Posted by Estella on May 10, 2006, at 6:28:27
In reply to Re: Estella » Estella, posted by Sobriquet Style on May 10, 2006, at 5:30:22
> That caught my eye too with the number of billionaires, although 249 is a very small number of individuals compared to the American population as a whole, it is still a very big number compared to other countries internationally.
Yes. And it is the top 10% that has over half the wealth of the whole country... Those people average something like 14 million in wealth (which is thought to be a more accurate assessment than net worth because some individuals come up in negative wealth because of huge debt). Those people could be taxed so that they would still be in the top 10% and there could still be the current hierarcy within that to 10% and yet... Bobby wouldn't have to worry about benefits to his descendants. There could be a good quality of free healthcare... housing... education... housing... for all citizens of the usa. you know... the minimum wage could even be raised so that it would be possible to meet ones basic needs and the basic needs of you and your dependent family...
> i've heard that you can live a very comfortable life if you do well in America - financially/materially -
yes. the american dream... especially given the exchange rate. i mean... imagine being a billionare in NYC. i can just see the inner city apartment. the limos... the plays and shows... the lifestyle... or in california... a hollywood mansion or too... maybe a holiday home on the developed side of some third world tropical island...
> but if you don't and you're poor, then, you're *poor* bigtime.
yes. with minimal welfare and free healthcare etc.
> Although this is the case in other develped countries, I've heard that it is a more pronouced case in America, in black and white extream terms.
yes. i think the welfare system... and the absense of good quality free healthcare and education and housing comes into play...
> One important factor to take into account is the *individuals* who become milionaires or more rare - billionaires.
is that relevant to the fact that 10% of the country have over half the wealth of the whole country? I mean... are those people *that much* more deserving than joe the illegal immigrant busting his balls for less than minimum wage so he can send his money home to mexico to look after his family 'cause there isn't enough work in mexico? and mexico aside... how about tom busting his balls working for minimum wage in some non tippable job doing a 14 or 18 hour day so he and his family can live in some tenemant as working poor? are these men less worthy or less deserving than anyone in the top 10%?
how about their wives?
how about their children?IMHO
people were created equal (in the sense of being equally deserving or equally entitled to a reasonable standard of life)
and so when there is such an imbalance in wealth... when people are supposedly equal in the above mentioned respects... then isn't something going wrong? and shouldn't steps be taken to remidy the situation?
> Eg. How did they obtain their wealth? Right from millionaires made over night weekly from lottery's, to rags from riches business people who started off right on the poverty scale and worked their way up, right time, right place, motivation to get there etc, and just a *little* touch of luck!
IMHO more than a little luck is involved... More than a little... IMHO those cases of people 'working their way up' they happen just enough... and are publicised one hell of a lot so that... it supports peoples belief that anyone can make it so long as they are hardworking enough... so that people keep struggling and keep believing that it is possible for them and their descendents if only they keep working hard... and when people devote their lives to trying to become one of the millionares / billionares via slogging their guts out... via buying the odd lotto ticket just in case they can manage to strike it lucky... then the focus is on preserving the radical imbalance and longing to be part of the elite rather than thinking that maybe the whole system needs a radical overhaul and maybe forgoing the 'opportunities' of becoming one of the elite especially when the cost to others of ones own 'opportunity' is so high...
> You may find details of some of those rich here.
i'm not interested...
i don't aspire to be...
i'm more interested on looking to the poor and disadvantaged and trying to figure out how to help them.
the wealthy...
why help the rich get richer?
why buy the magazines to learn about who paris is f*cking now?
even the charitable donations... how many are done under the advice of a tax consultant?
i don't want to preserve the status quo...> Notice too, that from the other link above, of the poorest countries in Africa, and ranked 13th as the poorest in the world, it may have the percentage of the highest wealth of happiness..
right. though how much harder to be happy when you are starving...
i think there is something to be said for pursuit of contentment rather than pursuit of happiness via material possessions / accumulation of wealth.
studies have shown that despite what people are inclined to think...
the more choices one has...
the less likely one is to be satisfied with the choice one actually makes...
too many choices... can lead to a decrease in happiness...
poster:Estella
thread:633975
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20060417/msgs/642049.html