My family was the 1%

reply to post by camaro68ss


you are exhibiting all symptoms of self-pity.

Why do we hate the 1%? They are not as rich as you think and are not Warren Buffet movers and shakers...

Occupy Wall Street protesters have been railing against the Top 1%, trying to raise anger and awareness of the growing economic gap between the rich and everybody else in America.
But just who are these fortunate folks at the top of the income ladder?
Well, there were just under 1.4 million households that qualified for entry. They earned nearly 17% of the nation's income and paid roughly 37% of its income tax.
Collectively, their adjusted gross income was $1.3 trillion. And while $343,927 was the minimum AGI to be included, on average, Top 1-percenters made $960,000.

Because they have money and influence? They grow rich from us. The ones typing right now. Using electricity..bandwith...materials... consumer goods...etc...and you are free purchase and use those items. Want to make a difference...stop...but you cannot, can you? We as consumers are programmed to want..need...and buy # we could live without.

The OP stated a good story about the American dream which is gone now...sad. Companies like his fathers will eventually have to sell to another larger organizations once they seem alienated and treading water.Then once all of the new contracts are signed, the large corporations file bankruptcy and then the smaller organizations like your fathers come in and clean up if they are still there, sub contracted through another group of investors to get their taste. It is organized crime at a legal level.

Many of us have family members who could be considered 1%. I know I have a few. Do you realize those people out there hate your relatives?

Originally posted by USAisdevil
reply to post by camaro68ss

 

you are exhibiting all symptoms of self-pity.

Once again, can you show me where I'm self-pitting? Because this threads about 1% and how not all CEOs are bad. Others wise stop trolling

Your family wasn't 1%. If you were that 1%, you'd never worry about money, ever. Why? Because they rig the system.

reply to post by camaro68ss


The system of benifits support needs to be shifted from the employer to the people themselves.

Why should an employer be forced to pay disability insurance, as well as healthcare for thier employee and then be expected to match the employees contribution to medicare and then on top of it all pay taxes to support the healthcare of state, local and federal workers when an all in one medical plan should in theory take care of all needs?

Oh wait that sounds like socialism.

My bad

But then I'm a thinking man

reply to post by camaro68ss


Sounds like your dad lived the American dream and worked hard to get where he wanted to be and succeeded. I'm pretty sure its stories like his that aren't the downfall of America, but rather he set a really good example of what hard work could get you, and that is honorable. He should be admired and respected. Let's hope things turn around again for all of us. Take care.

Originally posted by USAisdevil
reply to post by camaro68ss

 

you are exhibiting all symptoms of self-pity.

You're exhibiting the symptoms of jealousy.

If your father was truly part of the 1%, he wouldn't be losing his own money. He would be getting free money from the govt. (bailouts, contracts from inappropriate influence, subsidies, etc.) to cover any losses. The 1% didn't get there by using their own money, and they sure aren't losing any money now either.

reply to post by camaro68ss


If your dad wasn't so generous with the benefits, you'd probably have more cash to hedge against downturns, thereby retaining more people, no?

Originally posted by camaro68ss
well im sorry i did not understand your definition of top 1% being the top 400 familys. According to my calculations. There are 311 million Americans. Average family of 4. The top 1% of families would come out to 82,500 familys.

Looks like you dont even know what the hell your talking about.

Your math is way off. Top 1% means income-wise. Not equivalent to percentage of the total population.

Sorry, OP but you are not one of the "one percenters". I don't see how your adjusted gross income is anything near the oliarchs who control the country. This is why so many americans stick up for the elite because they mistakenly believe they are the 1 percent.

I think you need to sit back and think about reality and the false premise you have built up about yourself and family. I see your family is well off compared to most Americans while I just don't think you realize the difference of being well offf and being one of the oligarchs.

The 1% is just a figure of speech, nothing more than a catchy phrase.
1% of 300 million is 3 million and if there were that many snakes the world would have been doomed long ago. It's the top 0.01% that is the problem and perhaps even less than that.

Your father sounds like a good man. The benefits he gave to his employees and his hurt of having to let people go show he was a boss to seek, not to protest. I work in the construction industry and know how hard it has been hit. Huge companies are losing their bonding capacity, banks who were once willing to talk business are holding meetings before issuing letters of credit. Municipalities are broke, thus no contracts to bid. Value engineering, joint checks and lien waivers are all now part of business. Sorry guys, no turkeys this year.

I wouldn't say you are or were the 1% but I will say many probably despised you and your family for what you have, yet these are the people that want without earning. The whole 1% thing, I think has different definitions to different groups.

The kicker is that the 1% measure is related to income, and the super-rich don't have much of an income. They own companies that make money or cost money and they can use company assets, but they personally have expense accounts or something like an allowance. Personal property within reason is exempted from the death tax, and personal property within a mansion is far different than personal property within an apartment.

In silicon valley it's not difficult to occasionally hit a 1% household income ($343,927) (www.taxfoundation.org...). Take two salaries, stock trading, stock purchase plan, then change companies (which triggers employee stock decision points) and wham. Half of everything you made outside salary is taken by the government that 'protects you'. The money taken from you is guaranteed to fund something you feel strongly against. Banks, businesses with failed business plans, companies that outsource jobs, bigger guns and trucks for neighborhood cops, more pro-whitehouse propaganda, more military adventures overseas, agenda-driven politics and political careers, etc.

From what I see the OWS movement has no message and no direction, all I see is homeless camps, crime and troublemakers and a couple of bad cops.

OWS = Overwhelming Worldwide Stupidity

two

reply to post by camaro68ss


I am very active with OWS. Specifically in Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco. I want to quote you something real quick.

By "1%" we mean specifically those from an aristocracy who manipulate government in their own self-interests: the affluent "elite", the bankers, the corporations and the special interests who use their wealth and financial power as leverage to gain an unreasonable lobbying influence on government legislation and policies. They most often do this in ways that harm the common People.

source
Discussion of source

You and your family are not the "1%". You are part of the hard working Americans that are getting screwed by the "1%". I am sorry to hear about the struggles in your family. Your father sounds like a really good man. I wish you and your family the best of luck. We will do our best to try to right the wrongs of the "1%".

Your father seems like a very good dude.

But he's not in the 1%... he would have been a 1% (in behavior) if once it started going bad, he would have closed business, sold everything and took all the money with him, screwing all his employees.

He wouldn't have been part of the 1%, but he would have acted like one.

And really the 99% movement should have been named the 99.9% movement... because really it's the 0.1% screwing everybody else.

Originally posted by camaro68ss

Originally posted by Saltarello

Originally posted by camaro68ss

Originally posted by Saltarello
Simply put, NO, you are not, nor were, part of the 1%.
How does it feel to try and look "important" when you are really not?

Really bad i guess????......

Wow there are some mean people on ATS these days

Says the guy who paints himself as one of the top 400 families...when hes not...

well im sorry i did not understand your definition of top 1% being the top 400 familys. According to my calculations. There are 311 million Americans. Average family of 4. The top 1% of families would come out to 82,500 familys.

Looks like you dont even know what the hell your talking about.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?

Do you understand the difference between 1% of a population and the TOP 1% of a population?
Even a little?

Reply to post by Saltarello

You'kindlikconstandowner,huh?itnoreallcootoblikthat,contrartpopulabelief...


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Originally posted by USAisdevil
reply to post by camaro68ss

 

construction right? Russia expects infrastructure projects in the eastern zone.Also ,underground bunkers are a hot selling item among the russian elite and russian govt for civil defence.Bunker market is booming in Europe and USA too.

I suggest you study the Russian and the Brazilian markets. If you have experience in underground bunker designs ,possibility is you could win contracts from EMERCOM.

If you are in speciality housing,then I suggest you study the European russian metropolitan markets especially Skolovo.

Consult VTB or sberbank.

edit on 23-11-2011 by USAisdevil because: (no reason given)

I'm pretty sure building war bunkers for the Russians might get him arrested for treason....

but at least you offered some good advice.