Video Showing the Huge Gap Between Super Rich and Everyone Else Goes Viral

[jadehunter]

For much of the past decade, policymakers and analysts have decried America's incredibly low savings rate, noting that U.S. households save a fraction of the money of the rest of the world. Citing a myriad of causes -- from cheap credit to exploitative bank practices -- they've noted that the average family puts away less than 4 percent of its

Comments

[alexvdl]

Excellent. Something to strive for in life.

[romp]

THIS

[romp]

Are you suggesting that we risk everyone losing ambition? Because, really.

This isn't a matter of either embracing the Anyone Can Make It in America If They Try Hard Enough myth (which has lead to an extremely damaging meritocracy IMO) or sink into a welfare state. It will take decades to uproot that mindset so don't worry yourself yet.

[alexvdl]

"Myth"? I list listed a bunch of names for which it was cold hard fact. You can find hundreds and thousands more if you go digging into it.

[omgangiepants]

Meritocracies cannot function properly if people aren't given the same even odds at success. In modern America, where you're born, when you're born and who you're born to all but determines where you will end up in life. Ambition and willpower alone can't beat a stacked deck. Your examples are the exception, not the rule.

[alexvdl]

If there are concrete examples of something, then it's not a myth.

Is it hard? Is it almost impossible for some people? Yes. Would I like to see it change so that white straight dude and LGBT POC woman are on the same difficulty level? HELL yes.

[romp]

I also never point to a dictionary definition but I think it will help in this case: myth
1 a : a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon
b : parable, allegory
2 a : a popular belief or tradition that has grown up around something or someone; especially : one embodying the ideals and institutions of a society or segment of society < seduced by the American myth of individualism - Orde Coombs >

this longer definition mentions that many people use the word to mean "any unreal or imaginary story" which seems to be how you think of it

edited for HTML trickiness

[happythree]

If there are concrete examples of something, then it's not a myth.

False. The definition of myth is far more complex than that, especially where the American dream is concerned.

[alexvdl]

Okay. Then the myth of the American dream is far more complex than that, and being more complex a simple designation like "true" or "false" wouldn't fit.

But the American Dream, meritocracy, Horatio Alger, and all of that aren't really important to me. There are any number of reasons that I can't achieve my goals. There are any number of things that prevent people from achieving their goals. Every day there are things.

[happythree]

If you were taking a test and you said that concrete examples of something existing means that that something cannot be a myth, you would be incorrect because you would be oversimplifying and narrowing the term.

And of course there are a number of reasons. But for as long as schools teach such ideals and for as long as significant portions of the social and political establishment push factually incorrect versions of America's socioeconomic condition, it will be appropriate to draw attention to the truth.

[alexvdl]

I was wrong and you were right.

I think it's perfectly appropriate to draw attention to the truth. This video is very eye opening, and certainly will be a good reference for anyone attempting to gather followers who understand the inequality extant in system and the need for something to be done about it.

[happythree]

Honestly, I'm trying to understand why you - and you aren't the only one, goodness knows - feel the need to respond to material like this with something along the lines of "I'm going to work hard!" Do you assume that the people who made this video do not work hard, or would prescribe quitting work as a solution

[alexvdl]

Because I can't do anything about this wealth inequality. I myself can't change this. I can work with others, I can vote my conscience, I can volunteer my time and money. I can do and will continue to do those things

[happythree]

Perhaps not, but there is some merit to the concept of 'opinion leadership' in voter decision-making heuristics. The American political system is slow to change by design, but that's more reason from my perspective to hold onto the inch even if the end results are by no means immediate, seeing as that is often all that a citizen without the power of the dollar can have.

[alexvdl]

Okay. I don't understand your point though though. Not as in I don't think you are right but as in I'm confused as to what you mean by holding onto the inch.

[happythree]

By the inch I just mean whatever issue you think is important for making the country better. For the makers if this video it is apparently raising awareness of income inequality. It's an uphill battle, obviously, and seeing as it challenges the most powerful people in society by its nature, maybe it is a futile one. Regardless, no one has come up with a perfect formula for how to go about change. I am certain, though, that bottom-up change is necessarily collective, so I find simply examining my own personal power, which is obviously quite limited, and going no further than that, is not enough.