Billionaire Club

[JEB]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Billionaire-Club-by-John-Rachel-Abuse-Of-Power_Abuse-Of-Power_America_Balance-Of-Powers-150407-558.html

By John Rachel

Does anybody remember when Ted Turner gave away $1 billion of his vast earnings to the U.N.?

How much is a billion dollars?

If you're like me, all those zeroes start to blur. I have a real problem grasping wealth of such scale.

Maybe this will put it in perspective . . .

If you were to spend $10,000 a day, it would take 274 years to go through a billion dollars.

<snip>

The .000133% vs. 50%!

Wealth inequality as a scandal and appalling affront to what America is supposed to stand for, lately appears to be taking a backseat in the national conversation, quickly replaced by catastrophes du jour in the ever-evolving parade of misery and chaos.

But since it undermines the entire premise of our democracy, and shreds the basic fabric of a society based on fairness and equal opportunity, we must keep it in the forefront of public debate, particularly with the all-important 2016 presidential election coming up fast.

<snip>

With wealth inequality accelerating, nothing less than the survival of the nation is at stake, demanding that we address this crisis before America turns into a medieval fiefdom or a 3rd World banana republic. Some would argue we're almost there.

It's certainly my hope that I won't be writing about this again in five years.

But if I do, it'll be titled . . . Trillionaire Club.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Billionaire-Club-by-John-Rachel-Abuse-Of-Power_Abuse-Of-Power_America_Balance-Of-Powers-150407-558.html

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Lots of good information packed into this short piece. Well worth the few minutes to thoughtfully read.

[merrily]

1. Yet, the 99% cannot unite.

[JEB]

2. Our media are great at dividing and distracting.

That tactic has worked for the 1% so far but when things get bad enough...

[merrily]

3. Not only our media.

[stevenleser]

4. Occupy had it right. I don't view Soros or Streisand or various other 1%'ers as "the enemy"

The problem is policies that benefit the 1% at the expense of the 99% and those who push those policies. Simply being a 1%'er doesn't make you the enemy. And in the interests of full disclosure, I am NOT a 1%'er.

I've also seen some DUers post angry posts about people making $100K/yr or $150K/yr as if people who make that money are the enemy by default.

[daleanime]

7. Correct, it's not the income/wealth that's the problem.....

it's the structures/policies that promote the power gap and maintain it.

[JEB]

8. Trickle down economics and blind anti gov. ideology

has been the easy answers (that don't work) offered and accepted by way too many.

[appalachiablue]

10. An income of 100-150K is not that large if combined and the people are midlife or older or

they live in high cost urban areas like NY, DC, Chicago, Seattle and Ca. And in reality, this income level is middle class now, nothing near elite but far above too many who are struggling from stagnant wages, eliminated job benefits, unions and social safety net programs, and high household and student debt with no policies for improvement in sight. Condemning these is unwise, those who do so are uninformed and not using their brain. This will antagonize and alienate this group and potentially drive (more of) them into the GOP ranks. Workers and the middle class have to join together on issues and for progressive change; the two groups have far more in common than the uber elite 1%, obviously. But collaboration is becoming more difficult as we increasingly live in a society that one Duer called Up/Down rather than Right/Left due to gross wealth inequality, loss of opportunity and the declining middle class.

[daleanime]

6. To easy for many to be mislead....

into believing that the problems they face are caused by "_______", instead of the ridiculous consumption of national resources by the top .01%.

[Orsino]

11. The answer to "what's it going to take?" will probably depress ot terrify me. n/t

[appalachiablue]

5. Very sad but true. Marking to read later.

[chemenger]

9. How much is a billion dollars?

Easy ... its $1 million dollars a thousand times over. Imagine someone giving you $1 million dollars every day for the next 1,000 days (almost 2 years and 9 months) ... you'd be a billionaire

NOW ... to find someone willing to give me $1 million dollars every day for the next 1,000 days (Hell, I'd be happy with just $1 million dollars today).