In the 1960s, the split was closer to 60/40, with 80% of the population making 60% of the income, and the richest 20% of the population making 40%. [ref] Between 1960 and 2000, the income split has gone from 60/40 to 50/50.
Perhaps I'm wrong but haven't we seen this before a few hundred years ago. I'm thinking of the poor unwashed masses rising up and overthrowing the rich elite minority. The french revolution, the american war of independance, the russians also killed off their royalty if I remember c
This is exactly why Europe has such a lavish welfare system -- Hitler capitalized upon uncared-for Germans who were jealous of the wealthy overclass (with a significant amount of Jews). This was only 60 years ago and Europe is not going to make the same mistake again, though the economics of welfaring a section of the population which have a significant percentage of people who just want to drink beer and sleep around has got serious problems too. Paying people to be slackers isn't good for the country, though bloody revolution (you better be careful, corporate America) is a poor solution, offered up by the people who want to be the next aristocrats.
IMO, the solution involves the "haves" having compassion for the "have-nots" which means welfare only for the purpose of getting them a niche where they can be productive (and relatively happy doing it) for themselves, their families and the aggregate society. Ted Turner, you fuck, are you listening?
Peace & blessings, bmac
True peace and happiness are only a wish away -- www.mihr.com
The flaw in your arguement (well... combined with capitalism) is that compassionate people don't have much of a chance at being wealthy.
Socialism cures a lot of these problems, but early retirement cures them all practically. Force retirement of anyone that makes 5 million dollars of assets and or cash and the problem will be solved. This way everyone gets a chance at prosperity, and I bet you won't find anyone starving either. People wasting resources just because they have them will be much less of an
I am not willing to pay more taxes because I am compassionate, hell no!
I would be willing to pay 20% more of my income so that I don't have to work with Mr. Joesixpack.
Let slackers stay at home where they wont get in the way. Far too many people in this society of bureaucrats and marketing drones are negatively productive - best to just send them home.
I suppose, in a way, thats what the entertainment industry is for - a blackhole to suck the negative productivity out of the useless.
Yeah, but the flip side of that is when your parents die you don't go into extreme debt trying to pay off the taxes on their house. Which was 30k when they bought it, and is now worth 500k.
IMO, the solution involves the "haves" having compassion for the "have-nots" which means welfare only for the purpose of getting them a niche where they can be productive (and relatively happy doing it) for themselves, their families and the aggregate society. Ted Turner, you fuck, are you listening?
Compassion or a desire to save money, WHERE ARE THE JOBS COMING FROM?
Remember outsourcing? Remember automation? Service industries are the obvious next wave of automation, as I predicted back in the late 1980s
Dude, there's so much stuff to do on this planet, it would be generations before 6 billion organized, educated & trained (that's part of the process) human beings completed a complete "renovation". Landscaping, dump-clearing, organic vegetable growing, child educating (with a far greater ratio of teacher:student) are just a small list of possibilities. Some would think this kind of work is retro, but it seems to me that that is what a highly automated/robotized society will tend towards (if the progre
Dude, there's so much stuff to do on this planet, it would be generations before 6 billion organized, educated & trained (that's part of the process) human beings completed a complete "renovation". Landscaping, dump-clearing, organic vegetable growing, child educating (with a far greater ratio of teacher:student) are just a small list of possibilities. Some would think this kind of work is retro, but it seems to me that that is what a highly automated/robotized society will tend towards (if the progress
Unix is the worst operating system; except for all others.
-- Berry Kercheval
History repeats itself? (Score:5, Insightful)
Perhaps I'm wrong but haven't we seen this before a few hundred years ago. I'm thinking of the poor unwashed masses rising up and overthrowing the rich elite minority. The french revolution, the american war of independance, the russians also killed off their royalty if I remember c
You got it (Score:5, Interesting)
IMO, the solution involves the "haves" having compassion for the "have-nots" which means welfare only for the purpose of getting them a niche where they can be productive (and relatively happy doing it) for themselves, their families and the aggregate society. Ted Turner, you fuck, are you listening?
Peace & blessings,
bmac
True peace and happiness are only a wish away -- www.mihr.com
Re:You got it (Score:3, Insightful)
Socialism cures a lot of these problems, but early retirement cures them all practically. Force retirement of anyone that makes 5 million dollars of assets and or cash and the problem will be solved. This way everyone gets a chance at prosperity, and I bet you won't find anyone starving either. People wasting resources just because they have them will be much less of an
Re:You got it (Score:0)
I would be willing to pay 20% more of my income so that I don't have to work with Mr. Joesixpack.
Let slackers stay at home where they wont get in the way. Far too many people in this society of bureaucrats and marketing drones are negatively productive - best to just send them home.
I suppose, in a way, thats what the entertainment industry is for - a blackhole to suck the negative productivity out of the useless.
Re:You got it (Score:1)
Re:You got it (Score:2)
Re:You got it (Score:2)
wrong answer (Score:2)
Compassion or a desire to save money, WHERE ARE THE JOBS COMING FROM?
Remember outsourcing? Remember automation? Service industries are the obvious next wave of automation, as I predicted back in the late 1980s
Re:wrong answer (Score:1)
more automation possibilities (Score:2)