Wealth Inequality in America

[Raidenx]

Not really, the EU has a bit higher standards on quality.

You mean the quality of the meat or quality of the flavour? The best tasting bacon I have had was in Puerto Rico and the best tasting ham was in Canada

---------- Post added 2013-03-10 at 08:53 PM ----------

The incentive is imposed by societal ethics, not the profit motive. Slaves are profitable.

There is no way to stretch what he said to "market economies=slavery".

Societal ethics are a fundamental part of the free market. Even if it was more profitable on a financial level, it still wouldn't mean that the market encourages slavery.

[Catta]

You mean the quality of the meat or quality of the flavour? The best tasting bacon I have had was in Puerto Rico and the best tasting ham was in Canada

But have you had danish bacon? I mean - we have more pigs than people here so we can pick the best.

[dantian]

Societal ethics are a fundamental part of the free market. Even if it was more profitable on a financial level, it still wouldn't mean that the market encourages slavery.

Except that plenty of societies have had slave trades that ignored ethics and did what was simply most profitable.

[Raidenx]

But have you had danish bacon? I mean - we have more pigs than people here so we can pick the best.

Nope. I havent had the opportunity

[Jaingo]

This video is mostly coming from the view that money is some portion of the pie. That you have to look at wealth like it is a finite resource. Stop looking at how the pie is sliced up and start thinking about baking more pie instead.

Wealth is really just a product of 2 things, human labor and natural resources. We aren't even close to running out of either. Until we do, more wealth can always be created. Stop trying to steal someone else's labor.

This and nothing more. I'm not sure where my families 200k lands, but if we want more we can easily work our asses off for it. This is just more pandering to those that have no drive to better themselves and want to play the woe is me card.

The movie Caddyshack had one of the best quotes ever, "The world needs ditch diggers.".

[Deleted]

You mean the quality of the meat or quality of the flavour? The best tasting bacon I have had was in Puerto Rico and the best tasting ham was in Canada[COLOR="red"].

No, what I meant was, what we are allowed to pump into the animals before they are slaughtered, and how we treat them afterwards. The EU has very strict rules on that stuff. Like we don´t allow US poultry because they wash them in Chlorine and Ammonium.. We don´t allow a lot of steroids etc in to the cattle.


But I will agree, the best meat comes from places where the rules are a bit iffy and you have to knock the rot of the meat before grilling it Argentinian meat is the best

[Fugus]

there is only 403 BILLIONAIRES in the US so we only have 403 wealthy people in America?

lets look at the top 10

Bill Gates
self made billionaire
Drop Out, Harvard University

Warren Buffet
self made billionaire

Larry Ellison
self made billionaire
Drop Out, University of Chicago; Drop Out, University of Illinois at Urbana

Koch Brothers
inherited a 2.5 million dollar business after their father died in 1967

Walton Family
inherited Wal-Mart which their father built from one store

Michael Bloomberg
self made billionaire

Sergey Brin
self made billionaire

Larry Page
self made billionaire

George Soros
self made billionaire

Forrest Mars, Jr.
inherited Mars company
so out of the top 10 only 3 inherited some of their wealth
So do you want to move the goal post to trillionaires?

Bill Gates, not self made, he turned the silver spoon he was born within into platinum but he had a better start than most of us will have a finish in life, he was father was a prominent lawyer and mother was on the board of directors for 2 companies, he was born into money and business connections that would be any businessman's wet dream.

Warren Buffet, father was a US representative giving him access to business connections, capital and benefits that normal people don't. While somewhat self made, he had a better chances than most by far due to his father's connections and money. But not what I was asking as he had not amassed that fortune within the last 30 years which is during the time span I was given as that is when things got this bad and the barriers to their level got this high.

Larry Ellison, same as Warren Buffet but truly selfmade but still before 1980 when things were easier to do it.

Koch Brothers, again further back than 30 years when things were easier and they had access to political connections to give them the leg up the they needed.

Walton Family, Sam Walton made his start, again, log before 1980 and his family inherited his company (making sure to ruin his name in the process). He was a selfmade man, his kids were not and never worked for what they had but still not what I asked as he got it before things got this hard to start.

Micheal Bloomberg, he was self made and got his start at the start of the 81's like I said but got his start with a 10 million dollar severance package he got from working in banking before then. This is the first one you finally got that is what I asked for, just barely.

Sergey Brin and Larry Page, THIS, THIS is what I want to see, this is what I was asking for, someone who pulled themselves up from next to nothing to join the ranks. It took ungodly amounts of luck and a technology revolution to pull it off, but he did it.

George Soros, he got his start before 1980 when things weren't as hard, but otherwise self made.

Forest Mars, you said yourself, inherited and long before 1980.

So, out of everyone you linked, 2 of them earned it as I described from a single company and 1 more just barely meets what I asked for.

So 3 in 30 years out of what you linked as managed to joined their ranks, 1 did it in banking (one of the things blamed for making it this bad) and the other 2 from an ungodly level of luck, hard work, and a technology revolution that changed the world and upset a lot of the established powers. Sorry, but that really doesn't sound like the american dream is alive and kicking off of just hard work and a little luck.

[Zhangfei]

You guys buy all out best bacon :/

Peter Schmeichel sold it hardcore to us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCAmZ9cOaoc

[Jackmoves]

Peter Schmeichel sold it hardcore to us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCAmZ9cOaoc

haha, what a legend!

---------- Post added 2013-03-10 at 11:42 PM ----------

SNIP

Speaking of Soros, I thought this was pretty fun when I saw it, according to Soros Swedish Social Democracy is "market fundamentalist", tell that to an american right winger(and even some of our right wingers) and they will probably fall down dead due to heartattack. ;P

Pagrotsky is probably my favorite Swedish politician, sadly he represents a party I do not support. But he's brilliant.

[Catta]

Peter Schmeichel sold it hardcore to us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCAmZ9cOaoc

Jesus that was painful to watch. He has the typical bad accent that makes me want to rip out my countrymen's throat.

[Deleted]

Does a smarter and more fortunate minority have the right to fuck over the majority though?

[Catta]

Does a smarter and more fortunate minority have the right to fuck over the majority though?

They dont have the right. They sure have the ability though.

[Raidenx]

Documentary on America by North Korea tv

It's very insightful and describes the situation perfectly, as you will see

[kivipää]

The part were this guy said "socialism" and instantly showed he has absolutely no idea what he's talkign about is the part where I chuckled and stopped watching. Somebody who lacks the wits to even avoid falling for the false socialism fed for the brainless masses holds less than zero credibility in any sorts of advanced socio-economic analyzation.

[Zhangfei]

Jesus that was painful to watch. He has the typical bad accent that makes me want to rip out my countrymen's throat.

Peter Schmeichel always had this weird mix of Danish with Mancunian. That video was from 98 or so (I think) and ye gods, his accent got worse and worse...