Study: Billionaires Could End Extreme Poverty 7 Times Over

[Moadar]

People always want to have the super wealthy, basically anyone doing better than themselves, to take up the mantle of responsibility

The truth is if you aren't actively attacking a class higher than you then you are stupid and have made yourself a victim. The super rich actively attack those below them by buying up politicians and having the world legislated their way. Why is it not ok for everyone else to want things in their favor just like the super rich have done?

[Utinil]

The truth is if you aren't actively attacking a class higher than you then you are stupid and have made yourself a victim. The super rich actively attack those below them by buying up politicians and having the world legislated their way. Why is it not ok for everyone else to want things in their favor just like the super rich have done?

This is false. Growing up, we were very poor. Quite frequently there was not enough food. I am now just over a year from retirement and slightly outside the 1% (of the USA). I did that without ever having to attack the wealthy. You can push yourself higher without needing to force someone else down. Some people get lucky in life and get better opportunities, that doesn't mean that if you aren't handed those lucky chances that you are screwed.

It always amazed me, when I was in the Air Force, just how many people had been in the service for 10+ years and yet were still only Senior Airman. These people were always complaining about how they weren't being given a chance or that the system was rigged against them. The truth is, advancement through the ranks (among enlisted) was laid out in a very clear structure that made it nearly impossible for someone to hold you back if you put forth the extra effort.

[Elegiac]

This is false. Growing up, we were very poor. Quite frequently there was not enough food. I am now just over a year from retirement and slightly outside the 1% (of the USA). I did that without ever having to attack the wealthy. You can push yourself higher without needing to force someone else down. Some people get lucky in life and get better opportunities, that doesn't mean that if you aren't handed those lucky chances that you are screwed.

Zzzzzzz.

Oh, sorry. These 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps' arguments are just so tiresome.

[Oftenwrongsoong]

Study: Billionaires Could End Extreme Poverty 7 Times Over Quick Reply

... and Bill Gates could make me a millionaire overnight?

Who gives a shit, earn your own way.

[NED funded]

Throwing money into the shithole that is Africa, Latin America, various middle eastern and asian countries won't solve their problems. Countries become wealthy once they solved their institutional problems and created an eviroment where people can become wealthy, not just because a bunch of rich people throw money at it.

[Dicedspam]

Throwing money at problems doesn't fix them in the long term....just look at our government....

[Spiffums]

africa would have been better place if colonist did not enter their , but that was not the case.
today also world is depended on Africa on many resources , but i guess from your writing "why should we help africans ?" you are one of those person who like to exploit other people. and your childrens will think why people from africa is attacking my country.

I have a real hard time believing that with as long as Africa has had "boots on the ground" so to speak that they are one of the most impoverished places on Earth. I also have a really hard time believing that the reason they aren't an economic techo superpower is because of "whitey". Aren't they killed white farmers right now who are basically feeding the whole of South Africa?

[andy123456]

I have a real hard time believing that with as long as Africa has had "boots on the ground" so to speak that they are one of the most impoverished places on Earth. I also have a really hard time believing that the reason they aren't an economic techo superpower is because of "whitey". Aren't they killed white farmers right now who are basically feeding the whole of South Africa?

and didn't white farmer killed the native and made them slaves. IF currently white farmers are killed , white farmer r just receiving the favor their ancestor gave to natives, by the way i don't support these hatred cycle it has to end some where.
Coming to your point why most of African countries are still poor, during colonization, colonist followed the policy of divide of rule, there are so many ethic communities there, due to policy of divide of rule , peace that existed between tribe before got completely destroyed , hatred has reached to such a level that u can see in some african countries where ethic cleansing happens , it has been happening because of hatred cycle that was generated due to colonist divide and rule policy Even when colonialist left the country they further spread hatred among various communities . For a country to progress peace is must which does not exist in most of african countries. Of course you can blame African people who are still involved in hatred cycle for there misery but colonist are also responsible for it. Who were the colonist u have the idea.
Apart of these , weather of africa is also harsh but amount of benefit the world is getting from africa , africa is getting very low return from world , instead weapons are provided to warlords by entities that just want to extract resources from africa and don't give any dam about country. or setup a puppet government what works for them

[Vash The Stampede]

why should we help africans?
last time this totaly didnt backfired right? right?

Raising the standard of living also increases the amount of people that can do things like cure cancer or post YouTube videos. Also these people tend to have several children as a result of poverty. Who else would work the farm?

[petej0]

Zzzzzzz.

Oh, sorry. These 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps' arguments are just so tiresome.

They keep getting repeated because there is truth to it. Which method is going to get you success?

A.) Sit around do nothing and complain about how "the man" is holding you back. (while faithfully pissing away $50 a week on various lottery games, maybe)
OR
B.) Get out there and get experience doing something, anything and network with people and creating your own "luck".

People just dont go around giving away cars, homes, iPhones. You have to work towards those things, some (admittedly yes), have to work harder than others.

[Afrospinach]

I have a real hard time believing that with as long as Africa has had "boots on the ground" so to speak that they are one of the most impoverished places on Earth. I also have a really hard time believing that the reason they aren't an economic techo superpower is because of "whitey". Aren't they killed white farmers right now who are basically feeding the whole of South Africa?

To put this as simply as possible - Africa is poor because the leaders of those countries make it so. Nothing to do with colonising, nothing to do with foreign investment and ownership, but pure incompetence and corruption right the way to the very top. One of the current ruling party in my country can be quoted as saying "it is our turn to eat". I will let you mull on what that means, it is an omnipresent attitude across the whole of sub Saharan Africa about what being in government is all about.

On white farmers to take the most obvious example. In Zimbabwe, the white farmers didn't own all the land, they owned all the "good" land. Just look at it now, they are net importers of food. Where did all the good land go? They attacked their productive people and are now reaping the dividends. The rot is continuing even to this day, that guy who just took over probably has handed himself his own poison chalice but honestly I don't think he cares.

In SA they are doing something similar, trying to repossess land from white farmers. AFAIK this is much more measured and they are being paid for it though. Good idea? Probably not. They should probably be focusing on actually building something themselves rather than doing what they are very famous for. Taking something that someone else built up from nothing and running into the ground.

[XDurionX]

[IIamaKing]

I fail to see how economic exploitation is a net positive.

Ironic, because of it, you are able to bitch about it.

[petej0]

To put this as simply as possible - Africa is poor because the leaders of those countries make it so. Nothing to do with colonising, nothing to do with foreign investment and ownership, but pure incompetence and corruption right the way to the very top. One of the current ruling party in my country can be quoted as saying "it is our turn to eat". I will let you mull on what that means, it is an omnipresent attitude across the whole of sub Saharan Africa about what being in government is all about.

I would venture to guess it is the same way in most governments, especially in the US. Except in the US it is just a game between Right & Left. One party gains power, the other party demonizes them for 4/8 years in the meantime gaining a huge following and monetary support/donations. Then come election time, they switch roles. It isnt about solving issues, its about maintaining the status quo so they can continue holding their power over us while they suck off the government teat.

[JohnBrown1917]

I vote we bring out the guilotines.


The koch brothers, Bezos and Shell/big oil big wigs go first, right? What about Kissinger?

[Moadar]

This is false. Growing up, we were very poor. Quite frequently there was not enough food. I am now just over a year from retirement and slightly outside the 1% (of the USA). I did that without ever having to attack the wealthy. You can push yourself higher without needing to force someone else down. Some people get lucky in life and get better opportunities, that doesn't mean that if you aren't handed those lucky chances that you are screwed.

Except you missed the point. The very rich do push everyone else down. They fight for loopholes and laws that allow them to dodge paying taxes. They close off methods of other people following in their foot steps. They stifle and kill whole markets and hold monopolies. They buy politicians. They stack the deck in their favor. Why shouldn't everyone else do the same?


If some guy can't get a second mega yacht and 14th ferrari so that 10,000 people can own a decent home, well I'm ok with that.

[Forogil]

and didn't white farmer killed the native and made them slaves. IF currently white farmers are killed , white farmer r just receiving the favor their ancestor gave to natives, by the way i don't support these hatred cycle it has to end some where.
Coming to your point why most of African countries are still poor, during colonization, colonist followed the policy of divide of rule, there are so many ethic communities there, due to policy of divide of rule , peace that existed between tribe before got completely destroyed ,

False in several ways.

African countries were not peaceful; no countries were.
At least one African country was almost not colonized - is it different?
Other countries were also colonized, including South Korea.

Basically you are perpetuating the myth of the noble past - and messed up present, when reality is different.
Try yourself at e.g. at http://forms.gapminder.org/s3/test-2018

[Deleted]

$32,000 a year puts you in the top 1% world wide.

Your $32,000 thousand would improve the lives of many were it to be redistributed.

Dumb analogy. Most of us would probably need half that to even sustain ourselves. But i'll tell you what. I'll donate 80% of my net worth to the poor if every billionaire and millionaire on the planet does the same. Fair right? I'd still be poor and they would still have enough for a 100 lifetimes.

[Forogil]

“The billionaire boom is not a sign of a thriving economy but a symptom of a failing economic system,” said Winnie Byanyima, executive director of Oxfam International. “The people who make our clothes, assemble our phones and grow our food are being exploited.”

Missed to mention the ones that sell sex to Oxfam workers, some find sex work more exploitative than making clothes.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/12/e...ntl/index.html

[andy123456]

False in several ways.

African countries were not peaceful; no countries were.
At least African country was almost not colonized - is it different?
Other countries were also colonized, including South Korea.

Basically you are perpetuating the myth of the noble past - and messed up present, when reality is different.
Try yourself at e.g. at http://forms.gapminder.org/s3/test-2018

so you are trying to white farmer treated farmer native nicely ?
only thing ur gapminder does is put some data m would be really help if you point to site with history lessons that shows i hsve stated wrong
there are many children that has bad childhood , some (small fraction) overcome it but majority does not . It does not mean children are them self responsible for their misery at later stage of life as they were unable to overcome stigma of bad childhood