If all the wealth in the world is a pie, does the pie grow?

Question

In other words, barring social exigencies, does every human being have an equal mathematical chance of living a decent middle-class life?

Answer 1

you must define first "decent middle-class life" in deterministic terms.
then you relate those terms to the actual "wealth" in the same terms, and do some statistical calculations.
you'll be surprised :)

Answer 2

Yes to the primary Q and No to the secondary.

Yes the pie grows, as you can see from any measure such as world or OECD GDP over decades.

No because (a) the growth is uneven. It is currently hapening faster in China than in most other places and some countries such as Zimbabwe things are getting worse. (b) each person's economic starting place is different. At present, your prospects of "a decent middle-class life" are higher if you are born in Manchester or Minneapolis than if you are born in Mbeya (Tanzania). (c) much depends on individual desires, talent and initiative. Think of the students in a large non-selective school, for example. Some are academically able, some average, some thick, a few have learning difficulties. Some have personalities that are great for salespersonship. Some love to make money, a few probably have been already doing it in school, others would much rather have fun or be loving. If it is a school in a poor neighbourhood relative to the total economy (think of the EU or the US as a whole), some will have the self-confidence, low risk-aversion, preferences and social skills to move out and work in a strange environment far from family home where the pay is higher and others won't.

Answer 3

You are asking two unrelated questions.

Does the pie grow (in other words, does world's wealth grow faster than population)? Yes. Contrary to the neo-Malthusian "prophecies" spewed by Paul Ehrlich and company in the 1970s, the incidence of malnutrition has decreased in the last 30 years.

Does every human being have an equal mathematical chance of living a decent middle-class life? No. Many governments out there have policies and institutions that are designed to benefit the fortunate few at the expense of the unfortunate many. As a result, a decent middle-class life is much more likely in France than it is in India and more likely in India than it is in, say, Rwanda...

Answer 4

The pie will grow just as the amount of $$ increases in the system. However, this doesn't mean that any of the 'have nots' will suddenly become 'haves'. Within the pie are societies, and cultures and mores that contribute to access to wealth. A poor person in Chicago, for example has a much better chance for wealth than someone in New Guinea.

If those with wealth spread their $$ out over the planet and all countries had identical access to loans, to a business friendly culture, to education, to the definition of 'wealth', then I believe there would be more of an equal chance.

Answer 5

The pie can be consumed and the pie can grow.

When wealth is being consumed then the wealth is being spent. This spending of wealth is like a person eating the pie. It sometimes seems like the pie is disappearing when it's being eaten, but really, the energy of eating the wealth is creating a new pie. This new pie can be bigger than the current pie. Especially during technological advances, wealth can be available to all allowing each to create more pie (wealth).

However, some like to hoard pie, and let it rot. When this happens, the pie just sits around and all of us stare at it drooling, waiting for a piece that a selfish person is flaunting in front of our eyes. Usually by the time the masses understand that some idiot is letting the pie spoil, it's too late, and the pie is rotten with green mold and puss - the wealthy and poor don't appreciate the pie then, and all loose. Can you say, "If they are starving, let them eat cake" ... like Marie Antoinette?

We only all have a equal chance of middle - class life when the pies being eaten. However during a pie eating contest, you must be ready to consume lots of pie.

Answer 6

The pie grows by about 3-6% each year, but obviously certain regions grow by smaller or larger amounts. The more people providing useful services, the wealthier everyone becomes.

Unfortunately humans do not have an equal probability of success (generating income). A number of factors influence this probability, parents the most notable of which.

Answer 7

Not really. Although theoritically if you work hard you can definitely improve your quality of life, but that's very tough. If a person is born poor, then more than likely, that person will remain poor the rest of his life.

However, you do hear cases of people who are born dirt poor, and they are able to become wealthy.

Bottom Line: you have to work your butt off if you want to make something of yourself.

Answer 8

no, and i say that resoundingly, no.....we r built on a preface of the haves and the have nots....it seems the world economy thrives on the needy just as much as the greedy..... i played a game called shadow president (dos)and in the game i am mr. president, trying to cure the ills of the world....i systematically did away with the ills of the world, poverty, hunger, diseases, and war....everyone prospered, yes even Africa was a world player...i was assasinated 7 months later....what does that tell you?

Answer 9

NO...IT JUST GETS PASSED AROUND.....YES THEY HAVE AN EQUAL CHANCE....BUT THEY HAVE TO MAKE THE EFFORT