The One Question that will stump ALL your Republican friends...

[SunSeeker]

37. I think you're relying on outdated data. Inequality has gotten a LOT worse in the last few years.

According to the most recent information, the Forbes 400 now have a greater net worth than the bottom 50% of U.S. households combined. In 2009, the total net worth of the Forbes 400 was $1.27 trillion. The best information now available shows that in 2009 the bottom 60% (yes, now it's 60%, not 50%) of U.S. households owned only 2.3% of total U.S. wealth.

Total U.S. household net worth -- rich, middle class and poor combined -- at the time the Forbes list came out was $53.15 trillion. So the bottom 60% of households possessed just $1.22 trillion of that $53.15 trillion, less than the Forbes 400.

Thus, the Forbes 400, i.e. the 400 richest Americans, unquestionably have more wealth than the bottom 50%. Michael Moore reiterated this statistic in his moving March 5, 2011 speech in Madison. (Full text is at http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/america-is-not-broke)

By contrast, in 2007 the bottom 50% of U.S. households owned slightly more wealth than the Forbes 400; the economic meltdown has hurt the bottom more than the top. (And in fact, in 2010 the net worth of the Forbes 400 jumped to $1.37 trillion.)