General Discussion

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)

85. NONSENSE, all of you. NONE of these countries passes us.

Sat Jun 11, 2016, 05:28 AM

Jun 2016

The U.S. is fabulously wealthy, far beyond any other nation. Half of all the billionaires on the planet are Americans, 550 last time I bothered looking, and the number of American megamillionaires is in the many thousands. I'm so proud--not! It was incredibly stupid of us to allow this, and scary.

But if we want our middle class to be more wealthy, and we do, we not only can fix that but we have actually begun. That fact that the growing discontent of the very people whose own stupidity and negligence created this problem has finally moved it to the top of their lists is proof.

As usual the common awareness is way behind the curve, though, as demonstrated here. The clueless enablers were hardly the first people to recognize that we have endangered not just our own prosperity but our democracy.

You guys might do well to leave off wallowing in this defeatist slough long enough to stick your heads up and look around. You might even start by checking out polls of CONSERVATIVE voters to see what they think now about what they worked so proactively to create.

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WTF? China, Mexico and India??? [View all] Playinghardball Jun 2016 OP

Americans have never been known as the brightest inhabitants of Earth! And, RKP5637 Jun 2016 #1

Actually, we used to brag about our inventiveness, all the scientific awards we won, and tclambert Jun 2016 #23

All those accomplishments were lies... ileus Jun 2016 #25

Those accomplishments were true. Read "From Counterculture to Cyberculture" by Fred Turner. ancianita Jun 2016 #46

noPE...all lies, America is and always has been a dumb dump. ileus Jun 2016 #56

Man on the moon too? Fast Walker 52 Jun 2016 #82

Germans widely aided our space program after WWII notadmblnd Jun 2016 #129

Other nations have been viewed as "the best and the brightest" for a time as well.. whathehell Jun 2016 #122

Speak for yourself.. whathehell Jun 2016 #42

Oh, OK, I'll make a note of it. Thank you! ... that Americans are always clever voters! n/t RKP5637 Jun 2016 #51

Nice try whathehell Jun 2016 #121

This message was self-deleted by its author RKP5637 Jun 2016 #123

Bwahahahaha whathehell Jun 2016 #124

Yep, it was far too broad. I also took you off ignore. Your posts are always interesting. RKP5637 Jun 2016 #126

Always glad to be of assistance.. whathehell Jun 2016 #127

It is, it's very sincere. RKP5637 Jun 2016 #128

You're making my day here, RK.. whathehell Jun 2016 #131

Thanks!!! n/t RKP5637 Jun 2016 #132

Sad and Faux pas Jun 2016 #2

Couldn't agree more, and I foresee us being passed up by more countries. mrr303am Jun 2016 #44

NONSENSE, all of you. NONE of these countries passes us. Hortensis Jun 2016 #85

Table is correct. As a percentage of immense US wealth, share of middle class is small. George Eliot Jun 2016 #93

Ask Obama. Ask Hillary. Ask Warren. Ask Bernie. Hortensis Jun 2016 #95

Situation is a bit different from the 30s, isn't it? BlindTiresias Jun 2016 #114

Good points, but there was no "forcing" of the left Hortensis Jun 2016 #115

Of course they were forced BlindTiresias Jun 2016 #116

We seem to have different definitions of left, Hortensis Jun 2016 #117

The Democratic Party must decide. Do we really have to forego middle class and working class highprincipleswork Jun 2016 #3

She could. MisterFred Jun 2016 #12

A high-road view. Admirable. But don't hold your breath ... KPN Jun 2016 #13

I SO want to believe what her potential is, too. There is a Berner aboard her campaign, and ancianita Jun 2016 #47

Ask yourself 2 questions. How many times has Hillary talked about the disappearing Middle Class? Major Hogwash Jun 2016 #88

where do these numbers come from? Demonaut Jun 2016 #4

'The 2015 Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS)Global Wealth Report is now in its sixth year elleng Jun 2016 #5

What BS former9thward Jun 2016 #69

Yup, please see #67. Sad. n/t progree Jun 2016 #70

Thanks for the analysis behind that chart. I understand their thinking. George Eliot Jun 2016 #90

You're welcome, George Eliot. elleng Jun 2016 #107

The OP's numbers come from Column 2 of Table 2, p. 33 of Credit Suisse report progree Jun 2016 #72

What's the surprise? The republicans have been sucking money to the 1% of the 1% since Reagan and MariaThinks Jun 2016 #6

Seriously? Republicans did NOT have a lock on funneling money to the 1%... Raster Jun 2016 #10

When it comes to big $$$$$$'s R=D=I. n/t RKP5637 Jun 2016 #28

As have the Democrats actually. KPN Jun 2016 #14

Better Wake Up Urchin Jun 2016 #21

Well said!!! So many still just don't get how financially screwed most Americans are by R's and D's. RKP5637 Jun 2016 #29

Or they do "get it" i.e. they are complicit up to their eyeballs. n/t 99th_Monkey Jun 2016 #38

True, there are many on the take and don 't want their gravey train upset. So sad and pathetic! n/t RKP5637 Jun 2016 #40

It's those on the take and ALSO Urchin Jun 2016 #108

I knew someone like that. They really have liberal ideas/feelings. I asked them why they vote RKP5637 Jun 2016 #110

There are a lot of people Urchin Jun 2016 #113

The vote in the Senate was 98-1, the House 362-57. George II Jun 2016 #50

If you're talking about Gramm-Leach-Bliley elljay Jun 2016 #57

I came across two different votes, one was 90-8 and the other was 98-1. Either way.... George II Jun 2016 #58

That's where the middle class jobs went and will continue to go. djean111 Jun 2016 #7

Globalization is of profits and lower wages. That! KPN Jun 2016 #16

it's been a bipartisan effort stupidicus Jun 2016 #8

Yep, and often dems are part of the problem too even when they know what's going on. RKP5637 Jun 2016 #30

Their middle class has been growing very quickly IronLionZion Jun 2016 #9

While ours has and is being fucked. KPN Jun 2016 #17

Other countries are growing their middle class faster than ours IronLionZion Jun 2016 #33

By getting industries that used to be based here. That Guy 888 Jun 2016 #36

And plenty of industries that were never based here IronLionZion Jun 2016 #39

The jobs they get based on their education investments are still jobs that used to be based here That Guy 888 Jun 2016 #48

With all respect, this really doesn't make any sense! The middle class has actually RKP5637 Jun 2016 #31

These wealth figures are not consistent with income. Their incomes are even more unequal than ours. pampango Jun 2016 #37

'MERKA! MynameisBlarney Jun 2016 #11

This message was self-deleted by its author LiberalArkie Jun 2016 #15

Isn't "merka" great... StarzGuy Jun 2016 #20

We're #21! We're #21! tclambert Jun 2016 #24

HA! MynameisBlarney Jun 2016 #35

😂😂😂😂 AgadorSparticus Jun 2016 #106

We are #1 libodem Jun 2016 #18

And that's in REAL numbers, not just as % of population. n/t 99th_Monkey Jun 2016 #41

Free County libodem Jun 2016 #59

Tell me another one... 99th_Monkey Jun 2016 #63

LOLOLOL libodem Jun 2016 #65

Spain and the Netherlands at the top? Sweden and Switzerland down with the US? Weird. n/t pampango Jun 2016 #19

Relatively many very, very very wealthy in Switzerland Ghost Dog Jun 2016 #54

Both Sweden and Switzerland have very good income distributions but wealth pampango Jun 2016 #61

The two biggest items of wealth are home ownership and shares of stock bhikkhu Jun 2016 #66

we're number something! we'er number something! Javaman Jun 2016 #22

Not sure I am surprised about this... yuiyoshida Jun 2016 #26

The US is going nowhere in the 21st century. Often the US gets a free pass because the RKP5637 Jun 2016 #32

It's okay. We're gonna have lots more wars. That'll make rich people even richer in the U.S. valerief Jun 2016 #27

That's the US's chief product. Wars, weapons, destruction, killing, maiming and rebuilding. RKP5637 Jun 2016 #34

Forty years of policies from neo cons on both sides of the aisle, and trade agreements truedelphi Jun 2016 #43

Just for reference, here's the Credit Suisse definition of middle class muriel_volestrangler Jun 2016 #45

Our policies are so slanted. udbcrzy2 Jun 2016 #49

How do they assess "middle class" in each of those countries? George II Jun 2016 #52

I'm sure that morally bankrupt former treasury secretary will bring out his bogus charts to refute Skwmom Jun 2016 #55

See #45 (nt) muriel_volestrangler Jun 2016 #76

It's virtually impossible to compare "middle class" from one country to another for many... George II Jun 2016 #97

If this is correct, they can run this for an ad in Nov. Start practicing President Trump. Skwmom Jun 2016 #53

How depressing! smirkymonkey Jun 2016 #60

I wonder what a chart of historical share of middle income wealth in U.S. as compared to the Skwmom Jun 2016 #62

Americans are told we are exceptional and believe it. George Eliot Jun 2016 #64

If you look at Table 2 p. 33 of the Credit Suisse Report, we look quite exceptional to me progree Jun 2016 #68

Difficult to understand. Does wealth include cost of housing which rose sharply in NW? George Eliot Jun 2016 #71

Good observations progree Jun 2016 #74

This message was self-deleted by its author George Eliot Jun 2016 #89

What a lie. Sad. And all the people who don't bother to check... progree Jun 2016 #67

Different analysts use different criteria. Per Credit Suisse, our middle class is smaller. George Eliot Jun 2016 #73

Please read post #67 again. I was criticizing this statement progree Jun 2016 #75

No, Credit Suisse does NOT say that our middle class is smaller progree Jun 2016 #77

At 37.7% of the country, the USA's middle class is pretty small muriel_volestrangler Jun 2016 #80

Agreed. I have never argued that the U.S. middle class's SHARE of the U.S. population or progree Jun 2016 #81

Credit Suisse does show smaller MC. If you are simply refuting OP, then OP chart is correct per CR S George Eliot Jun 2016 #87

Please see #102 eom progree Jun 2016 #103

Another interesting table - we barely edge out China in terms of number of people in the middle progree Jun 2016 #83

I would suggest that Table 1, p.32, with "proportion who are middle class or beyond" muriel_volestrangler Jun 2016 #78

I generally agree with your post -- I like the "middle class and beyond" metric progree Jun 2016 #79

This message was self-deleted by its author George Eliot Jun 2016 #84

This message was self-deleted by its author George Eliot Jun 2016 #86

Correction: per your table, the OP is correct. You moved to dollars. The table uses percentages. George Eliot Jun 2016 #91

I was NOT criticizing the bar chart in the OP but rather the text to the side of the bar chart progree Jun 2016 #102

Regardless of dollars, 37% Americans now enjoy 20% of the wealth of the country. Do you agree? George Eliot Jun 2016 #111

Looks like we're well on our way to winning the Race to the Bottom! Scuba Jun 2016 #92

I'm guessing you don't understand that graphic? Recursion Jun 2016 #94

Ding Ding Ding! You WIN MATH! Indydem Jun 2016 #96

No. As we long ago established, the middle classes in each country are as rich as each other muriel_volestrangler Jun 2016 #98

Source article: Triana Jun 2016 #99

The link for the source report is in #45 (nt) muriel_volestrangler Jun 2016 #100

And yet... Barack_America Jun 2016 #101

I think it's slightly more in Spain's case (nt) Recursion Jun 2016 #104

The U.S. doesn't share. I believe we're now an official arm of Saudi Arabia. nt valerief Jun 2016 #105

The captioning here is an outright lie. Donald Ian Rankin Jun 2016 #109

Please see #111. I've been trying to reckon with this. Do you agree? George Eliot Jun 2016 #112

Any graphic that includes any variant on "keep sleeping", "wake up", or "sheeple" NuclearDem Jun 2016 #118

... Recursion Jun 2016 #130

that's where our jobs are going Skittles Jun 2016 #119

That's American privilege talking The2ndWheel Jun 2016 #125

OMFG Skittles Jun 2016 #133

So here is the endgame of Capitalism TWROP or Those Who Run Our Planet know that not everyone Monk06 Jun 2016 #120

The middle class in the U.S. also has the highest total wealth in U.S. dollars at $16.85 trillion oberliner Jun 2016 #134