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View Poll Results: Do you believe that the 20 richest percent have 84% of the wealth?
Conservative - Yes, I believe that 7 14.29%
Conservative - Nope, a lie 4 8.16%
Conservative - Not sure 6 12.24%
Liberal - Yes, I believe that 15 30.61%
Liberal - Nope, a lie 1 2.04%
Liberal - Not sure 3 6.12%
Moderate/Other - Yes, I believe that 10 20.41%
Moderate/Other - Nope, a lie 1 2.04%
Moderate/Other - Not sure 2 4.08%
Voters: 49. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 11-18-2010, 05:29 AM
 
Location: Hoboken
19,890 posts, read 18,749,261 times
Reputation: 3146

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lycanmaster View Post
If the shoe fits...

I mean, we are talking about Corporate America after all...

Well of course there is no truth to that statement.

The left is full of bitter failures who are jealous of those who acheive.
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Old 11-18-2010, 05:51 AM
 
Location: Tampa
3,982 posts, read 10,460,647 times
Reputation: 1200
for those that dont think the top 20% is rich enough, what about the top 1%?

Who Rules America: Wealth, Income, and Power

they have anywhere between 35-43% of the wealth in this country (depending on what you use to measure).

and, what do YOU, personally, think would be a fair goal for the top 1% to have.

50? 60? 99?

and if/when it does creep higher, what do YOU propose to do to re-distribute?

this is a what-if, so please treat it as such.
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Old 11-18-2010, 06:47 AM
 
Location: Hoboken
19,890 posts, read 18,749,261 times
Reputation: 3146
Quote:
Originally Posted by crystalblue View Post
for those that dont think the top 20% is rich enough, what about the top 1%?

Who Rules America: Wealth, Income, and Power

they have anywhere between 35-43% of the wealth in this country (depending on what you use to measure).

and, what do YOU, personally, think would be a fair goal for the top 1% to have.

50? 60? 99?

and if/when it does creep higher, what do YOU propose to do to re-distribute?

this is a what-if, so please treat it as such.

What does fair mean? People should accumulate what they can. Would you be concerened about "fairness" if the top 1% controlled 0.5% of wealth? I think not. What this comes down to is jealousy of wealth.
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Old 11-18-2010, 07:01 AM
 
1,598 posts, read 1,936,195 times
Reputation: 1101
Quote:
Originally Posted by nevergoingback View Post
Bill Gates disagrees with you. Bad example.

Not really. Bill Gates CHOOSES to give away vast portions of this wealth. Big difference. It's not confiscated by Pelosi and Obama and redistributed to unions, freebies for illegals, insurance companies and diversity programs.

BTW, Bill Gates and folks like him (Warren Buffet for example) who give away vast portions of their fortune should be applauded. I hope if I'm ever in their position I do the same thing. I know I need to give more and need to make sure I do so in the future.

In the end though it is their CHOICE to do so. It would be entirely within their rights to instead hoard it all and swim in a big vat of gold coins like Scrooge McDuck. Morally, it that the right decision? No, not in my opinion but it isn't our decision to make.
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Old 11-18-2010, 07:06 AM
 
10,854 posts, read 9,299,972 times
Reputation: 3122
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunny-Days90 View Post
Explain.
Bill Gates intends to give away most of his wealth. I think that is what the other poster was getting at. He can corrected me if I'm wrong.
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Old 11-18-2010, 07:46 AM
 
10,854 posts, read 9,299,972 times
Reputation: 3122
Quote:
Originally Posted by crystalblue View Post
not all that much chance

Graphic: How Class Works - New York Times

if you are middle class or lower, your odds of making it to the top are slim. if your at the top, you often stay there.



and, for those that support the rich, do you not think that one of the reasons they stay rich is by keeping the rest poor? why have real wages for the middle class remained stagnant for decades, but risen for the rich?

do you really think rich people want you to do well? to join their society?
The average middle class American has been socially indoctrinated to go to school get a job, buy a house, get married and pop out a couple of kids. Now let's look at those things in the context of today’s world. In many cases going to school means going into debt with student loans. Buy a car get a loan. Get a house, get a mortgage. Buy stuff for the house and pay by credit card. Have some kids and put more stuff on the credit card.

The game is rigged if you follow this mentality. You are constantly in debt and you chances of dramatically improving your life is limited at best.

So separates the rich or affluent from most middle class Americans?

INVESTING!

The average middle class American works for a wage. The affluent people in this country get an INCOME. This may mean one or more streams of income. This income can be wages from a job and/or income from INVESTMENTS. Once you start receiving investment income you start separating yourself from the average middle class American. If you are able to reach the point where you income from your investments allow you a comfortable lifestyle then you are wealthy. That doesn't necessarily have to mean you live in a $5 million dollar home, or have a fleet of cars. The main thing is YOUR MONEY WORKS FOR YOU, YOU NO LONGER WORK FOR YOUR MONEY.

The current economic system in this country FAVORS INVESTORS. IT NO FAVORS WAGE EARNERS.
The sooner you realize that and do something about it the better off you will be. The days of sucking on the corporate t*t and hoping for a nice plush retirement are just about over. The future belongs to people with entrepreneurial skills and investment savvy.
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Old 11-18-2010, 08:12 AM
 
Location: Central Maine
4,697 posts, read 6,447,121 times
Reputation: 5047
It's not like wealth re-distribution is a new thing. See: http://www.cbpp.org/files/6-25-10inc.pdf
Percent Change in After-Tax Income Since 1979:

Bottom Fifth - +16%
Middle Fifth - +25%
Highest Fifth - +95%

Top 1 Percent - +281%
We call that the rich getting richer. Ironically, the people who whine the most about President Obama & wealth re-distribution (1) are totally unaware that they have been on the wrong side of wealth re-distribution for most/all of their lives, and (2) will never, ever be in the top 1%.
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Old 11-18-2010, 08:17 AM
 
Location: Inland Levy County, FL
8,806 posts, read 6,109,397 times
Reputation: 2949
Quote:
Originally Posted by crystalblue View Post
for those that dont think the top 20% is rich enough, what about the top 1%?

Who Rules America: Wealth, Income, and Power

they have anywhere between 35-43% of the wealth in this country (depending on what you use to measure).

and, what do YOU, personally, think would be a fair goal for the top 1% to have.

50? 60? 99?

and if/when it does creep higher, what do YOU propose to do to re-distribute?

this is a what-if, so please treat it as such.
Whatever their goals are is what is fair. I'm sure it's not their goal to have a certain percentage of wealth as compared with the total wealth of the country. It's not up for anyone to put a cap on their earnings. If you do, you'll have a nation that stagnates.

I propose we do nothing to redistribute and your question implies that redistribution is the "right" thing to do. I inherently disagree with that.
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Old 11-18-2010, 08:21 AM
 
10,854 posts, read 9,299,972 times
Reputation: 3122
Quote:
Originally Posted by maschuette View Post
I have a question. Where does it end with the left? Do they really want to tear down anyone who is a billionaire? And if they succeed are they going to do it to multi millionaires? Then just millionaires? Then anyone making 6 figures? What is the GOAL here. Do you want everyone in america to be poor? Because i would rather have the chance to be rich than everyone be poor.
I for one have no problem with anybody getting as rich as their skills, talent, hard work, and determination allow them to be. There is nothing inherently wrong with being rich. But while conservative complain about liberal wanting to "Redistribute Wealth" the fail to ignore how Corporate America has been redistributing wealth especially in the last 20 years. The income for non-executive wage earners has been relatively stagnant while the pay for corporate executives and people with strategic businesses skills has skyrocketed.

The question is do you think this is fair? And has the balance of economic power tilts more and more towards to the rich? We’ve already seen how the increase in money in campaign financing affects politics. It’s no mistake that one of the biggest issue Republicans ran on this past elections was keeping tax cuts for the rich. If the rich keep investing their money in places like China, Viet Nam, India, Malaysia, Brazil and other countries at the expense of American jobs how does that help America?
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Old 11-18-2010, 08:23 AM
 
Location: Inland Levy County, FL
8,806 posts, read 6,109,397 times
Reputation: 2949
Quote:
Originally Posted by JazzyTallGuy View Post
The average middle class American has been socially indoctrinated to go to school get a job, buy a house, get married and pop out a couple of kids. Now let's look at those things in the context of today’s world. In many cases going to school means going into debt with student loans. Buy a car get a loan. Get a house, get a mortgage. Buy stuff for the house and pay by credit card. Have some kids and put more stuff on the credit card.

The game is rigged if you follow this mentality. You are constantly in debt and you chances of dramatically improving your life is limited at best.

So separates the rich or affluent from most middle class Americans?

INVESTING!

The average middle class American works for a wage. The affluent people in this country get an INCOME. This may mean one or more streams of income. This income can be wages from a job and/or income from INVESTMENTS. Once you start receiving investment income you start separating yourself from the average middle class American. If you are able to reach the point where you income from your investments allow you a comfortable lifestyle then you are wealthy. That doesn't necessarily have to mean you live in a $5 million dollar home, or have a fleet of cars. The main thing is YOUR MONEY WORKS FOR YOU, YOU NO LONGER WORK FOR YOUR MONEY.

The current economic system in this country FAVORS INVESTORS. IT NO FAVORS WAGE EARNERS.
The sooner you realize that and do something about it the better off you will be. The days of sucking on the corporate t*t and hoping for a nice plush retirement are just about over. The future belongs to people with entrepreneurial skills and investment savvy.
I'm confused, are you saying it's a bad thing to make smart choices and let your money work for you? Or are you applauding people who have done this?
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