How much of America's wealth does the top 1% have to own before Republicans think we have a problem?

Question

I mean Republican voters. Obviously all politicians who how their bread gets buttered.

Failing to see the big picture is America's failure, freakzilla.

Z-force, do you really think ANYBODY in the richest 1% has ever worked a day in their life? Do you imagine that these multi-billionaires started off investing dimes saved from their job at McDonald's? What a fantasy world you live in!

sgreger, Bill Gates was born into a family of millonaires, and used family connections to get where he is today. But he is typical.

Super Ruper, you do understand my question, but you are wrong that the government does nothing to promote the interests of the richest 1% and their voracious pursuit of the world's wealth?

Why do you think the rich pour billions of dollars into political campaigns? So they can write the laws that protect their rights as shareholders against managers, their rights as directors of large companies against smaller companies, and their rights as capitalists against workers, consumers, communities, the environment, and the rest of the world.

dsl, my question was about wealth, not income.

Answer 1

Why does it matter how big their piece of the pie is, if the pie has gotten so big that everyone has more? You must have a problem with class envy, huh?

And consider the fact that between 2000 and 2004, the income of the top 1% as a percentage of total U.S. income actually fell, while their percentage of tax payments actually increased.

Edit: Hey Freak, if you look at my link, you will see that the top 1% is defined as making ~$330,000 a year. Is that money unearned too?

Answer 2

Why are you mad that some people have more money than others? This isnt communism. They worked for it, used legal methods and good investment strategies, as well as not racking up credit card debt and lavish spending on designer brand clothes etc and they make that money legitimately. Now that they have succeeded and are financially secure they use their money for causes they like, some donate to aids funds, some donate to political representatives that have the same views, some just open up new companies.


Why do you care? There is no problem, the only problem is that you are not willing to work for your money or be smart with money so you dont have it. Do not expect any free handouts from America you commie.




Edit:

"Z-force, do you really think ANYBODY in the richest 1% has ever worked a day in their life? Do you imagine that these multi-billionaires started off investing dimes saved from their job at McDonald's? What a fantasy world you live in!"


Have you ever read the biographys of some of these people? Many many many rich people from bill gates to a hundred others who are in the 1% (which is actually more like 5% at least) worked there way up from NOTHING BUT A GOOD IDEA AND WORK ETHIC.

Like all your other posts you are uneducated on history, culture,a nd all things in general and just love showing hate for your country. In Russia you would have been shot, unfortunate that that will never happen here and you will continue to be the cancer that lurks through society spreading like wildfire via the koolaid you pass out.

Answer 3

Interesting question, especially when the premise is completely wrong. A better question would be How much wealth does the top 1% have to own before Democrats think we have a problem?

If you look at IRS statistics, you'll see that the share of income for the top 1% grew from about 14% when Clinton entered office, to almost 21% in the year 2000. The trend has reversed under Bush going back to 16-17%.

Clearly the richest 1% were much better of under Clinton than Bush.

Answer 4

The problem with your question, before we even get into the philosophical question of whether the government would have any business stepping in even if you were right, is that from an economics perspective, you're wrong.

It's not the same 1% from one decade to the next and it's an ever increasing total amount of wealth - it's not like there's a fixed amount of wealth and the same "top 1%" keep grabbing it. The total amount of wealth is growing and it's not the same people. Today I might be No. 1 and have 100 units, you have 5 - but 3 is what you need to be comfortable. Six years later I have 200 units but I've dropped to No. 40, there's 50% more wealth and you have 8 units and 4 is what you need to be comfortable - the fact that some new super-rich guy is even richer than I am doesn't change the fact that you're still better off. Historically you don't have the one without the other.

You also leave out the fact that that wealth isn't in the form of gold pieces lock away in a safe in some back room like in a Dickens novel. It's in the form of stocks of the companies that make the products that we buy and that employ us.

Imagine if it WEREN'T. Imagine if these people WEREN'T greedy, WEREN'T out to make even more money.... THEN their money WOULD be in gold pieces in a safe in a back room - - - THAT would suck!

And the guy below me - inflation and job losses???? CPI is 2.5% and the unemployment rate is 4.5%, after 17 overnight rate hikes!!!!! WTF are you TALKING ABOUT???

Answer 5

I suppose when the system collapses they will have the most to loose. Why do we continuously worry about what the top percentile have or do not have. I don't believe its really anyones business. Now, if we want to change the government to a socialist style, then we incorporate how much or how little everyone gets no matter how hard they work. Then we could change our highly successful system into a cart full of lemmings with no discernable idea of what success and failure truly means and we can turn everyone from has beens to never was. Class warfare has been around forever and is alive and well in the U.S. If you don't work hard enough or have the success you think you most richly deserve, you can always blame it on "them" or "they." Bashing the wealthy is a sport most all can play and a convenient escape from the real word and substitutes our dealing with real problems. Its always easier to sit back and blame the "man" whatever that means.a There will always be injustice in the world no matter what the system is. Millionaires go broke almost daily but you never read about that in the paper. Literally tens of thousands of businesses go belly up every year and folks loose everything while seeming to be on easy street not long before. Most wealthy folks I know or have known are more concerned about keeping what they have earned then trying to push the envelope-many of then no so successfully. Most are twice as bright and work twice as hard and as long as everyone else I know. Many folks, including myself, arn't that driven to sacrifice many other things in our personal lives. Most deserve the money they make but for me personally the price they pay is too steep. All of us have something we are passionate about. These folks eat and sleep making huge amounts of money. Food for them. I just seek to enjoy my life and loves on my meager earnings. Don't really need anymore then that.

Answer 6

Another socialist question designed to cause class envy.

This is not a zero sum game. It is not a matter of taking from one to give to another. It is as system of value given for value received. If you are one person and you provide something of value (product of service) that a lot of other people want or need and they pay you value back (money) you become richer and so do they. Both have received value for value. Both have given value for value.

Do not envy those that are better at it then your are. Instead, you would be better served by trying to emulate those that are best at it.

Let's use a baseball analogy. If someone is a better hitter than anyone else it the league will he most likely earn more or less than the other players? He gives more value for the time he spends batting. He gets paid more money but everyone benefits by his playing.

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Answer 7

Sir, you are dead wrong. The richest group of people are the middle class. Without them, America is poor. Without the rich, who will help the economy grow? The rich are needed to produce products made in America to be sold to other countries, and our people who when they buy these products, like Windows, invented by Bill Gates, a rich American businessman, can flux money around the country. This is what makes the economy run smoothly. Buying, and selling. You're welcome.

Answer 8

You want to bring back the 90% tax bracket that the liberals gave us. Watch productivity and innovation go down.

Answer 9

You know I'm usually onside with you and your questions. But I'm afraid, this time, I'm gonna have to sidestep...if I understand the meaning behind your question correctly...

There is no law against wealth in America...and there is also no shame in it. And aside from tax breaks, I fail to see how the government is responsible for the wealthy getting wealthier. I am in no way supportive of any kind of program that redistributes wealth, or wages a war against the wealthy. I'm a capitalist to the bone, but also believe in social programs that will assist in vital areas (ie. healthcare). And any government that decides to stand in the way of my making a success of myself is never going to get my vote. I will pay taxes...the highest in the land if necessary...but I will not apologize for making gobs of money!

Answer 10

i think they may be happy just to see the poor all die out.

and truthsayer? numbers and theory are good, but you know what? they don't reflect any real life situations in this country. numbers of units in a theoretical equation does not in any way reflect the fact that a large percent of the population of the us is living well below your hypothetical comfort zone.

your theories are all well and good, but they are not displaying any grasp of the realities of the us economic and class structure.