Wealth distribution in America...

wayoflife said:
Being that you would agree there is a clear agenda in this video, I'd love to know what it is that interests you about it.

Also, I'd like to clarify that what I specifically said in the other thread you referred to is that "I am fascinated with science, technology and ingenuity" and that's why I shared it.
Click to expand...

Oh man, I was in a meeting and my phone was blowing up! I'm slamming at work right now, but I'll give you the quick and dirty of some of the things I find interesting...

Warning: this will probably be stream of consciousness writing, will not likely flow (I kept getting interrupted) and probably contradictory in many ways. :cheesy:

Human behavior in general interests me.
Assuming for a second that the study referenced at the beginning was accurately performed and that it is fairly depicted in the video (a big assumption I know), the difference between what people thought was the perceived, ideal vs actual wealth distribution in America is interesting.
I found the statistics cited at the end interesting (although believe 93.765% of all statistics to be made up ;)). Particularly the trends of wealth/income over time and the amount of securities held by the bottom 50% of the scale.
I actually liked the graphics. But I'm a simple guy and pictures help me comprehend things. :)
I also find it interesting to watch how people react when presented with various types information.

I probably walked away from the video with the exact opposite reaction than the guy that made it wanted. However, that doesn't mean his presentation of the material doesn't make me think about how that information relates or doesn't relate to other areas of society or life in general, or even other things I find interesting or find relevant to my own life. I assume others will have a different reaction. Some might agree completely with the socialist bent of the production. Some may dismiss it as nonsense. Some might have complete apathy. While I might not agree, I personlly do not think there is anything wrong with having any of those responses. People's perspecitves in life are shaped by a variety of influences. However, I do in fact, find them all interesting. :)

Oh and the part that I was referring to in your other post was this "allow me to state for the record that I am not trying to make some kind of political statement by posting this up but rather...." I couldn't remember the exact wording, was too lazy to go look it up, so I summarized using "agenda." Sorry if I misrepresented your intent. I just didn't want this thread to turn into a low-brow back-and-forth people opinion bashing thread. :thumb:
 
MTG said:
I probably walked away from the video with the exact opposite reaction than the guy that made it wanted. However, that doesn't mean his presentation of the material doesn't make me think about how that information relates or doesn't relate to other areas of society or life in general, or even other things I find interesting or find relevant to my own life. I assume others will have a different reaction. Some might agree completely with the socialist bent of the production. Some may dismiss it as nonsense. Some might have complete apathy. While I might not agree, I personlly do not think there is anything wrong with having any of those responses. People's perspecitves in life are shaped by a variety of influences. However, I do in fact, find them all interesting. :)
Click to expand...

Well said.
 
To be far that presentation should then compare Americans to the rest of the world. Our poorest live like kings compared to other countries.
 
I did see that a while back and didn't think much of it. I agree with what most of you have said here. I work hard for my money and don't want the lazzies to get it.

Statistics can be manipulated to show what the statistician wants.

A while back I looked up what individuals in the 1% did for a living and how much you actually had to earn to be considered a 1%er. Here is a chart that may or may not have been statistically shaped. (probably not because it seems modeled from actual data and seems to agree pretty closely with most others that I have seen)

20111024-agi-floor-percentiles.png

So you can see that if you are very successful then it is easy to be a 1%er and I hope to get there some day. :idontknow:
 
Doknocker said:
I did see that a while back and didn't think much of it. I agree with what most of you have said here. I work hard for my money and don't want the lazzies to get it.

Statistics can be manipulated to show what the statistician wants.

A while back I looked up what individuals in the 1% did for a living and how much you actually had to earn to be considered a 1%er. Here is a chart that may or may not have been statistically shaped. (probably not because it seems modeled from actual data and seems to agree pretty closely with most others that I have seen)

View attachment 29013

So you can see that if you are very successful then it is easy to be a 1%er and I hope to get there some day. :idontknow:
Click to expand...

Just FYI--that looks like income not wealth. But it supports your point.
 
MTG said:
Warning: this will probably be stream of consciousness writing, will not likely flow (I kept getting interrupted) and probably contradictory in many ways. :cheesy:
Click to expand...

I guess I should have put this disclaimer out there first. :cheesy:
 
I also find this very interesting! I agree with everyone that socialism is horrible and that people who work hard and smart should have the opportunity to make their own wealth! But my first thoughts were of corruption. In any government there is and always will be corruption and 1% having all the wealth is a huge alert to that. I dont want their money, I am making my own and happy with my hard earned and deserved income. But I do cringe when I see people "behind the scenes" having all the money, while people are struggling to pay rent and feed their children after job losses. Ill never vote for some form of redistribution of that cash, but it is sad. The economic downfall sure didnt hurt anyone in that top 20% or 1%.

OverlanderJK said:
I highly doubt anybody on this site is in the one percent and maybe very few if any who are in the top 20%. I sure as hell am not even remotely close and doubt I ever will be.
Click to expand...

haha I doubt anyone on this site even directly knows someone in the top 1% :naw:

MTG said:
Human behavior in general interests me.
Click to expand...

MTG said:
I also find it interesting to watch how people react when presented with various types information.
Click to expand...

MTG said:
that doesn't mean his presentation of the material doesn't make me think about how that information relates or doesn't relate to other areas of society or life in general, or even other things I find interesting or find relevant to my own life. I assume others will have a different reaction. Some might agree completely with the socialist bent of the production. Some may dismiss it as nonsense. Some might have complete apathy. While I might not agree, I personlly do not think there is anything wrong with having any of those responses. People's perspecitves in life are shaped by a variety of influences. However, I do in fact, find them all interesting. :)
Click to expand...

I couldnt agree with you more, and nearly all of your responses sounded like I was reading my own writing!
 
ssgp2 said:
The flip side...
Click to expand...

so i decided to watch this video, and now i wish i had not. THIS is where this country is going because of the amount of social services that are available to almost anyone. This person is basically saying that it is someone elses fault that she has 15 children.... ummm, maybe social services should take her ovaries in exchange for a check? I know I know, that is terrible... But why not??? 15 children and ZERO way to pay for them? Why should she be allowed to both continue to breed and continue to take money? See this is why I did not want to watch that mess.

I will say this, I have worked since I was 17 and only for the past 6 months have I used my EDD (which I earned BTW) and it still sickens me that I am not working. It is called work ethic! Some have it and some dont and I can guaranty that none of those 15 children will ever have it because it wont be taught to them... The only way to distribute wealth is to distribute the WANT/NEED to work, plain and simple. There number at the bottom is going to continue to grow because the bottom wants no part of getting out of bed and working for a living... Until there is a change in the social service programs that force people to better themselves, there will be no way to change the trend...


andrew -
 
WOW, And I thought I was actually doing good, I'm struggling, but aparently I'm no longer upper middle class, but lower upper class. Just with a crap ton of bills acording to the first video...

And As for the second, I'm sorry, she needs to get a job that does not require her to be on her back. Maybe one that educated her a little about Birth Control!!!!

Pushing her issues off, saying someone else has to be responsible, She should have her ovaries torn out, and all of her children taken away. I hate the people like this that think that others should support them, due to the fact they don't want to work, What they don't say in the video is that she was probably on the crack most of her life, and was to stupid to close her legs...

I grew up, started working at 15 1/2 at a local variety food store for a year, untill they found out that I could not work with the meat cuttin and grinding equipment until I was 17 as I was not family (close friends only). so I got a different job at 16 1/2 and went from there to other jobs and into the Computer field after HS graduation (until I found the educational cieling and went bcak to College). I've worked my A$$ off most of my life, and have been discusted with myself in 2001 when because of Stupidity, left a great job at MIT to go into the business world and timed it perfect for when some JackA$$ flew planess into buildings. Leaving me on Unemployment for a year, and grosely under employed for 2 more after that. Being on Unemployment sickened me, I felt like I was "getting a free ride", even though with all of the taxes I've paid over the years I'd more than covered the time I was on it, I still felt sick taking it. For the people that need it I have no issue, but there are a ton of people out there like this bitch that "work" the system so they can live free for the rest of their lives. I don't know how they can do it..

PS> Sorry for the rant, but people like the above Bitch really make me pissed off...
 
Last edited:
wayoflife said:
My father came to America as an immigrant with $5 in his pocket, barely a high school education and spoke very little English. Growing up, we've lived in the ghettos of East L.A., sold clothing and wigs at swap meets, lived in low income housing with no carpeting and didn't even have a real bed until I was 6 or 7. And in spite of it, my dad was still able to make something of himself, build up a successful business, buy a nice house in a great neighborhood and provide well for his family before passing away. If there's one thing he taught me, life is terribly unfair and whining about it won't do squat for you. He'd say, "if you don't like it here, you can always move to the country I left!"
Click to expand...

That's great, I love stories like that. Very inspirational. I used to work with a guy that was raising his family in a trailer park in Cypress Ca. One day his kids started complaining about why they have to live in a "tin can house". He put the kids in the car and took them to some real life east LA ghettos and showed them how other people live, then told them about how he grew up worse than that in Hawaii with 6 brothers and sisters sharing everything, including beds the same pair of shoes. His kids didn't complain anymore.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom