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.

[alexvdl]

Stupid phone ate the entry I tried to post an hour ago. Let's try again.

I agree completely. Watching that video, expressing disgust, and then moving on with your life won't help anyone. My personal casus belli is the budget. Every time an individual asks for financial advice, they are told that they should create a budget and stick to it. Why the hell can't a group of people that are required by LAW to make budget, follow the same damn advice? There aren't many things that I feel strongly enough to write letters to Congresspeople about but that's one of them.

I believe that we can't start working on creating jobs, turning this economy around, and cutting frivolous programs until we have an actual idea of what we're working with. If we don't know how much money we do or don't have, how can we direct it effectively?

[romp]

Yes, a myth. Dalton's criticism of the Horatio Alger myth sums up my thoughts well.

[alexvdl]

Top of page *the neutrality of this page is disputed* yeah. No kidding.

That being said, I don't believe that merit will always out or that the playing field is level at all. I talk about that more extensively in earlier comments.

[romp]

What are you talking about?! I'm introducing this term to you. It's not a debate.

[alexvdl]

I'm agreeing with Dalton. The Horatio Alger myth and it's planks are, to be charitable, problematic.

[thelilyqueen]

There isn't a significant meritocracy, or social mobility, in America now (if there ever really was). Father's occupation is a *much* stronger predictor of a person's socioeconomic status here in the US than it is in countries that do a better job of reducing inequality. You want to trot out some examples, and bully for them - they hit the jackpot. But that's what they did - they hit a jackpot of having the right idea at the right time and the resources (some of which the rest of us helped provide) to see it through. I think the evidence is there that reducing inequality actually brings a society closer to a meritocracy, since some people aren't being held at the start line while others have been allowed to run for 10 minutes already or being asked to run with a 40 lb pack.

Maybe some day you'll see the game for what it is.

[alexvdl]

Thankfully, running with a 40 lb pack is something I have literal experience with.

I'm very well aware that the odds are stacked against me. But just like some people buy lottery tickets, I got a plan. *shrugs* Gimme ten years, I'll let you know.

[cellared]

lolllllllllllllll

A+

[alexvdl]

I usually am.

[vulturoso]

Do you professionally miss the point entirely, or is this just a hobby?

[alexvdl]

Oh. Are you offended that I purposefully missed the point of the person who purposefully missed my point?

[vulturoso]

Maybe if you just try hard enough, someday you'll have a good point.

[alexvdl]

SICK BURN!

I have truly been hoist by my own petard.

*doffs hat to you*

[ebay313]

Chances are very low though.