Do you think that the widening gap between the rich and poor is a problem?

Question

The majority of the Bush administrations tax cuts have always been aimed at the upper 10%, especially to upper 2%, and of course, the corporate world.

We have a corporate welfare president.

One of the major consequences of outsourcing is a lack of manufactering jobs in the US. And, everyday, more high tech jobs go to India and China. (Where manufactering goes, high tech is going to eventually follow).

This has produced some serious consequences:

We have an increased gap between the upper 2%, and the rest of population that grows each year.

You need a strong middle class, I think for a strong economy.

Your thoughts? And what are the consequences of this?

Answer 1

It's not a problem for the rich, yet.... But what they don't seem to realize is that if they continue to depreciate the dollar and just rake in the bucks like there's no tomorrow, eventually they'll end up with no one who can afford to buy their products, and thus no income.

Answer 2

The middle class will be extinguished if oil reaches 200-300 dollars a barrel. This is turn will create...more poor people.
You won't be able to afford gas if this happens.
Some of the aristocrats do actually think that poor people deserve to live the way they do or they seem to think they want to live that way. There is a great line that defines middle class, poor class and the rich elitist, but why put everything into a group? It's always putting things into groups,it's sort of like belittling classes/people.

The way America outsources jobs/careers is going to eventually cripple this country.
The dollar will be replaced eventually since it is worth practically nothing.

Answer 3

No, I don't think this widening gap is a problem; because I don't believe in this fabled gap spoken of so often by liberals and democrats. If there is a gap at all it is very small. This country is wealthy beyond any other country in the world. That wealth is distributed by the free market. The free market is run by anyone who choose to be involved in it, rich, poor or middleclass. Why do we hear stories about very poor citizens of our country make something of themselves and become wealthy? Because it happens all the damn time. If someone wants something bad enough, in the United States of America, they can earn it. There are a couple of reasons why we have homeless people in America today. The first reason is people with mental illness that have no family to turn to or take care of them. 75% of homeless people have mental illness. The other reason and the other 25% are people that don't want anything but what they already have. If they wanted it bad enough they would have it. Do I have a heart? Yes, it just doesn't bleed with nothing but emotion. These statistics are rigged and made up to make us feel bad about the situation in our country. Read Glen Beck's new book "An Inconvienent Book". President Bush has tried (pathetically unsuccessful as he had been he has still tried) to make tax paying more fair. We are not paying taxes on as percentage of teh budget. We are paying taxes on percentage of what we make. And the more wealthy you become in this country the higher the percentage you pay. That gives people no incentive to do better and make more money. If we all pay the same percentage of taxes then we would pay more taxes as we got richer, but it would be the same ratio of taxes to gross income every year. So Person 1 makes $1,000,000 a year and Person 2 makes $10,000 a year. If we were charged a 7 % tax evenly across the board then Person 1 would pay $70,000 in taxes and Person 2 would pay $700. People could say well $70,000 dollars is nothing to Person 1. I would be willing to say that it is proportionately exactly the same as what Person 2 is paying for his taxes. Oh, and I make only $30,000 a year so I would be fine paying $2,100 in taxes every year in that scenario.

Answer 4

The widening gap between rich and poor s not--in and of itself--a problem. It is the nature o fthe phenomenon that is the problem. What I mean is this:

We have (or had) a growing economy. In suh cases, it's actually not unusual for the gains made by the wealthy to outstrip those made by the poor or middle class for a time. Under genuinely free market conditions, the gais tend to be evenly distributed over time--if anything, the gap will tend to narrow.

However, due (as you suggest) to the selective tax and economic policies of the Bush administration, virtuallly ALL of the economic gains have gone to thewealthiest in America. The overwhellming majority of people have gained nothing as a result of this sustained period of economic growth and productivity.

That's bad policy. Its bad economics. And, given that it is achieved by means of manipulation of the tax system and financial institutions, not as a collateral effect of market forces, also flatly immoral and unethical.

Answer 5

I have gotten back about $600 more a year fr the past 3 years in my tax return and I am not wealthy. And actually i used to OWE money.

Answer 6

Yes.
Not hard to tell that you don't work for a living.

We Working People got Great Tax Cuts.
We got the Same Percentage Tax Cut that the Rich did.

Many Middle Class have now moved up into the Upper Class.
Many of us Lower Class have now moved up into the Middle Class.

If Democrats would get jobs, they could get in on the Good Times.
Beats Whining, eh????

Answer 7

Yes, if you're poor. unfortunately the farther the poor is from the rich the better off they are. It is an ongoing problem. As for bush passing bills for the rich...well that is what happens when you're one of the most powerful men in the world that is rich and has never needed for anything.

Answer 8

The Rich don't.
The deepest hole it could fall into is.... well look at a country like Indonesia.. There is no middle class.
Go to Jakarta and spend just one week and you will see the eventual outcome of unchecked corruption and a broadening wealth/class gap!

Answer 9

I think this applies to your question.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatreds.
You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man's initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.
William J. H. Boetcker, 1916 (often attributed to Lincoln)

Answer 10

Read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

You may find out just how important the rich are.