9 out of 10 Americans completely wrong

[Sallow]

Iam's broken record.....but here I go again:
When it comes to being consumers - American's are the most clueless, self-centered and hypocritical people on the planet. Every time you choose where to shop by who has the cheaper prices, every time you choose a product based primarily on price alone - this is the result.
30 years ago a few grocery giants began building large 'super center' grocery stores. Prices were lower, and larger bulk sizes were offered that small stores couldn't get. American's flocked to these stores.
Within 10 years, family owned grocery stores all but disappeared.
Same with hardware stores.
Same with lawn and garden stores.
Same with shoe stores.
Same with et. etc. etc.
Americans do NOT support local businesses.
So it should be no surprise that corporatism rapidly took over nearly every retail business that existed.

Wow. You honestly think its only Americans who choose to buy what they need at the lowest price available to them? Is the rest of the world just stupid? THat's what rational buyers do.

No.
That is what clueless buyers do.
Americans have lost all sense of the word "value" and place no importance on community and do NOT pause for one instant to consider the ramifications of their shopping choices.
Obviously you have never traveled outside of America. Many European communities have refused big box stores. In fact, I would wager most.

Well we, in NYC, have been avoiding the big box stores for quite some time.

In fact..we've been fighting having Walmart put up in many of our neighborhoods.



But I get what you mean.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

It's not a matter of defending, I think most people are just completely unaware of the implications. That, and most conservatives live in the "lottery mentality" meaning that their wealth is just a lottery ticket away!

What? then explain this... notice all the blue states
MediaPost Publications Who Buys Lottery Tickets? 11/12/2012

Gotta love the people who post on CNN's comments sections.

Further, people with incomes in excess of $75,000 spend roughly three times as much on lotteries each month as do those with incomes under $25,000.

Read more: MediaPost Publications Who Buys Lottery Tickets? 11/12/2012

Well DUH! They make 3 times as much money, don't they.

But why should that make them three times more stupid?

 

[Luddly Neddite]

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I just switched one of my insurance policies from MetLife because, when I called their customer service, I got an off-shore call center.

MetLife won't miss me although I did call and write to tell them why they lost my business. What would happen if every American did that?

 

[alan1]

Wow. You honestly think its only Americans who choose to buy what they need at the lowest price available to them? Is the rest of the world just stupid? THat's what rational buyers do.

No.
That is what clueless buyers do.
Americans have lost all sense of the word "value" and place no importance on community and do NOT pause for one instant to consider the ramifications of their shopping choices.
Obviously you have never traveled outside of America. Many European communities have refused big box stores. In fact, I would wager most.

Well we, in NYC, have been avoiding the big box stores for quite some time.

In fact..we've been fighting having Walmart put up in many of our neighborhoods.



But I get what you mean.

Well, good for you for avoiding large box stores and sticking to small box retailers like Family Dollar and Dollar General. Oh wait, both of them are still Fortune 100 Retailers, it's just that each store has a smaller footprint, which is why they have so many stores. As a matter of fact, Dollar General has more retail stores than any other retailer in the US (excluding food service) 2012 Top 100 Retailers | STORES.org Sort by number of stores. Also, that is from 2011, Dollar General will open its 11,000 store this year.

 

[alan1]

9 Out Of 10 Americans Are Completely Wrong About This Mind-Blowing Fact - YouTube

Check out this video. What we believe is reality in wealth distribution isn't even close. The top 1% own 40% of the nations wealth while the bottom 80% own 7% of our nations wealth. 7%!

I don't understand how anyone can defend this.

I guess the bottom 80% need to start saving more.

 

[alan1]

I just switched one of my insurance policies from MetLife because, when I called their customer service, I got an off-shore call center.

MetLife won't miss me although I did call and write to tell them why they lost my business. What would happen if every American did that?

Nice little picture with nice little talking point.
If conservatives were causing US wages to be so low, wouldn't the job still be here?
Next thing you're going to tell me is that only conservatives shop at Walmart when we all know that conservatives are rich people shopping at Neiman Marcus, Macy's and Whole Foods.

 

[whitehall]

Let's see, the world according to you-tube says that the top 1% owns 40% of America's wealth and the bottom 80% own 7%. It must mean the middle class own 53% of America's wealth. That's a pretty good deal even for whiny neo-socialists ain't it?

 

[numan]

9 Out Of 10 Americans Are Completely Wrong About This Mind-Blowing Fact - YouTube

Check out this video. What we believe is reality in wealth distribution isn't even close. The top 1% own 40% of the nations wealth while the bottom 80% own 7% of our nations wealth. 7%!

I don't understand how anyone can defend this.

I guess the bottom 80% need to start saving more.

I wonder what percentage of the population has minds so crude, uneducated and lacking in good sense that they could write something so silly.
.

 

[Steelplate]

The thing is...if 80% only own 7%of the wealth...they HAVE to shop at the cheapest place possible.

Our economy will never recover if the majority of the population doesn't have money in their pockets to spend. When they spend everything they have(and then some ofttimes) just to eke out a life, there is no money left to move the economy in any significant manner.

This country is way too top heavy.

 

[koshergrl]

Oh brother.

 

[alan1]

9 Out Of 10 Americans Are Completely Wrong About This Mind-Blowing Fact - YouTube

Check out this video. What we believe is reality in wealth distribution isn't even close. The top 1% own 40% of the nations wealth while the bottom 80% own 7% of our nations wealth. 7%!

I don't understand how anyone can defend this.

I guess the bottom 80% need to start saving more.

I wonder what percentage of the population has minds so crude, uneducated and lacking in good sense that they could write something so silly.
.

Yer signature line,

Neither man nor woman can be worth anything until they have discovered that they are fools. This is the first step toward becoming either estimable or agreeable; AND UNTIL IT IS TAKEN, THERE IS NO HOPE. ---William Lamb, Lord Melbourne

Are you feeling valuable right about now?

Last I looked, wealth was more related to savings and investment not to earnings.

 

[Flopper]

Most of what we see in media about the equality of the distribution of wealth is shocking figures showing the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer; actually it's the middle class that's really taking the hit.

What we should be discussing is the implications of a growing equality in wealth distribution. There have been studies that have produced some not too surprising conclusions.

• When salaries at the top go through the roof, and workers are getting pay cuts, they can't outright reject the offer because they need to work but they can reject it by working less hard and not caring about the quality of what they are producing. There is no doubt this has been happening in the US for years. It leads to lower productivity and poorer quality of goods and services.
  
• Income inequality breeds corruption which is especially true in democracies, where wealth and political power can be easily exchanged. This hurts grow because it leads to inefficient allocation of public and private resources.
  
• Growing inequality leads to more health problems in the overall population which raises the nations healthcare costs. Studies show that there is a disproportion amount of both acute and chronic diereses among the poor and low income families.
  
• An unequal distribution of wealth is not only inevitable, but desirable. However long term growth of that inequality isn't, because it causes social unrest and outright rebellion. On the other end, if too much of the wealth is distributed at the bottom, then there is insufficient capital needed for growth.

What we need to do is work together to create realistic policies that encouraging earned income growth among low income earners and upper middle class workers.

 

[whitehall]

If lefties want to revise the standards of wealth in the US, the best place to try out the experiment is the decadent American symbol of wealth....freaking Hollywood. Hey, go for it. Force actors to be paid as much as the union workers who adjust the lights and gofer the coffee. Let us know how you make out.

 

[Cuyo]

Let's see, the world according to you-tube says that the top 1% owns 40% of America's wealth and the bottom 80% own 7%. It must mean the middle class own 53% of America's wealth. That's a pretty good deal even for whiny neo-socialists ain't it?

If we're to accept your premise, are you Ok with only 19% of the country achieving that status?

 

[Flopper]

If lefties want to revise the standards of wealth in the US, the best place to try out the experiment is the decadent American symbol of wealth....freaking Hollywood. Hey, go for it. Force actors to be paid as much as the union workers who adjust the lights and gofer the coffee. Let us know how you make out.

The wealthiest actor in Hollywood, Dina Merrill doesn't even make the top 50 wealthiest in America.

 

[Polk]

9 Out Of 10 Americans Are Completely Wrong About This Mind-Blowing Fact - YouTube

Check out this video. What we believe is reality in wealth distribution isn't even close. The top 1% own 40% of the nations wealth while the bottom 80% own 7% of our nations wealth. 7%!

I don't understand how anyone can defend this.

I guess the bottom 80% need to start saving more.

Simple savings doesn't cut it. The reality is that a high school dropout born to parents at the top end is more likely to stay at the top than someone with an advanced degree is to rise from the bottom to the top.

 

[Polk]

Let's see, the world according to you-tube says that the top 1% owns 40% of America's wealth and the bottom 80% own 7%. It must mean the middle class own 53% of America's wealth. That's a pretty good deal even for whiny neo-socialists ain't it?

Language has lost all meaning when we're referring to the 80th to 99th percentile as the "middle" class

 

[Saigon]

That is what clueless buyers do.
Americans have lost all sense of the word "value" and place no importance on community and do NOT pause for one instant to consider the ramifications of their shopping choices.
Obviously you have never traveled outside of America. Many European communities have refused big box stores. In fact, I would wager most.

I totally agree with iamwhatiseem.

If American shoppers bought American products - even if they cost 10% more - your economy would be massively better off.

I don't think people need to become crazy evanglists and boycott Chinese products, but choosing an American wine over a Spanish one, or American fruit over Guatemalan helps keep your own people in jobs.

I buy Finnish products whenever I can - which is why I have a Nokia phone!

 

[Saigon]

9 Out Of 10 Americans Are Completely Wrong About This Mind-Blowing Fact - YouTube

Check out this video. What we believe is reality in wealth distribution isn't even close. The top 1% own 40% of the nations wealth while the bottom 80% own 7% of our nations wealth. 7%!

I don't understand how anyone can defend this.

I guess the bottom 80% need to start saving more.

How much do you expect someone on minimum wage to be able to save?

The fact is, a lot of middle class families struggle to make ends meet, even if they live sensibly.