 rwatuny says: Everybody knows that the dice are loaded Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed Everybody knows that the war is over Everybody knows the good guys lost Everybody knows the fight was fixed The poor stay poor, the rich get rich Thats how it goes Everybody knows From the song "Everybody Knows" by Leonard Cohen Popped for the Leonard Cohen lyric (and the great clip). "Everybody Knows" one of my favorite songs, due in large part to multiple viewings of "pump up the volume" as a kid. When I wake up with a deep voice in the morning, I'll often sing that song, just because I can  And it all got the big push from Raeganomics! Those numbers are meaningless in any sense of "the poor are getting poorer", because it's not a zero-sum game. The rich aren't taking a bigger slice of the same pie -- the pie has gotten bigger -- hugely so. Both the poor and the rich are better off than they were twenty years ago. How exactly is this a bad thing? And yes, Tabsey, that win-win has a _lot_ to do with Reaganomics! I'm trying to remember where I saw the figures so you will have to trust me. There has been a 7% movement of all moneys from the bottom ten per cent to the to 5% I think. I can"t remember the period but I reckon the last 20 years. (I hope someone can help me.) The increase is offset by government spending and all those little rises you notice at the supermarket but don't show up as increases in the cost of living. (There are, of course, lots of other factors!) tabsey -- I don't doubt your 7% figures -- the point is that they're not the whole picture. What you're overlooking is that it's 7% of _more total wealth_. That is, the split may be bigger in terms of percentages (in part because there are FAR more millionaires today than there were in the 80s -- most of them small business owners), but there is more money in the hands of people at all economic levels. The poor _and_ the rich are richer than in the 80s. I'm poor but I am richer than I was 20 yrs ago. I take more for granted and expect more from life. However, If I had to go back to starting career level and try to raise my family again I wouldn't be able. I actually have less spending power because my normal life bills have income. I say I am poor because I cannot make my normal bills without using every cent of my income which leaves nothing for emergencies. I figure someone is rich if they have a cushion after their bills are paid every month. It's not that I can't manage my money its just that there is not enough to begin with. I have an Associates degree and 25+ years experiance but noone wants to pay an employee more than the bare nec... my normal life bills have income.sorry - have increased Minimum wage could still be in effect but people would be able to make more money by working harder. Another way would to be to set the pay scales according to the monthly profit margin. Establish a minimum scale and increase the pay when the company profits. It would definitely change the mentality of the workers. The rich would still get richer but so would everyone else. Companies would have a more dedicated workforce as well. |
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