

I'm not even in the mean, I am lower than that. I pay taxes on every cent I make, not even bush's tax cuts cut any of my tax obligations, just delayed them. that one percent gets most of their income from investments. what were those tax cuts mostly centered on? capital gains tax, investment taxes I do believe???
why do big business like carnival cruise pay less in taxes than I do?
and, well....then my question is....
why is part of my taxes probably going to keeps a portion of carnival cruise's employees and their families sheltered, fed, healthy, and basically happy??

bill gates and his buddies can make all the money they want really. but I think that it's really disgusting that employed people, working 40 or more hours a week, are having to accept funds that are taking from their neighbor's paychecks...who are just scrapping by themselves....in order to keep their families in the game!!!
carnival cruise and other big companies can't give all their employees a livable wages...
they aren't taxed at the same rate as me either, and don't want to be....
we, the common taxpayer ends up footing the bill to keep their employees alive...
and the bills gates' of the world get to reap the big profits of the companies' "best year ever" record profits!!!

that is what has to change!!!

reply to post by dawnstar


Yes I'm really in that top 1%. Nice cheap shot by the way.

So why are you below the mean?

Originally posted by topdog30
reply to post by dawnstar

 

Yes I'm really in that top 1%. Nice cheap shot by the way.

So why are you below the mean?

If he posts his, you should too. You know, to show that not once in your life you had an advantage that you weren't responsible for. Maybe parents paying for college, hookup in the family business, that sort of thing (not saying you did, but many do) Whole life story, please.

I'm below the mean because I chose to fight for you and the rest of the 1% instead of going right to college. Tell me you worked harder than me topdog. Do you want to share with me?

The disparity is so large because money makes money.

Once you have money as long as you arent grossly irresponsible you cant ever really stop making money and your worth grows exponentially.

I make less than that average of the 90% there and even in just the past few years that I have made a conscious effort to save just 20% every week my worth has grown exponentially.

My savings today is astronomical compared to my savings just 5 years ago.

By the time of my death my total 'estate' should be sizeable barring any catastrophic events or spat of recklessness at which point whatever the government doesnt steal from my corpse will be granted to my children. If they continue my path of frugality and responsibility my family should be out of the 90% group within one generation.

The trouble is people make mistakes. People without money, with no understanding of money, makes these mistakes all the time. They use saved funds for new cars or inheritances get blown on big TV's and McMansions and they wind up right back in that 90% lump.

You want out of the 90% lump live well below your means and teach your children to follow suit saving every cent and only spending on absolute necessities or go out and increase your means.

I live largely without electricity and fuel. I never eat out. My food bill is something like $50 a month. My 15 year old used car was bought with cash and even though I have a car I still walk or bike everywhere I can when I can.

I live like a bum in a cardboard box and my savings grows and grows and me earning less than 30K a year will live to see a bankbook of over 1 million pretty easily. I can go out and get a new Mustang, a big house, a big TV, all sorts of gadgets and gizmos and spend a week rolling high in Vegas. But I wont. Because that would be counterproductive.

What happens to my efforts once my kids get a hold of it is another story altogether.

I find this poor wishing wealth thing is a lot like addiction. The addict says they want to stop using but they rarely do. Because they dont want to put the work in. If you really want wealth you'll get it. Bitching for a handout or making pariahs out of people who have something you want isnt going to satisfy your wishes. It's just going to embolden bad attitudes and bad behaviors.

I don't want anything money. I want out of the whole money system. I want to be part of a simple barter system. I would be elated right only I could have freedom from money.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

I have lived on less resources than the gov't gives out to the poor for most of my life.
when your income doesn't cover the basic necessities, the gov't is taking money from you so your neighbor down the street can have a better lifestyle than you do, and you see the proper thing to do is lower your income so you can receive handouts, well....I think the most improper thing to do is to put the bills one hold, borrow from peter and forget to pay paul...and put the money into a bank account that is paying squat for interest!!!

but the way, just this week, one of the guys I work with got ticked off because he made two dollars too much and lost his food stamps, so he called in sick the next two days.....
a girl I worked with up in new york knew just how many hours overtime she could take before she would lose her son's subsidized healthcare....and she never, ever worked more hours!
and well, in the next few coming weeks, I can expect my boss to sit down with me and well, figure out just how many hours I can work, that won't go over the benefit amount set by the unemployment office. if we work this out right, I can make $49 dollars over that amount!!!
gee.......I just can't wait to see his face when I tell him I am not interested, that if things were set right, well, we wouldn't have to be having the discussion to begin with!!! but, I can trade one dollar in for $50 us taxpayer supplied taxdollars!!! oh, I am so excited!!!
wtf!!!!!

reply to post by devildogUSMC


That's the ideal way. Trouble is as long are there is a government that imposes taxes we are required to earn an income to pay those taxes which in turn subjects to even more taxes.

We either have to play in the game all the guys with the guns and jails set up or we have to get rid of the guys with the guns and jails to end the game once and for all.

Taking this into account those who argue back and forth about wealth distribution and "social justice" are simply perpetuating the game that keeps us all slaves to the tax scheme.

Like those arguing about same-sex marriage. Rather than call for government to get out of personal relationships altogether they stay within the game and the end result of their cause whether it be one of winning their non-issue or losing their non-issue is more government control. The people who set up the game win again regardless of the outcome.

Kill the dungeon master to escape the dungeon.

Originally posted by devildogUSMC
I don't want anything money. I want out of the whole money system. I want to be part of a simple barter system. I would be elated right only I could have freedom from money.

If you don't want money then don't take food stamps and tax refunds and free handouts that are paid for by forcibly taking away money from people who actually want to make money.

reply to post by dawnstar


Gotta love it.

Trouble with gaming the system like that is you're still locked into a certain caste. Even if you're making out short-term. Climbing out and beyond the layer of benefits to self-sustainability takes sacrifice short-term for long-term gain. But it's a risk like everything else. If that long-term path isnt followed for whatever reason you end up back at the bottom all over again.

I hate how the "benefits" are structured to reward stagnation and unrealized potential but that's government for ya.

This is what free market systems do.

They turn control over to the bankers who suspend the laws of supply and demand, and reinstate feudalism.

In a true market system, price is set by supply and demand, and the people who create the goods and services control most of the wealth.

In a free market system, the banking elites control almost all of the wealth.

in a truly free market system, no basic healthcare proceedure would cost more than I make in a year....since welll, everyone would have to pay that high price!! most don't have to, so well, the prices are outrageous, and those who end up having to, well, they are screwed!! the good ole us or a preferred method of rationing.....don't ration out the poor, na, ration out those that are mixed in amoung the little better offs....
and what I just said goes for more than just healthcare, it's every necessity that the gov't helps the poor out with. it's interesting that these necessities aren't figured into the inflation numbers......and seem to be hit the hardest by inflation....
these prices wouldn't be sustainable if there weren't so many gimmicks around to take the bite out of the costs!

Originally posted by topdog30
I would like to hear your excuses as to why your on the bottom.

So you think that since I'm in the top 1% I should share what I've worked hard for with you? What have you people done to improve your income?

topdog30 perhaps the reason some if not the majority of us that are in the lower end of the spectrum is we have not had the opportunities PROVIDED to US that the ultra wealthy have for the most part. Many in that end of the chart are born into wealth! They have every opportunity handed to them such as the finest clothes,cars,schools,and yes jobs. You can deny it it all you want but, it is the truth. You will never know what it is like to have to pay for a college education yourself and have to repay that loan for the next 20 years of your life. You will never know what it is like to have to hold down 2 jobs to make sure your children have enough food,school items,clothing,etc. or to have to be late on one bill to pay another one and back and forth every month because your pay scale is SO,SO,SO drastically different from say a manager above you. You will never know what it is like to have an employer freeze all employee raises because of economics all the while prices for everything keep going up exponentially! Yet the CEO's and upper management positions continue to receive very large BONUSES!. This is the stuff that you in the 1% of the country who control 90% of all the money will never feel! This is the stuff that is going on not just in this country, but across the world!
Have no fear though....with all the protests and change being forced! A global awakening is happening! And the arrogant 1% are going to be forced to pay their FAIR share soon! Watch and see it unfold!.

Personally some of us are below the mean because (GASP!) we don't let our world revolve around money and or materialism. Some of us have higher goals in life.
And the rest maybe their lesson on this earth does not include having money. Their lesson may be to learn how to survive. Remember whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger.