Some are more equal than others

A NEW paper by Emmanuel Saez of the University of California, Berkeley, and Gabriel Zucman of the London School of Economics suggests that, in America at least, inequality in wealth is approaching record levels. The authors examine the share of total wealth held by the bottom 90% of families relative to those at the very top. In the late 1920s the bottom 90% held just 16% of America’s wealth—considerably less than that held by the top 0.1%, which controlled a quarter of total wealth just before the crash of 1929. From the beginning of the Depression until well after the end of the second world war, the middle class’s share of total wealth rose steadily, thanks to collapsing wealth among richer households, broader equity ownership, middle-class income growth and rising rates of home-ownership. From the early 1980s, however, these trends have reversed. The top 0.1% (consisting of 160,000 families worth $73m on average) hold 22% of America’s wealth, just shy of the 1929 peak—and almost the same share as the bottom 90% of the population.

Full Article Here

85 of the world’s richest people own the same amount of wealth as half the world’s population.

And the rich get richer…

As HG Wells said , roman citizenship spread but not the idea of roman citizenship

Lots of people were granted roman citizenship but its were alien to them and a matter if convenience. Apart from taxes he puts the notion forward that when a society isn’t on the same page it invariably tears itself apart.

America thrives on slaves travelling across its borders working for bottom dollar and shipping the money back home, of course as time goes by citizenship is granted but not the notion of citizenship, like the Romans you just get a lot of disenfranchised people but its very very fragile.

America is moving from its republic phase into its empire phase. The Romans had all kinds of internal and external struggles as this happened.

Slavery and the degradation of joe average is the mark of empire, there’s a struggle within the elites as to who will rule the country. It’s heresy to diligent it but America might officially become an empire in the next few hundred years. The Romans would have scoffed at the very idea of an emperor – after all they had vanquished kings from Rome. The elites lingered though raised taxes for the poor, started wars and fought amongst themselves until “ I am not king but Caesar “

Australia will go through this process also but we are a bit slow off the mark , we still haven’t got rid of the kings of Australia to create “ the republic”, and from republic to empire or de facto emperor status of whatever rich person can gain power – don’t laugh it’s true Clive pallet just needed money to get a seat in parliament.

I would ‘t worry too much about the poor in America – they are a footnote in history and by the look of it like urine being splashed directly into their faces.

A few typos and spelling pisstakes in that article which is ok, I don’t get stupid about these things and discount an idea because of spelling, mark of a small mind to me, but this is a bit hard to swallow “It’s heresy to diligent it”.

I wrote some more stuff about history ,Plato , the academy , denoocracy but the iPhone didn’t like it , it’s my sternest critic .

wookiemeister said:

I wrote some more stuff about history ,Plato , the academy , denoocracy but the iPhone didn’t like it , it’s my sternest critic .

Ahhh sorry, I thought it was a cut and paste from somewhere else, In which case yeah, composing and writing on small screens with predictive text can be a pita.

AwesomeO said:

wookiemeister said:

I wrote some more stuff about history ,Plato , the academy , denoocracy but the iPhone didn’t like it , it’s my sternest critic .

Ahhh sorry, I thought it was a cut and paste from somewhere else, In which case yeah, composing and writing on small screens with predictive text can be a pita.

Most of the stuff I put here is almost all mine

For example where else would you get these maxims ?:

If at first you do not understand the problem – shoot the problem

Wisdom and knowledge are of no use in a time when there is none

1: ignore the problem
2 : deny the problem
3: shoot the problem
4: rinse and repeat

If you want to know about critical thought you only need know it is not wanted

AwesomeO said:

wookiemeister said:

I wrote some more stuff about history ,Plato , the academy , denoocracy but the iPhone didn’t like it , it’s my sternest critic .

Ahhh sorry, I thought it was a cut and paste from somewhere else, In which case yeah, composing and writing on small screens with predictive text can be a pita.

It should have read , it is heresy to suggest it….

iPhone small buttons big fingers and autocorrect don’t go well

Ignore the problem.

I used to do briefs, the first option was always do nothing. After all it is an option.

I would bring back ostracism – it’s an excellent way of kicking stupid people out of the country

the trouble with that sort of thinking is that sooner or later you’re “it”.

wookiemeister said:

I would bring back ostracism – it’s an excellent way of kicking stupid people out of the country

What’s to stop authorities kicking out the less popular? You might find yourself on a boat to NZ Wookie if you’re not careful.

I woke up recently with a thought and stumbled on something about human sacrifice throughout history/ religion

The roman arena (sand not dust) just thinking about it was actually human sacrifice conducted over the body or memory of a deceased person to honour them

The first gladiatorial conflicts were between two slaves over the body in a grave at the graveside funeral. The blood of the dead slave was to honour the dead person. They think the tradition comes from the Etruscans. Well anyway later on this went full blown as thousands of slaves from the Punic wars came rolling in ( POWs) – they started using them as the sacrifices in a dedicated arena where all this fighting could occur in honour of a des person – someone’s dad for example or adopted dad.

The roman arena was basically a huge human sacrifice factory

I didn’t read this just what I was thinking

Witty Rejoinder said:

wookiemeister said:

I would bring back ostracism – it’s an excellent way of kicking stupid people out of the country

What’s to stop authorities kicking out the less popular? You might find yourself on a boat to NZ Wookie if you’re not careful.

Too be honest – I wouldn’t care

wookiemeister said:

I would bring back ostracism – it’s an excellent way of kicking stupid people out of the country

Stupid people. Hehe, I have seen some on this forum who confuse uneducated, English not a first language, or unsophisticated with stupid.

In my mind that makes them look pretty stupid but no doubt they consider themselves to be intelligent. Rich tapestry and all that eh.

AwesomeO said:

wookiemeister said:

I would bring back ostracism – it’s an excellent way of kicking stupid people out of the country

Stupid people. Hehe, I have seen some on this forum who confuse uneducated, English not a first language, or unsophisticated with stupid.

In my mind that makes them look pretty stupid but no doubt they consider themselves to be intelligent. Rich tapestry and all that eh.

Ostracism was reserved for more well known people , it was never used for joe average as it was a political instrument.

They’ve found shards of pottery with thermistocles name on it.

wookiemeister said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

wookiemeister said:

I would bring back ostracism – it’s an excellent way of kicking stupid people out of the country

What’s to stop authorities kicking out the less popular? You might find yourself on a boat to NZ Wookie if you’re not careful.

Too be honest – I wouldn’t care

I find it hard to believe that you wouldn’t mind being deported. You’re always going on about other countries being crappy.

Witty Rejoinder said:

wookiemeister said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

What’s to stop authorities kicking out the less popular? You might find yourself on a boat to NZ Wookie if you’re not careful.

Too be honest – I wouldn’t care

I find it hard to believe that you wouldn’t mind being deported. You’re always going on about other countries being crappy.

I’d just take it as a normal state if affairs. Australia has holes in the ground, those that control the holes control the nation – tell me I’m wrong.

As joe average I probably wouldn’t care, a change is better than a rest.

How long I’ll be in Victoria I don’t know

The place is bristling with speech cameras, they had one set up in a small well used street where I live tonight so they could urinate into the faces of people returning from work.

I’ll only rent here until work appears elsewhere

At the very edges of british empire there was a strange breed of men, white men very possibly ostracised from European society who eked a living translating and as traders. Some of them were half mad with malaria and gin, others almost gone native, all of them subject to tribal politics and witchcraft, living by thier wits and mostly superior weaponry.

I think it’s logical for any thinking individual to reach an age where they stand back and look back at every thing that’s gone before , stupid people, stupid orders, injuries , deaths, chaos

Melbourne seems to have a serious traffic problem too many vehicles not enough of wide roads , then you’ve got the speed camera tax , they set themselves up in nominally “ 50” zones. For many it’s a matter if when not if the government gets to piss in your face.

Whilst I’m here I’ll make use of the certificate sausage factory and be on my way. It’s possible I might even return to Sydney , not sure

I was just thinking the other day that Australia still is a penal colony, considering they are stopping people from leaving the country and revoking their passport.

wookiemeister said:

I think it’s logical for any thinking individual to reach an age where they stand back and look back at every thing that’s gone before , stupid people, stupid orders, injuries , deaths, chaos

Melbourne seems to have a serious traffic problem too many vehicles not enough of wide roads , then you’ve got the speed camera tax , they set themselves up in nominally “ 50” zones. For many it’s a matter if when not if the government gets to piss in your face.

Whilst I’m here I’ll make use of the certificate sausage factory and be on my way. It’s possible I might even return to Sydney , not sure

Typical wookie-woo.

Start with a problem to which the only practical solution is higher taxation, and what does he do? – he has a go at a government charge that is easily avoidable, and is thus just a tax on the rich and the stupid.

Not that I approve of taxes on the stupid myself, but judging by wookie’s other comments he should be firmly in favour of speed cameras everywhere.