Reminder: "Rise of the Super Rich" tonight at 10 EDT on CNBC.

[Faygo Kid]

This is one to tape or TiVo. Somebody else posted about this yesterday; I think it's worth a reminder. Check out the preview, and the slide shows. Breathtaking stuff. A few points from the site (worth a visit!). These people are indeed "Bush's base."

In 1985 there were only 13 billionaires in the U.S. Today there are more than 1,000.

The richest 1% of Americans control more than 33% of the total wealth, their wealth is now greater than the bottom 90% of Americans. (Federal Reserve Surveys of Consumer Finance.

Who makes millions and billions? Entrepreneurs, hedge fund managers, private equity partners, real estate developers and corporate executives.

80 percent of the people with a net worth exceeding $30 million say they plan to spend more in 2008 than they did in 2007. (Prince Associates).

http://www.cnbc.com/id/24791078

[LibertyorDeath]

1. Thanks

Rec!

[mix]

2. eat the rich

nt

[Faygo Kid]

3. Kicked.

Getting close.

[Two Americas]

4. k and r

Thanks.

"Which way did he go - he went for Faygo."

Assuming you are a Detroiter, but you may not be old enough to remember when that jingle was on the air all the time.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

5. Coming up in about 30 minutes - I'll be watching

They're calling it the "New Gilded Age", which I believe refers to a term coined by Mark Twain for that period of excessive and ostentacious display of wealth that occurred in the latter 19th century in America. I believe it ended with the "Panic of 1893" with a railroad bubble and massive bank failures which some have said was as bad or worse than the Great Depression of the 1930s. Hopefully, we're not heading for a similar end to our New Gilded Age.

[stillcool]

6. Every time I see something..

about wealth in this country, Ferdinand Lundberg's book "The Rich and the Super-Rich" comes to mind. It is available for free download at the following website due to it's copyright expiration. http://www.soilandhealth.org/03sov/0303critic/0303socialcriticism.html
Since reading his book, my view of power and wealth in this country has never been the same.

[Kansas Wyatt]

7. "Over the next 50 years the wealthiest Americans will leave behind an estimated $27 trillion."

Well then...

I see it as their patriotic duty to pony up and pay off the debt this nation has accumulated, which benefited them, including their theft of the Social Security Trust Fund.

[Faygo Kid]

8. Kicking cuz we're close.

And I'm outta here to watch it.

[DemReadingDU]

9. How much of their wealth

was made by fraudulent schemes?

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

13. That's what I'd like to know

I don't resent the super rich just because they're rich. If they're selfish with their money or not, it's their choice. I'm happy being comfortable in life and don't really want more. If someone became extremely wealthy by inventing a revolutionary new product or a new miracle drug, they've done a lot more for society than I have. But it's the ones who have taken advantage of society that I resent. If they've engaged in unpunished insider trading, or run healthcare companies whose mission it is to systematically deny claims and force everything to court, with profits as the only criteria that determines their actions, then I think we should know about it. Maybe the way some of them have acquired billions is not illegal, but maybe it's not worthy of our praise, admiration, or respect, either. This program really didn't dig very deep. They showed a fellow who said he became very astute in finding undervalued companies, reorganizing them and selling them. That's fine if everything was on the up-and-up. If he was of the Enron ilk however, or the George Bush ilk (who got the people of Arlington, Texas to practically give land to the Texas Rangers for free) then I do resent their money.

[erpowers]

10. Watched It

I know this could get me in some trouble on this website, but my biggest issue with some of these people is the fact that they do not come out in favor of the estate tax. Near the end of the show it seemed a number of people felt their children should not inherit all of their wealth. I understand some of these people may not want to be in the spotlight too much and some of them may be Republicans, but I also contend they should come out in favor of the estate tax. I realize some of them may feel it is better for them to be able to pick who gets their money, but if they do not want their children to inherit all their money it seems they should support the estate tax in that a portion of their money would go to the government and the rest, it seems, could go to charity.

[Elwood P Dowd]

11. Disappointing show.

No mega-rich movers and shakers that own the politicians and control the policies that are destroying our country.....just a few new members of the "I've Got Mine Club".

[Initech]

12. Shit. I missed it. Any chance of a repeat?

[snappyturtle]

14. I 'm the one who posted previously.....thanks for keeping the ball rolling.

If you click on the link above you'll see more re-air times....for next Thursday July 3rd, Monday July 14th, and again on Sunday, July 20th. Guaranteed to make your blood bubble.