this cannot end well
Exchange in a friend's facebook:
1) Friend posts graphic with the text, "If the top one percent already own wealth equal to ninety percent of the rest of us, then why do they need more wealth before they'll create jobs?"
2) Friend-of-friend replies, "Capitalism works , plain and simple, free markets create wealth and opprotunities for all, not just the wealthy. It is the reason we enjoy he highest standard of living anywhere in the world. And in a free society people are allowed to keep what they earn. The more wealth one creates the more jobs associated with that wealth are made, simple fact"
3) I ask, "How are you defining "highest standard of living"? Do you have a citation?"
4) He replies, "By the amount of wealth and GDP of this country, and while we are not all millionares the overwhelming MAJORITY of americans have homes and cars and are able to take simple vacations. Ancedotal evidence to be sure, but Naomi sometimes its the simplest things that are the truest of all."
5) I spend 5 minutes with Google and Wikipedia and reply, "Ok, I just wasn't sure what metric you were using. By the UN's Human Development Index, we're fourth. According to the International Monetary Fund, we're 15th in GDP per capita (nominal) and 7th in GDP per capita (using purchasing power parity). And we're 36th in life expectancy and 45th by literacy rate. But if you're using a definition by which we're at the top, that's cool."
I am not much looking forward to what comes next. Some people do not respond well to facts, no matter how gently presented. I just hope he continues to be somewhat condescending, rather than getting angry, because the friend whose facebook this is doesn't deserve it. (One may well ask, if you don't want an argument, why did you say something in the first place? And the answer is, sometimes I just can't take the stupid anymore.)
1) Friend posts graphic with the text, "If the top one percent already own wealth equal to ninety percent of the rest of us, then why do they need more wealth before they'll create jobs?"
2) Friend-of-friend replies, "Capitalism works , plain and simple, free markets create wealth and opprotunities for all, not just the wealthy. It is the reason we enjoy he highest standard of living anywhere in the world. And in a free society people are allowed to keep what they earn. The more wealth one creates the more jobs associated with that wealth are made, simple fact"
3) I ask, "How are you defining "highest standard of living"? Do you have a citation?"
4) He replies, "By the amount of wealth and GDP of this country, and while we are not all millionares the overwhelming MAJORITY of americans have homes and cars and are able to take simple vacations. Ancedotal evidence to be sure, but Naomi sometimes its the simplest things that are the truest of all."
5) I spend 5 minutes with Google and Wikipedia and reply, "Ok, I just wasn't sure what metric you were using. By the UN's Human Development Index, we're fourth. According to the International Monetary Fund, we're 15th in GDP per capita (nominal) and 7th in GDP per capita (using purchasing power parity). And we're 36th in life expectancy and 45th by literacy rate. But if you're using a definition by which we're at the top, that's cool."
I am not much looking forward to what comes next. Some people do not respond well to facts, no matter how gently presented. I just hope he continues to be somewhat condescending, rather than getting angry, because the friend whose facebook this is doesn't deserve it. (One may well ask, if you don't want an argument, why did you say something in the first place? And the answer is, sometimes I just can't take the stupid anymore.)