My grasp of the problem is not so much the distribution of wealth. That is merely a symptom of a bigger problem. The ability of the rich to manipulate and filter information. As I think PGabs points out. . .the PERCEPTION that wealth is distributed is the problem. If the level of disparity was known . . . i think it would be corrected but the weathly use a great deal of wealth and influence to keep that information obscured. There is no top 1% sitting in a room making a plan . . but their is a collective effort to protect their wealth. In our country we have made talking about money taboo we have made it a secret . . in turn this has made it easier to manipulate people you maybe sitting next to a guy . . . doing the exact same job as you making 20k more a year. . . . . IF YOU KNEW THAT . . .then you would renegotiate . . .and cause problems . .. so the company makes comparing salaries 'against the rules' then they can modulate their payroll easier They can out and out lie and tell you . .you the highest paid when you are not. We protect their right to be deceptive in this . . .. That is merely a microcosm of the way america in general works. . . . . not surprising Rocket River
I don't blame the poor for being poor, but I don't have any sympathy for people who receive free money, in the form of a FEMA card, and then flagrantly abuse it.
I have found that it isn't really like that in East Asian culture. In Korea, people commonly ask each other about their salaries. There isn't a social taboo against it at all. I found it a bit offsetting at first, but after thinking about it, I'm not really sure why we are all so secretive about it over here. Another thing I found surprising was that Asian people have no trouble commenting on someone's appearance. I.e. "You look fat today -- are you gaining weight?" or, "You look so tired."
I don't think anyone has sympathy for people who do that. Fortunately most people didn't do that. Yes there were abuses, but it wasn't the majority. I also don't approve of collective punishment of all the poor for the misdeeds of a minority of the poor.
If you vote Republican or Libertarian you'd think that wealth was distributed just fine even if you aren't wealthy.
For every rich person, there are hundreds that go bankrupt persuing their dreams to make it big, and many more that live day to day. They value the opportunity more than they value things being given to them. You and I have the opportunity to become rich. Invest in a startup company that can make you billions. Become a doctor, a lawyer, a business man, open a resturant, or become a CEO, be your own boss and quit whining. You and I have the same chance for success or failure as anyone else and it's based on what we make it out to be. Why is it that immigrants come to the US to look for opportunity, while more and more locals look for handout?
I think there is a sense of entitlement for many young people in this country, but I don't think it's actually true that more and more locals look for govt. handouts. The Welfare rolls have gone down. As far as upward mobility goes, the U.S. is behind nations like France, Denmark, Spain, and many others. So while there is an opportunity to climb in the U.S. there is greater opportunity elsewhere.
You must be dreaming if you think you have the same chance of being successful as the kids of the rich and powerful. Just some few examples, Sarah palin's daughter could get 250k for being a being a teen mom. Bush Jr could run companies into the ground and get elected president.
NO... If you are a millionaire+, you cannot will your estate it to your kids, you must will it to the government.
Well at least this a good start on increasing the chance you or your kids can compete on a somewhat even field of the kids from rich families. Now can we start taxing the rich and the corporations like we used to so we can begin to fund state universities so kids who don't come from wealthy families can afford to go full-time to the best state universities and become lawyers, doctors, MBA's etc without being so indebted that they have to work till 40 to pay off their student loans?
How about finishing high school first before talking about becoming doctors or lawyers? PS... Rich people don't send their kids college to be doctors or lawyers. It's the commoners that aspire to be doctors and lawyers.
