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Then why not invest in the stock market? You can become rich like the "evil" 1%. You can ride their coat tails.
Because of the way the system is set up they own 'preferred' shares and get 'stock options' etc... to enable exponential riches being made when the average person buying a few shares will, if fortunate, stay barely above water.
Here's an old post that illustrates the systemic problem, along with quotes from three US Presidents.
The problem is that people who are not contributing things of REAL Value are taking a disproportionate share of the wealth via a desire to maintain hegemony of the systemic increasingly corrupt system in place. In other words they set up the system and have gamed the system like the "House" in a Casino.
Today with technology and electronic digital trading, computers enable brokerage houses (who create nothing tangible of value) to manipulate the trading system (Read The Wall Street Jungle by Richard Ney, *see summary below*) to enable them via fiat based currency to syphon the wealth (from the value creation 'productive class' and debasing the currency) to them the banking class. They in turn FUND (i.e. BUY the politicians on both sides) in the charade that is USA election process and continue the Casino economy that has evolved (this is done by creating new "games" to trade in such as Credit Derivatives, Credit Default Swaps, Collateralized Mortgage Securities etc...).
From this, they and their lobbyists (strong men) like a Mafia family of hundred years ago, extort from the citizen taxpayers (the productive class) with we're 'too big to fail', and threaten them with the growing permanent underclass, and continue growth of bureacratic systemic corruption to reinforce the corporatocracy they have assembled [via cartels in many industries: Banking (The Federal Reserve is a Banking Cartel - read G Edward Griffin, Creature of Jekyll Island) Oil (read The Seven Sisters), etc...] following the breakup of monopolies of the robber barons in early 20th century. Or recently assembled monopolies of today such as The Media (read Ben Bagdikian, The New Media Monopoly)
These globalist financial types are different from the mom and pops, small regional business person who may be wealthy BUT earned it - in most cases, legitimately. I know I'm generalizing here, but a good read is Jerome Tuccile's, Gallo Be Thy Name. Basic premise is a paraphrase of Balzac, "Behind every great fortune is a great crime". You also would be well served to read economists such as Steve Keen and understand concepts such as "Workers Share of Output".
IF the people could believe that our current Justice system could not be swayed by bribes and payoffs (Justice being blind rather than subject to the highest bidder) and that the extreme rich could not manipulate the system (via lawyers, tax accountants, etc...) to avoid paying a real 'share' (drawing up the laws through industry lobbyists, regulating businesses and industries into existence to reinforce market dominance - even when there may be better products/ solutions, JUST so they can continue to milk high marginal returns - never mind what may be more efficient for humanity and the environment), THEN you can surmise many would not clamor for the higher taxes on 'the rich' to the degree and income inequality that they do. When the pay of executives to average worker grows too wide from 20 to 1 to now around 350 to 1 then you have a recipe for disaster. So income inequality is natural but extreme income inequality leads to destabilization i.e. Haves - Have nots
Many professionals who earned their riches through a skill, craft, invention innovation that benefits mankind etc... most people DO NOT have a problem with. What they do have a problem with is people like Jon Corzine and others of his ilk, corporate bosses who engage in outright fraud and theft, destroy the lives of fellow american workers all to earn outrageous bonuses (this has to do with a global outlook that enables them to exploit and engage in global labor arbitrage - seek slave wages and place production in places around the world with no environmental or human rights laws) and are not held accountable (buying off regulators) for actions while still receiving millions.
Until the people have a reason to restore faith in the Justice system (as well as the dying financial monetary system) and the majority of people's quality of life stops declining, you will see more income inequality / class warfare talk heat up.
Then why not invest in the stock market? You can become rich like the "evil" 1%. You can ride their coat tails.
I do.
But I'm not so stupid as to ignore the fact that the people "in the know" will know what directions stocks are taking much longer before I will. (eg- energy stocks in Oct 2008)
Then why not invest in the stock market? You can become rich like the "evil" 1%. You can ride their coat tails.
It's called suitability. Everyone can't be offered the same investment opportunities. Someone at the top 1% supposedly can handle more risk than someone making 50K with little to no net worth.
Then why not invest in the stock market? You can become rich like the "evil" 1%. You can ride their coat tails.
A few points:
- Something is not a conspiracy if it is obvious and well-known to everyone who's remotely in touch with current events. I mean, seriously - the only people I know who DON'T see how business basically owns the government is people who have an irrational hatred of government and love of business. They are the nuts who think that getting rid of government will allow the "kind and virtuous, truly patriotic, 'merican businesses to flourish and bring jobs to all." Right... because that's what those same businesses are trying to do now with all the influence they have... Maybe giving them complete power with no accountable will suddenly make them better people; it's not like power corrupts or anything.
- Do you honestly think business is unaware of the stock market and how "dirty commoners" can invest in it? You act like this is some sort of secret trick to fortune; it's not. Now, sure - investing in the market is a good idea, provided you know what you're doing, but your happy little dividend check isn't going to make up for that nice paying job you used to have that's now being done overseas for 1/4 the cost, is it? This is not a game you can win, and big business can toss the "dirty commoners" the sad hope of retiring on their paltry few thousands in their 401k's while gladly vacuuming up all their jobs and sending them overseas.
- Even in the market, the game is rigged. Sure, sure - you can probably invest long-term and, if you don't panic sell, you'll make a modest amount of money. Not enough to live off of, really, but it is better than nothing. But the crooks make money on the churn: up, down, sideways - it doesn't matter. They have insider knowledge and use it freely, and if things go wrong, they just get Bailed Out by the taxpayers. Then, they crash the market to get people to sell at a loss, and then drive it up again to get people to buy high. Much of it is a scam, sadly.
So, I'm not sure what you were getting at, but those are the facts.
- Something is not a conspiracy if it is obvious and well-known to everyone who's remotely in touch with current events. I mean, seriously - the only people I know who DON'T see how business basically owns the government is people who have an irrational hatred of government and love of business. They are the nuts who think that getting rid of government will allow the "kind and virtuous, truly patriotic, 'merican businesses to flourish and bring jobs to all." Right... because that's what those same businesses are trying to do now with all the influence they have... Maybe giving them complete power with no accountable will suddenly make them better people; it's not like power corrupts or anything.
- Do you honestly think business is unaware of the stock market and how "dirty commoners" can invest in it? You act like this is some sort of secret trick to fortune; it's not. Now, sure - investing in the market is a good idea, provided you know what you're doing, but your happy little dividend check isn't going to make up for that nice paying job you used to have that's now being done overseas for 1/4 the cost, is it? This is not a game you can win, and big business can toss the "dirty commoners" the sad hope of retiring on their paltry few thousands in their 401k's while gladly vacuuming up all their jobs and sending them overseas.
- Even in the market, the game is rigged. Sure, sure - you can probably invest long-term and, if you don't panic sell, you'll make a modest amount of money. Not enough to live off of, really, but it is better than nothing. But the crooks make money on the churn: up, down, sideways - it doesn't matter. They have insider knowledge and use it freely, and if things go wrong, they just get Bailed Out by the taxpayers. Then, they crash the market to get people to sell at a loss, and then drive it up again to get people to buy high. Much of it is a scam, sadly.
So, I'm not sure what you were getting at, but those are the facts.
I'm at the point where I could retire if this was the 1940s or 1950s and I'm only in my early 20s. I'm going to be okay. I don't know about you. Investing is working well for me. Perhaps you and others like you who don't invest enough should put in some more elbow grease.
I got out of my parent's house as soon as possible (18). I've never held a public sector job. It's the last thing I can imagine doing. Graduated with high honors in engineering, worked in aerospace for 10 years, made plenty of money, and "retired" for about 13 years and lived in the wilderness. I'm married and own/run two small businesses now. Which means that unlike many of you, I'm not getting paid to be on here.
I also have an IQ of ~180, which is probably what you find so frustrating. I often forget how challenging simple concepts are for regular people.
You must have been a real beaut. A good engineer can't afford to have any illusions. That's your defining trait.
I'm at the point where I could retire if this was the 1940s or 1950s and I'm only in my early 20s. I'm going to be okay. I don't know about you. Investing is working well for me. Perhaps you and others like you who don't invest enough should put in some more elbow grease.
Moderator cut: .Unless you are really well off, you cannot invest in your early 20's and survive in the 1940's and 50's (well unless it is a thing of making 50K a year then...)
Last edited by yellowbelle; 11-19-2015 at 11:40 AM..
Reason: removed off topic attack
Who says I make 7 dollars an hour? Maybe you're in that position. Perhaps you should work harder for a better job and invest more so you get more passive income.
If any of what you type is true you wouldn't be posting in the manner you do as you seem to already know all the answers.
I'm not that lucky or financially intelligent. I also don't have a job and don't believe in investments anymore after I've seen so many scams out there. Not worth it anymore...even if it's not a scam at the very least it's like playing the lottery.
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Maybe giving them complete power with no accountable will suddenly make them better people; it's not like power corrupts or anything. 
