Lifestyles of the rich and famous: Obscene wealth inequality at it's worst

reply to post by DeadSeraph


I didnt read thru your post.
By just seeing the pictures, I can feel how you and some sane people feel.

It reminds me on What Riches always tell us about The Secret of Being Rich: hardworking, opportunity, etc, which is full of contradicting #s.

If people see how the world works with healthy eyes, they will realize that the POORER the people the HARDER the works they have to do.

Invisible nested prisons.

Time for people to wake up and unite instead of opposing each other. Time to claim what everyone deserves: The Freedom.

peace.

Great examples of how obscene massive accumulation of wealth truly is.

All of the greatest atrocities committed by humanity can be traced to the insane desire for wealth and power.

According to the UN World Hunger and Poverty Facts, world agriculture production already creates enough food to feed the entire planet.

The only reason people are starving is because of widespread poverty. And the only reason that poverty still exists is because a cash economy of "have" and "have-nots" is the only machination that keeps people desperate enough to tolerate low pay and poor working conditions.

This illustrates EXACTLY what's wrong with the capitalistic paradigm. Not only is it a zero-sum game (i.e. more for me means less for you), but it provides a clear incentive for employers to oppress those working beneath them. Employers have a vested interest in keeping their employees despondent, because enforcing an artificial condition of economic dependency is exactly what allows these people to keep getting richer.

All employers WANT their workers poor and desperate, because the funny thing is, self-sufficient people who have resources enough to stand on their own two feet and options enough to let them walk away from a raw deal... well, they tend to not tolerate abusive BS from anyone, including their bosses.

(And it's no coincidence this is the exact same incentive corrupt governments have to keep people sucking at the welfare teat. And the exact same incentive that international banksters have to keep countries indebted. And...)

!reply to post by therealguyfawkes


I agree with you in this. So what is a possible, viable solution to current norms of Capitalism? Well...I like this one! It doesn't take a bloody revolution - merely a revolution in thought within the systems already in place.


Alvarado Street Bakery - Worker Owned Business

From the Wiki:

Alvarado is organized as a worker cooperative and each employee receives one share in the cooperative. The shares grant each employees an equal vote on business matters, including employee benefits, salaries and the reinvestment of profits.[2] As of 2009, more than half of the employees had been with the company for over 15 years and the average worker earned between $65,000 and $70,000 a year.[2]

Not bad, considering a comparison to other similar situations:

Great Harvest Bread Company: $14K - $29K (assuming full-time - these are all hourly workers)
Limited Salary Information - Great Harvest Bread Co

NY Times article: The Case for Worker Co-ops

The structure of companies may matter less than the political, institutional and cultural environment in which companies operate. The success of an individual species, after all, is largely determined by its place within a larger ecosystem.

And our ecosystem — of which our money economy is only a small part — is undergoing rapid transformation largely as a result of unhealthy forms of growth.

Frankly, the main reason I like worker-owned and -managed companies is largely ignored in the economics literature.

They could help develop the democratic institutions and collaborative skills we need to manage our planet better, along with the plants we grow and build on it.

All of the people in the OP are "successes" due to operating in a rigged market.

If the citizens had a currency worth something they could conduct a market between themselves. Instead they are forced to play the intentionally built to lose hand in the rigged market.

Spookybelle

Eventually you will start dictating what people can eat, how they can dress, and how they should live.

No thanks!

Like we dictate who we murder or not, who we can steal from or not and how fast we can drive or what chemical we dump into the sea!


There has to be rules somewere and the trick is getting the right balance!


Just cause we force some of the ruthless greedy bastards at the top to do there "part" for socity doesnt mean it has to evolve to a USSR/North Korea system.

But I guess you love living under the rule of a super rich elite. Your not diffrent than a serf.

Spookybelle


I don't know of any rich people purposely targeting groups of people for the sole purpose of keeping them poor.

Politicians? Bankers?

Why do people care what someone else does with their own money and how they live?
We are always worrying about the other person this is why many people in this country fail.

Jealousy and envy will only feed your hate.

"The system", whether it's in the US, India and now also in Russia, WORKS ONLY when a small numbers of elites exploit large numbers of poor.

This is the system we live in.

We not only live in this system, we actively SUPPORT it. We live in a society where people are so incredibly brainwashed that a policy like tax cuts for the rich and corporates are believed to solve all OUR problems. (Because WE ARE TOLD that wealthy people and corporates must actually be even MORE rich and more profitable because WE ARE TOLD that those are the ones who will bring prosperity [eg. by employing people] to the rest of us)

We are also actively supporting the system by silently accepting that it's ok to work for little money to make the wealthy more profit...as long as we can meet bare ends and keep up with our credit card bills. In fact, we are "grateful" when we even have a job.

We also support the system when we drive and fill up our tanks so that the super-rich in saudia Arabia can get gold plated 747s and build skyscraper cities in the desert - from OUR money because we are the ones buying their oil.

Note:

"Keeping them poor"

You have to wonder though, would you do the same being born rich and having that much money? You would not have the same views as you do now.

thesaneone
Why do people care what someone else does with their own money and how they live?
We are always worrying about the other person this is why many people in this country fail.

Jealousy and envy will only feed your hate.

I dont care if someone has a big house ot two of a 100ft yacht or own a big buisness (I Know a few)

My problems if people hording billion and buying hundred of houses and owining dozens of yachts.

Thats money vannishing and being pissed away while people starve.

That money not comeing down the larder.

Plus money = Power and no human should have that much power.

I mean look at the state things are.

reply to post by crazyewok


But if they do buy dumb items won't that money go back into the system?

thesaneone
Why do people care what someone else does with their own money and how they live?
We are always worrying about the other person this is why many people in this country fail.

Jealousy and envy will only feed your hate.

I'm not jealous or envious. I don't want their stuff or their money. I only want them to suffer for what they did to the rest of us.

reply to post by Junkheap


Please don't blame others for our own lazy ways and bad spending habits.
I believe in personal accountability If I fail I can only blame myself.
It's up to us to make our own way.

boncho
A free market allows small businesses to prosper, which they haven't in the west for at least 50 years. So no, no free market here.

It takes a ridiculous amount of capital just to run a business today, and most of the profit is in loopholes and tax write offs, which is done by executive accountants and financial advisors, private banking, etc.

you want to see small businesses thrive? do away with the entire stock market that allow already large successful businesses to become even larger in turn snuffing out any chance small businesses have to succeed.

I know that may be a naive view of things, but i do believe that these (esssentially) faceless companies represented by share holders somewhere is what drives businesses to forget and furthermore not care about the well being of the common man. Everything is driven by the mighty dollar and profits. Jobs are shipped away for cheaper wages, quality of products have declined and the list goes on. No one is responsible for the outcome or cares as long as the share holders are making their money.

Anyways, probably not worded to make the most sense, but i dont have much time to elaborate here...lunch time is over..back to work.

thesaneone
reply to post by crazyewok

 

But if they do buy dumb items won't that money go back into the system?

But the people that buy the dumb item uselally buy the items off other dumb mega rich while the worker that make the items work for minimal wage or worse in sweat shop conditions with no hope of ever being able to reach such a high level.

Plus its the the whole power thing. Money does bring power you cant deny that. And someone with that sort of wealth can squish you or me like bugs. That toos much power for any humans to have! And once a small group of people hold that much power they will keep eveyone else down.


I want a system with high social mobility and potential for everybody. I dont mean free hand outs, but a fair playing field were anyone who has smarts or works hard can make something of themeselfs and it free from the tyranny of a few billionairs. There is enough weath in the world for that so it just a case of how best to do that?

thesaneone

I believe in personal accountability

So why does that apply to us and not to "them" ?

Is there a cut off point to personal accountability where if you earn so much your free do to do what the hell you like?


Sorry but alot of the bankers, Traders and politicians were involved in corrupt/ Illegal and dam right reckless actions. Action that if I did I would end up paying HUGE life ruining fines that would result in most my stuff being taken away and most likley prison. So if I would have to suffer that then so should those at the top that caused the finical crash and have also dodged billions of taxes. Responsibility works both ways damit!

reply to post by crazyewok


I hear what you are saying but my point is we would be happier if we only worried about ourselves.

reply to post by DeadSeraph


Why the hell do people need a house with 100 rooms when there are homeless people out there dying? Makes me sick, we should publicly execute anyone who profits off the suffering of others.

reply to post by Evanzsayz


Really? That was dumb comment.

Lets execute anyone with hair because I'm bald.