Shipping skill jobs overseas/de-skilling American jobs, becoming a service economy that hires minimum wage (fast food, retail), and overall creating an environment that subtly pushes us to consume, not think for ourselves, and appreciate what we're given/don't ask questions all contribute to this. To suggest the people on top haven't helped deal us our cards is turning a blind eye.

No-one is holding a gun to anyone's head though. if people didn't want it this way, there would be revolution. You can lead a horse to water, but the horse will only drink if it wants to.

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FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ

I agree. I foresee some major change within the next 10 years. Younger generations are getting more and more privy to the inequality, and social media is a vehicle for mass protests.

I'm not suggesting that either. How come it's an all-or-nothing scenario? Certainly there's plenty of other factors that affect this issue, including greed. I'm not suggesting the people on top haven't helped exacerbate this situation. They have. But it's not the primary cause, which is demand. As a producer, I'm going to price my product at the optimum sweet point to maximize profits. But without demand, it doesn't matter how juicy the deal is. With huge demand, there is a fortune to be made. A mere $10 bucks from each of 150 million people is $1,500,000,000.00 cash in one producer's pocket. If he's charging ten bucks for something and sells a few units, folks think he's just one of the losers. But if he sells that same product for the same price to half of America, he's a greedy bastard billionaire. This is a result of the demand, not the greed.

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I blog, I tweet. When I'm not writing or goofing around on Seahawks.NET.

Evan, young people always perceive inequality. Every generation of young people has vowed to change the world. News flash: It hasn't happened yet and it probably never will.

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FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ

The Civil Rights Movement changed America and was led by radical, non-violent youths

I thought they were non-violent adults and middle aged people in charge of that, who knew.

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2013 AAR: Chris Harper

/thread

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Member formally known as AC59

Not to dredge up our last debate on this, but I agreed that those things DO exist.... my issue was with your characterization that seemed to imply that it was so widespread that it was the norm.

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Okay, so maybe that pass rush is still an issue. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Is it then, your opinion, that the average person who lives paycheck to paycheck doesn't spend part of that on items that are luxuries (ie NOT necessities such as food, water, shelter, etc.)

People do what they have to do to survive with some semblance of happiness & enjoyment. Often times long term needs are ignored at the expense of not spending every night sitting alone in an apartment watching pbs eating porridge and drinking tap water.

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Tanzania¹²

I didn't say I blame them, heck, for a long time I was them, but vols seems (at least from what I'm seeing here, that's why I asked, for clarification) to think that most people living from paycheck to paycheck aren't squandering away extra money that could be saved to better their lives exponentially in the future instead of the little bit it helps now.

I have no qualms with how people choose to spend the money they earn, I just question people who complain about those who have nicer homes, or newer cars, while they go to movies in the theater or out to dinner or smoke or drink or spend their money in other ways. I look at the situation most are in and I can see ways they could tighten their belts to make for a better future, but I'm not gong to tell them that's how they have to live, but please don't try to claim poverty while spending money on non necessities.

This is very true. And notice that I didn't begrudge their spending money contributing to the wealth of a few, only that it happens. And bear in mind that the amounts aren't really enough to devastate anyone. Living paycheck to paycheck while buying six dollar crema cum loudly lattes from Starbucks won't take horrible amounts of money out of the pockets of the poor, but added all together, it's a crap ton of money for Howard Schultz. And nothing will change radically about this because while bemoaning the wealth of a few, they'll be sipping on "just a little latte" and checking e-mail on their iPad.

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I blog, I tweet. When I'm not writing or goofing around on Seahawks.NET.

Who can blame them, after all, the wifi is free.

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That's weak sauce!

Sure most of the leaders were adults, but it wasn't a movement until the voice of the youth united and powered it into action. Freedom Riders, sit-ins, marches, all of these don't happen without the youth masses.



There's a huge difference in being poor and "feeling" poor. No one wants to feel poor, especially the poor.

The problem is systemic, right now you need both money and power to change the rules.

How was the survey information collection?

How was 'Wealth' defined to the participants? Most Americans don't know what wealth means, and neither does the video producer when he talks about 'all the cash in this guy's pockets...' when he was supposed to be talking about wealth.

Wealth is not income, it is not cash. Wealth is a component of many things.

Why is that important? Because the video producer mentions $54 Trillion dollars in American 'wealth'. If the survey takers do not define the word 'wealth' in the same way, then the video producer is being extremely disingenuous.

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“Cynicism is not realistic and tough. It’s unrealistic and cowardly because it means you don’t have to try.” - Peggy Noonan
The Real Hero Fights Without Knowing Whether Or Not He’ll Succeed. Courage is contagious.

Some other thoughts. People do not stay in the same percentile, they move constantly, some up, some down. The lower levels of "wealth" are always concentrated with younger people as they have not had the opportunity to grow in their careers (and higher paying jobs), build equity in investments (housing), and do not have "investment funds" which also build wealth (compounding). Time is essential to building wealth.

At the top end, there is vast wealth that will be handed down to younger generations at death. Some of that will cause the benefactors to move up the chart, while others will blow right through the inheritance.

Very curious as to how many are better off than their parents were at the same age/stage of adulthood.

Some thoughts from Thomas Sowell in the morning paper:

http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/latest-columns/20130306-thomas-sowell-upward-mobility-is-not-a-myth.ece?action=reregister

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That's weak sauce!

I'm not sure if you're trying to make a "no shit" point or what's the point?

I don't have access to Dallas News but the first line is already a bunch of BS.

"Most people are not even surprised anymore when they hear about someone who came here from Korea or Vietnam with very little money and very little knowledge of English, who nevertheless persevered and rose in American society. Nor are we surprised when their children excel in school and go on"

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RIP ROAD WOES 12/2/2012

If you don't have access, how did you read the first line.

And what is BS about it?

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That's weak sauce!

I see what you did there!! lol