Wry Catcher
Diamond Member
- Banned
- #1
A rather long study on wealth in America. One which may challenge your beliefs:
Who Rules America: Wealth, Income, and Power
Discuss
Who Rules America: Wealth, Income, and Power
Discuss
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A rather long study on wealth in America. One which may challenge your beliefs:
Who Rules America: Wealth, Income, and Power
Discuss
From the study:
In the United States, wealth is highly concentrated in a relatively few hands. As of 2007, the top 1% of households (the upper class) owned 34.6% of all privately held wealth, and the next 19% (the managerial, professional, and small business stratum) had 50.5%, which means that just 20% of the people owned a remarkable 85%, leaving only 15% of the wealth for the bottom 80% (wage and salary workers). In terms of financial wealth (total net worth minus the value of one's home), the top 1% of households had an even greater share: 42.7%. Table 1 and Figure 1 present further details drawn from the careful work of economist Edward N. Wolff at New York University (2010).
Of course the echo chamber won't read any of the study, but that concerns me not. For those on the fence, or for those of us who value our democratic institutions the results of this study are sobering.
We are no longer a democratic republic, or as the right wants to reframe us, a constitutional republic, we are today a Plutocracy and that fact should scare the crap out of all patriotic Americans.
We live in times now where a Private enterprise 'company' can be bigger than a nation itself . There are now companies bigger than many former powerful nations such as holland and spain.
The issue is are companaies compatiable with nationality. A company can go where it wants effecitvely and now its nations who bend over backwards to impress them to bring their 'investment' to their region
And what is that will attract a huge company or investor to come to you? Your willingness to accept their terms. So who has the power these days and will this tend continue..
you should be alarmed just how little power your democratic systems now have.
Someday these fools will regret licking the feet of their enslavers.
From the study:
In the United States, wealth is highly concentrated in a relatively few hands. As of 2007, the top 1% of households (the upper class) owned 34.6% of all privately held wealth, and the next 19% (the managerial, professional, and small business stratum) had 50.5%, which means that just 20% of the people owned a remarkable 85%, leaving only 15% of the wealth for the bottom 80% (wage and salary workers). In terms of financial wealth (total net worth minus the value of one's home), the top 1% of households had an even greater share: 42.7%. Table 1 and Figure 1 present further details drawn from the careful work of economist Edward N. Wolff at New York University (2010).
Of course the echo chamber won't read any of the study, but that concerns me not. For those on the fence, or for those of us who value our democratic institutions the results of this study are sobering.
We are no longer a democratic republic, or as the right wants to reframe us, a constitutional republic, we are today a Plutocracy and that fact should scare the crap out of all patriotic Americans.
All term limits do is limmit the peoples ability to choose who they want.
All term limits do is limmit the peoples ability to choose who they want.
Agreed. But where they are in effect like NYC, they should be either respected or dropped. What Bloomberg did was plain wrong.
Someday these fools will regret licking the feet of their enslavers.
We live in times now where a Private enterprise 'company' can be bigger than a nation itself . There are now companies bigger than many former powerful nations such as holland and spain.
The issue is are companaies compatiable with nationality. A company can go where it wants effecitvely and now its nations who bend over backwards to impress them to bring their 'investment' to their region
And what is that will attract a huge company or investor to come to you? Your willingness to accept their terms. So who has the power these days and will this tend continue..
you should be alarmed just how little power your democratic systems now have.
Money has the power over your life that you let it have. Monopoly, special Privilege, give the big money advantages that would otherwise be less. When you have the freedom to not do business with, there is less power over you. As a consumer you should be able to choose what you support. Should our Constitution be taken seriously, and our government decide to protect for the common good against all enemies foreign and domestic, including the threat of Corporate and Government Tyranny, we will be better off. So will Italy and Europe if you would do the same.
All term limits do is limmit the peoples ability to choose who they want.
Agreed. But where they are in effect like NYC, they should be either respected or dropped. What Bloomberg did was plain wrong.
I always find it comical that those that rail against "the contiuous corporate opression" of our society often have NO issue that career politicans are not only have far more ability to be opressive, but often (from both parties) are the biggest enablers of corporations influence on our government.
Give anyone 30 years of being bombarded by lobbyists and interest groups and sooner or later even the most principled person will cave. It is even worse at the local level, where some parties and machines have been entrenched for decades.
We live in times now where a Private enterprise 'company' can be bigger than a nation itself . There are now companies bigger than many former powerful nations such as holland and spain.
The issue is are companaies compatiable with nationality. A company can go where it wants effecitvely and now its nations who bend over backwards to impress them to bring their 'investment' to their region
And what is that will attract a huge company or investor to come to you? Your willingness to accept their terms. So who has the power these days and will this tend continue..
you should be alarmed just how little power your democratic systems now have.
Money has the power over your life that you let it have. Monopoly, special Privilege, give the big money advantages that would otherwise be less. When you have the freedom to not do business with, there is less power over you. As a consumer you should be able to choose what you support. Should our Constitution be taken seriously, and our government decide to protect for the common good against all enemies foreign and domestic, including the threat of Corporate and Government Tyranny, we will be better off. So will Italy and Europe if you would do the same.
The lack of money has much greater power over the individual, wouldn't you agree?
The question is, is liberty to be defined as the right to live in poverty? Is it really freedom when 85% of each dollar earned may go to the wealthiest 1% of our citizens?
Agreed. But where they are in effect like NYC, they should be either respected or dropped. What Bloomberg did was plain wrong.
I always find it comical that those that rail against "the contiuous corporate opression" of our society often have NO issue that career politicans are not only have far more ability to be opressive, but often (from both parties) are the biggest enablers of corporations influence on our government.
Give anyone 30 years of being bombarded by lobbyists and interest groups and sooner or later even the most principled person will cave. It is even worse at the local level, where some parties and machines have been entrenched for decades.
The people have no control over the CEO/CFO's of corporate America; they do have power over who represents them in the Congress.
A member of Congress has a duty to represent his district or state; both of which send lobbyists to Wash. D.C.
Lobbyists can and do provide information to decision makers and their aides, unfortunately they also provide tickets, booze, sex and drugs; future jobs and promises too.
My suggestion, watch their feet, not their lips (it's not what they say but what they do that matters) Hence, an educated and informed voter is the greatest safeguard; sadly, knowing this an effort is made by some to guise opinion as fact and unprovable axioms as immutable truths (listen to Rush Limbaugh for examples).
I always find it comical that those that rail against "the contiuous corporate opression" of our society often have NO issue that career politicans are not only have far more ability to be opressive, but often (from both parties) are the biggest enablers of corporations influence on our government.
Give anyone 30 years of being bombarded by lobbyists and interest groups and sooner or later even the most principled person will cave. It is even worse at the local level, where some parties and machines have been entrenched for decades.
The people have no control over the CEO/CFO's of corporate America; they do have power over who represents them in the Congress.
A member of Congress has a duty to represent his district or state; both of which send lobbyists to Wash. D.C.
Lobbyists can and do provide information to decision makers and their aides, unfortunately they also provide tickets, booze, sex and drugs; future jobs and promises too.
My suggestion, watch their feet, not their lips (it's not what they say but what they do that matters) Hence, an educated and informed voter is the greatest safeguard; sadly, knowing this an effort is made by some to guise opinion as fact and unprovable axioms as immutable truths (listen to Rush Limbaugh for examples).
The government does have control over corporations, just not total control. Laws can be made to regulate how they operate, I do not deny that.
All term limits do is limmit the peoples ability to choose who they want.