The US has the income equality of a third world country, why?

[QUOTE="kuraimen"]Wut? the quoted text are all from analysis and interpretations of the american dream. The american dream is not only a personal interpretation, it is a social movement used by the US government and politicians to promote the US. People even talk about the american dream when migrating there. All those authors historical interpretation of the american dream as a social construct agree with my believe that the american dream basically turned into a way to promote mindless consumerism and I'm not the only one who thinks that.airshocker

I don't agree with that. At least not the analysis you posted.

"Mindless" consumerism sounds catchy and derogatory but this "mindless" consumerism drives our economy.

[QUOTE="kuraimen"]Wut? the quoted text are all from analysis and interpretations of the american dream. The american dream is not only a personal interpretation, it is a social movement used by the US government and politicians to promote the US. People even talk about the american dream when migrating there. All those authors historical interpretation of the american dream as a social construct agree with my believe that the american dream basically turned into a way to promote mindless consumerism and I'm not the only one who thinks that.airshocker

I don't agree with that. At least not the analysis you posted.

"Mindless" consumerism sounds catchy and derogatory but this "mindless" consumerism drives our economy.

Rich are too weathy poors are in misery .That´s why

Rich are too weathy poors are in misery .That´s why

delol

And that's why most economies are in trouble now IMO because they are driven by mindless consumerism. No way a mindless system like that is sustainable.kuraimen

Something being mindless is very subjective. Like right now I'm of the mind to go pick up my gaming headset I bought through Best Buy online. That certainly isn't mindless since I put thought into my buying decision, chose Best Buy because of the labor day weekend discount, and submitted my order. I'm also of the mind that I want a Monster energy drink while I drive, so I'm going to stop at the Gulf station before I get onto the Thruway. What about that is mindless?

Economy always will have ups and downs but if it weren't for consumerism you'd be milking cows right now.

Cow4ever

Why are you talking to me? I'm not the one against consumerism.

Sooooo many logical fallacies in this thread. The biggest one: third world countries tend to have higher income inequality. This does not mean income inequality has any relation to being a third-world country or becoming a third-world country. The only thing this tells me is what everyone here already knew, which is that the U.S is more conservative than western Europe and doesn't redistribute income as heavily. That's the only thing we can extrapolate from this data.

[QUOTE="cybrcatter"]

Yet the US has one of the highest real median annual household incomes in the world.

coolbeans90

This pretty much sums up my opinion on the matter.

[QUOTE="Cow4ever"]

Economy always will have ups and downs but if it weren't for consumerism you'd be milking cows right now.

airshocker

Why are you talking to me? I'm not the one against consumerism.

The US is an Economy based of afew main things Medicine, Military Development, Banking and investment, Cars, Agriculture, Electronics and Chemicals.
The first and second bring little in the way of GDP advancement and takes money from the poor in terms of Insurance and Tax distributing it to higher earners, the 3rd does a similar thing as not many American banks have a large presence outside the US and just redistributes Mortgage income. The rest are fair dues but American cars don't sell well outside America and most major electrical companies are Japanesse.

Then you have the problem that your top earners are the politicians and this results in them keeping things cosy for themselves and tax on the above industries low as theey own most of them resulting in a viscious cycle. Your College system is one of the most expensive in the world with little state funding making social mobility through education difficult.

Basically it's your distain of Communism led you to blieve that a degree of Socialism is also inherently a bad thing.

Edit: My 'E' button seems to be enjoying double posting atm

"Injustice"?

You mean inequality? Nothing about the distribution of wealth is related with injustice, it's the other way around if anything :?N30F3N1X

Then you have a pretty twisted sense of morality if you ask me. One man shouldn't have the combined wealth of 100 million poor people.

[QUOTE="Ace6301"]Nah it doesn't help the middle class at all. It's very much a case of the rich get richer and everyone else gets more poor.airshocker

I'm middle-class and I've been getting richer.

Your a minority.. The middle class in large numbers has been evaporating due to stagnating wages and increase cost of living... Its little wonder why we are in debt trouble as a nation? One can't even get into college most of the time inless they are willing to put themselves significantly indebt. Things get worse when the fact of the matter is the tax code is basically controlled by the corporations and lobbying.. Regulations as of late have been for the large businesses instead of trying to be for the people instead.. Hell we saw this with the economic regulation plan released over a year back.. It has been mangled and toothless after originally set out to protect the consumer and regulating certain aspects of the private market that was being abused..

[QUOTE="airshocker"]

[QUOTE="kuraimen"]Wut? the quoted text are all from analysis and interpretations of the american dream. The american dream is not only a personal interpretation, it is a social movement used by the US government and politicians to promote the US. People even talk about the american dream when migrating there. All those authors historical interpretation of the american dream as a social construct agree with my believe that the american dream basically turned into a way to promote mindless consumerism and I'm not the only one who thinks that.kuraimen

I don't agree with that. At least not the analysis you posted.

"Mindless" consumerism sounds catchy and derogatory but this "mindless" consumerism drives our economy.

[QUOTE="airshocker"]

[QUOTE="Ace6301"]Nah it doesn't help the middle class at all. It's very much a case of the rich get richer and everyone else gets more poor.sSubZerOo

I'm middle-class and I've been getting richer.

Your a minority.. The middle class in large numbers has been evaporating due to stagnating wages and increase cost of living... Its little wonder why we are in debt trouble as a nation? One can't even get into college most of the time inless they are willing to put themselves significantly indebt. Things get worse when the fact of the matter is the tax code is basically controlled by the corporations and lobbying.. Regulations as of late have been for the large businesses instead of trying to be for the people instead.. Hell we saw this with the economic regulation plan released over a year back.. It has been mangled and toothless after originally set out to protect the consumer and regulating certain aspects of the private market that was being abused..

Technically, since median household income (PPP) has been stagnant, things are remaining the same, not becoming worse. The metric takes into account the purchasing power of the median household income.

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

[QUOTE="airshocker"]

I'm middle-class and I've been getting richer.

coolbeans90

Your a minority.. The middle class in large numbers has been evaporating due to stagnating wages and increase cost of living... Its little wonder why we are in debt trouble as a nation? One can't even get into college most of the time inless they are willing to put themselves significantly indebt. Things get worse when the fact of the matter is the tax code is basically controlled by the corporations and lobbying.. Regulations as of late have been for the large businesses instead of trying to be for the people instead.. Hell we saw this with the economic regulation plan released over a year back.. It has been mangled and toothless after originally set out to protect the consumer and regulating certain aspects of the private market that was being abused..

Technically, since median household income (PPP) has been stagnant, things are remaining the same, not becoming worse. The metric takes into account the purchasing power of the median household income.

This isnt' for just the current few years.. This is for the past 2 decades..

[QUOTE="coolbeans90"]

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

Your a minority.. The middle class in large numbers has been evaporating due to stagnating wages and increase cost of living... Its little wonder why we are in debt trouble as a nation? One can't even get into college most of the time inless they are willing to put themselves significantly indebt. Things get worse when the fact of the matter is the tax code is basically controlled by the corporations and lobbying.. Regulations as of late have been for the large businesses instead of trying to be for the people instead.. Hell we saw this with the economic regulation plan released over a year back.. It has been mangled and toothless after originally set out to protect the consumer and regulating certain aspects of the private market that was being abused..

sSubZerOo

Technically, since median household income (PPP) has been stagnant, things are remaining the same, not becoming worse. The metric takes into account the purchasing power of the median household income.

This isnt' for just the current few years.. This is for the past 2 decades..

Three, actually.

[QUOTE="kuraimen"][QUOTE="airshocker"]

I don't agree with that. At least not the analysis you posted.

"Mindless" consumerism sounds catchy and derogatory but this "mindless" consumerism drives our economy.

surrealnumber5

Could be also but I think the real problems stem from much deeper roots into the foundation of the whole system.

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

[QUOTE="coolbeans90"]

Technically, since median household income (PPP) has been stagnant, things are remaining the same, not becoming worse. The metric takes into account the purchasing power of the median household income.

coolbeans90

This isnt' for just the current few years.. This is for the past 2 decades..

Three, actually.

And the prices have gone up in numerous things, nothing has changed the same.. Fossil fuels being at the forefront when it comes to the costs.

[QUOTE="coolbeans90"]

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

This isnt' for just the current few years.. This is for the past 2 decades..

sSubZerOo

Three, actually.

And the prices have gone up in numerous things, nothing has changed the same.. Fossil fuels being at the forefront when it comes to the costs.

And you do realize that nominal median household income has risen - adjusting for inflation, however, there is a stagnation.

[QUOTE="surrealnumber5"][QUOTE="kuraimen"] And that's why most economies are in trouble now IMO because they are driven by mindless consumerism. No way a mindless system like that is sustainable.kuraimen

Could be also but I think the real problems stem from much deeper roots into the foundation of the whole system.

[QUOTE="kuraimen"]

[QUOTE="surrealnumber5"] yea it cant be because of the over spending of governments. surrealnumber5

Could be also but I think the real problems stem from much deeper roots into the foundation of the whole system.

That's absurd. Everyone knows that wealth given to the upper classes trickles down to the bottom.mattbbpl

:P

[QUOTE="surrealnumber5"][QUOTE="kuraimen"]

Could be also but I think the real problems stem from much deeper roots into the foundation of the whole system.

kuraimen

[QUOTE="kuraimen"][QUOTE="surrealnumber5"] countries have called into question their ability to pay off their debts, the people within those countries have no direct control over what their politicians spend money on. the dollar and the euro are the two largest currencies and have the two largest economies backing them and only the over spending of the governments within has called the currencies into question. surrealnumber5

[QUOTE="surrealnumber5"]

[QUOTE="kuraimen"] Yes and you're talking about some superficial structural problems of the system I'm talking about structural problems on its foundations. The fact that the system is based on creating wealth for the sake of it is the biggest problem with it. It puts profit above anything else. If that's not changed then all the changes in government spending will be only cosmetic changes that hide the real problem and it will eventually collapse anyway.kuraimen

[QUOTE="kuraimen"][QUOTE="surrealnumber5"] filling the needs and wants for others so that you may fill your needs and wants is part of the trade system. what are you proposing as a better alternative? a feudalistic(or despotic)? or a communist one? those are the only other two that i can think of and they dont work in theory or practice anywhere near what a free enterprise trade system does. letting each person work to better his lot by positively impacting his neighbors is a mutually beneficial system where the other two options are zero sum systems.

surrealnumber5

No it can be a system made of rules but that it has those basic principles as its foundations. In this topic I explain one such a system as described by a renowned economist http://www.gamespot.com/forums/topic/28812331/a-new-economic-system?page=0. People like him and many others think the current system is inherently self-destructive and I think we are witnessing its downfall (finally). Like he says growth shouldn't be equal to development or progress like it is now, another of the foundational failures of this system.

[QUOTE="mattbbpl"]That's absurd. Everyone knows that wealth given to the upper classes trickles down to the bottom.magicalclick

If and only if, the wealthy is confident that the money trickles down makes a good "investment return". Wealthy is not dumb, they don't "invest" without a good profitable return. Meaning, they would secure as much as they have when the economy is bad.The gap is mainly caused by the "ability to secure properties and income" rather than the ability to make more money.

Lack of leaders, innovation, hard workers, educated pop.

Your a minority.. The middle class in large numbers has been evaporating due to stagnating wages and increase cost of living... Its little wonder why we are in debt trouble as a nation? One can't even get into college most of the time inless they are willing to put themselves significantly indebt. Things get worse when the fact of the matter is the tax code is basically controlled by the corporations and lobbying.. Regulations as of late have been for the large businesses instead of trying to be for the people instead.. Hell we saw this with the economic regulation plan released over a year back.. It has been mangled and toothless after originally set out to protect the consumer and regulating certain aspects of the private market that was being abused..

sSubZerOo

I'm not a minority. I've simply made smart decisions and work hard.

Something you conveniently left out is that tuition costs stem from government involvement. So long as most students are guaranteed to get a loan backed by the government, colleges can charge whatever they want for tuition. It's also cute of you to ignore the fact that government raises the cost of living artificially.

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

Your a minority.. The middle ****in large numbers has been evaporating due to stagnating wages and increase cost of living... Its little wonder why we are in debt trouble as a nation? One can't even get into college most of the time inless they are willing to put themselves significantly indebt. Things get worse when the fact of the matter is the tax code is basically controlled by the corporations and lobbying.. Regulations as of late have been for the large businesses instead of trying to be for the people instead.. Hell we saw this with the economic regulation plan released over a year back.. It has been mangled and toothless after originally set out to protect the consumer and regulating certain aspects of the private market that was being abused..

airshocker

I'm not a minority. I've simply made smart decisions and work hard.

Something you conveniently left out is that tuition costs stem from government involvement. So long as most students are guaranteed to get a loan backed by the government, colleges can charge whatever they want for tuition. It's also cute of you to ignore the fact that government raises the cost of living artificially.

but inflation is always good, where have you been airshocker

surrealnumber5

Out of the loop I guess. :P My Mom always said I can do anything I want if I work hard enough. Turns out she was right.

TC doesn't understand what "wealth" really is and obviously believes in the zero-sum game fallacy.

We have to split the US in half.

[QUOTE="airshocker"]

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

Your a minority.. The middle ****in large numbers has been evaporating due to stagnating wages and increase cost of living... Its little wonder why we are in debt trouble as a nation? One can't even get into college most of the time inless they are willing to put themselves significantly indebt. Things get worse when the fact of the matter is the tax code is basically controlled by the corporations and lobbying.. Regulations as of late have been for the large businesses instead of trying to be for the people instead.. Hell we saw this with the economic regulation plan released over a year back.. It has been mangled and toothless after originally set out to protect the consumer and regulating certain aspects of the private market that was being abused..

surrealnumber5

I'm not a minority. I've simply made smart decisions and work hard.

Something you conveniently left out is that tuition costs stem from government involvement. So long as most students are guaranteed to get a loan backed by the government, colleges can charge whatever they want for tuition. It's also cute of you to ignore the fact that government raises the cost of living artificially.

Lol at the logic of this pic. I know a few people who have degrees and can't even get a job in what they are major in. They are still working in fast food stuff.

[QUOTE="cybrcatter"]

Yet the US has one of the highest real median annual household incomes in the world.

coolbeans90

This pretty much sums up my opinion on the matter.

hmm if thats the case I guess you won't care until the medium income drops about $10000 lower, the national debt increases by another 10 trillion, pay taxes up the *** and the rich have about 90% of all generated wealth. Well even then at that point we'll still be better off than the poor people right?

[QUOTE="surrealnumber5"]

[QUOTE="airshocker"]

I'm not a minority. I've simply made smart decisions and work hard.

Something you conveniently left out is that tuition costs stem from government involvement. So long as most students are guaranteed to get a loan backed by the government, colleges can charge whatever they want for tuition. It's also cute of you to ignore the fact that government raises the cost of living artificially.

Gaming-Planet

Lol at the logic of this pic. I know a few people who have degrees and can't even get a job in what they are major in. They are still working in fast food stuff.

[QUOTE="coolbeans90"]

[QUOTE="cybrcatter"]

Yet the US has one of the highest real median annual household incomes in the world.

blaznwiipspman1

This pretty much sums up my opinion on the matter.

hmm if thats the case I guess you won't care until the medium income drops about $10000 lower, the national debt increases by another 10 trillion, pay taxes up the ass and the rich have about 90% of all generated wealth. Well even then at that point we'll still be better off than the poor people right?

What the f*** am I reading and how is it even remotely related to my post?

What the f*** am I reading and how is it even remotely related to my post?

coolbeans90

Better edit out his bad words, CB. Mods have hit me with a couple warnings for quoting people who have their posts moderated.

On topic though, I couldn't even begin to tell you. I don't think he even read what you said.

I blame globalism.

When you export a great deal of your jobs abroad to be done by slave labour, businesses only need their population to consume, not to do paid work. The profits go directly to the business owners, not trickling down to the local population via their workforce.

They have managed to get away with it for so long, because consumers could just go into debt to live beyond their means. Paying off the cost of products little by little using credit. But now cheap credit is gone, and the population are either jobless or too indebted to consume.

[QUOTE="Gaming-Planet"]

[QUOTE="surrealnumber5"] but inflation is always good, where have you been airshocker

surrealnumber5

Lol at the logic of this pic. I know a few people who have degrees and can't even get a job in what they are major in. They are still working in fast food stuff.

the cartoon is not true depicition of reality in any sense.

uk and france is socialist and their people have free healthcarehelwa1988

Sorry, but I cringe whenever an American says we have "free" health care :P We all pay for the NHS via our taxes. When it comes to prescriptions, we also pay a low fixed fee (regardless of whether it is £4 or £400). It means people get the medical care they need without great expense, because we all pool our money to pay for it.

its time for america to stop this capitalism crap. uk and france is socialist and their people have free healthcare and more affordable university educationhelwa1988