The Wealth Gap in America

Will you ever get rich?

It used to be an easy question to answer if you were headed to Wall Street.

Not so much today...

Yet another look at America's growing wealth gap doesn't instill confidence.

In fact, if you stop to actually read the article you may wind up looking in the mirror and asking yourself some difficult questions with regards to your goals, aspirations and ambitions.

Proceed... with caution.

Very disturbingly the poorest 90 % of Americans make an average of $31,244 a year. While the richest 1% make a hardly inspiring $1.1 million plus.

Two Very Disturbing Extrapolations

1) $31,244 is a very humble amount of money. It is a very humble amount of money if you are a single person in their 20's living in a studio apartment in a not-so-terrific urban neighborhood. Taking into account this must read Zero Hedge article, (assist to VTech Forever on that one) we can safely say that the majority of today's middle class...really is poor. For an average of ~$30K to apply to 90% of the population (i.e. ~270,000,000 people) there has to be an anchor of dead weight pulling down the honest hardworking sub-six figure crowd subsidizing them.

But who cares...we are the elite,right?

Let us examine...

2) $1.1 million dollars is a nice chunk of change. Let's be clear. A mil definitely does not buy you what it once did. But it's still a nice number...

However...

If the top %1 of Americans (i.e. 3,000,000) make a mil...how discrepant is that figure, really?

Considering how many F50-1000 bosses make a lot more, considering the billionaires and media megastars involved...how many people are actually making that much?

Isn't it highly likely that the "typical Wall Street stiff making $400K/year" is the caboose pulling down this party wagon?

Isn't it actually becoming a reality that in the top 1%, the monkeys and the chimps are the anchor babies making the disgusting discrepancy seem more paletteable in this sort of analysis?

Tell me, monkeys...

What do these figures tell you?

Then think about it and answer honestly...

Will you ever really be rich or will you be paying someone else's free lunch so the real %1 do not have to?

 

Whoa, whoa. 90% of the kids on this site will be like Henry Kravis or Bill Gross. These kids were born to drive out operational efficiencies and beat(cough front-runcough) the markets.

looking for that pick-me-up to power through an all-nighter?
 

If making over $1mil a year is "hardly inspiring," then you need a reality check. And yeah, the average is thrown off but higher numbers, but there aren't 10,000 Warren Buffetts covering up for poor people in the top 1%. While there are people making $400k in that sample, for many of them, 400k isn't the most that they're going to earn in their careers. Even Henry Kravis made 400k at some point on his way to billions.

If you define the "rich" cutoff as making $20 million a year, you're almost definitely going to be disappointed. Even if the last person in that top 1% doesn't make an astonishing number, he's still out-earning 99% of the American population. If that seems pathetic to anyone, that person needs to wake the fuck up. Being one of 10,000 entry-level analysts each year doesn't mean that your definition of financial success should suddenly be Henry Kravis. I get the desire to not be skimming by at the 50th percentile, but the kind of mindset that deems the 99th percentile too low is just setting you up for disappointment. There's always someone richer.

One of those lights, slightly brighter than the rest, will be my wingtip passing over.
 

It makes me a little sad seeing these things. Even though I don't make money for myself, I hope I am not ignorant enough to just hoard everything I have. Padres have given me a pretty decent look on the world, seeing how my dad started with $200 in America and now 22 yearsish later he can afford to get both his kids German cars and do many philanthropic non-profit organizations, I hope I can do more with my life. Rambled

It's what you put into it
 
rbkchoi:
It makes me a little sad seeing these things. Even though I don't make money for myself, I hope I am not ignorant enough to just hoard everything I have. Padres have given me a pretty decent look on the world, seeing how my dad started with $200 in America and now 22 yearsish later he can afford to get both his kids German cars and do many philanthropic non-profit organizations, I hope I can do more with my life. Rambled

Cool I'll take half of your earnings since you're feeling philanthropic :)

In all honesty I get what you're saying and I too plan to reach back to society one day. My concern of course is how will the $ be used, and is it productive. I think the best solution is sort of a meritocracy of philanthropy for example scholarship endowments to high potential students who have earned it.. Now am I being too risk adverse in my philanthropy? Maybe, but I feel like so much $ is lost through the system, taxed and just plain wasted

 
UFOinsider:
In my darker hours, I scan the web looking for a place in the Islands where I can just disappear to. The thinking goes: Fuck this, I'll go be poor in paradise.

This kind of reminds me of this joke.

looking for that pick-me-up to power through an all-nighter?
 
UFOinsider:
In my darker hours, I scan the web looking for a place in the Islands where I can just disappear to. The thinking goes: Fuck this, I'll go be poor in paradise.

Literally made me laugh out loud, UFO. I do the same...

 
XPJ:
UFOinsider:
In my darker hours, I scan the web looking for a place in the Islands where I can just disappear to. The thinking goes: Fuck this, I'll go be poor in paradise.

Literally made me laugh out loud, UFO. I do the same...

Sweet, I'm thinking the Caribbean, how about you?

As for the inequlity debate, I've had a taste of both sides, so I can offer this: As long as the ruling class brings home the bacon and for the most part leaves the average person to their own affairs AND there is a decent chance of getting to that level if someone REALLLLYYYY wants to work that hard, inequality isn't all bad. Personally, I've worked jobs that were low paying but very enjoyable, so I didn't care about the low status....but getting out of that situation was hellishly difficult.

However, when the ruling class starts raping the system and neglecting their responsibilities [the children typically do this, vis a vi: Paris Hilton], they deserve whatever happens to them when the starving mob bends them over and makes them their biach. At this point in life, I manage people at one job, I'm a senior member of my weekend job, I associate with the literal ruling class of my area and I'm a partner in a side business: Yeah I'm getting paid $^6, but if I slack off, then other people suffer and I will be [figuratively] dragged out and shot.

It's a mix of background, smarts, and work ethic, and you basically have to choose where you want to fit into the system. Personally, I steer clear of grand theories of how the world / our country should be organized. That's a job for extremely power hunrgy old men, which I am not.

Get busy living
 

Do you mean top 10% make 1.1 mil? That would be 30 million people, but you keep saying the top 1% and 30,000,000 people. 10 would be easier to believe than 1, I imagine the top 3,000,000 in america make well above 1.1 mil on average.

"The only point in making money is so you can tell some big shot where to go.” -Bogie
 

Isn't it kind of inevitable that there will be a large pay gap? Wealth grows exponentially; the more you have, the faster it grows, so it is theoretically impossible for the general population to ever catch up to the folks at the top, and, the if you have slightly more, you will eventually (over generations) widely outstrip those slightly below you.

Just an idea; thoughts?

 
The Man:
Isn't it kind of inevitable that there will be a large pay gap? Wealth grows exponentially; the more you have, the faster it grows, so it is theoretically impossible for the general population to ever catch up to the folks at the top, and, the if you have slightly more, you will eventually (over generations) widely outstrip those slightly below you.

Just and idea; thoughts?

^ This is the logic driving the reaction that manifests itself in what we call the progressive tax.
Get busy living
 

This is sort of a side topic I guess but

Who else here has siblings? Do they have your earning potential? If not, will you look out for them in the future? Be their superman?

I ask bc I have a sister in (sigh) art school and a brother who is likely to be earn an 'average' income

 
GOB:
This is sort of a side topic I guess but

Who else here has siblings? Do they have your earning potential? If not, will you look out for them in the future? Be their superman?

I ask bc I have a sister in (sigh) art school and a brother who is likely to be earn an 'average' income

Take care of your family, brah!

 
GOB:
This is sort of a side topic I guess but

Who else here has siblings? Do they have your earning potential? If not, will you look out for them in the future? Be their superman?

I ask bc I have a sister in (sigh) art school and a brother who is likely to be earn an 'average' income

I do. My father passed, and he was the FUCKING MAN, but now I'm the patriarch. If he was still around, I'd still be working my nice, happy job in my hometown. But since my family can't yet survive without financial help, I'm here to slash and burn for a decade or so. After that, who the hell cares
Get busy living
 
UFOinsider:
GOB:
This is sort of a side topic I guess but

Who else here has siblings? Do they have your earning potential? If not, will you look out for them in the future? Be their superman?

I ask bc I have a sister in (sigh) art school and a brother who is likely to be earn an 'average' income

I do. My father passed, and he was the FUCKING MAN, but now I'm the patriarch. If he was still around, I'd still be working my nice, happy job in my hometown. But since my family can't yet survive without financial help, I'm here to slash and burn for a decade or so. After that, who the hell cares

Sorry for your loss bro.

I feel the same way. It's the burden of being the smartest and most logical. I know that at 15 years into my career my annual compensation will nearly equal what they each has made over the 15 years... Sad but true. This is why my dad is still grinding really hard at 56.

 

I don't think your average Wall St stiff makes 400K, most associates break that. I'd put the number more around 800K which let's face it, is still very respectable.

I'd also say that most of the kids headed to the street know full well about this gap. Most don't go to Wall St to become billionaires, they go to make the aforementioned 800K, buy a 7 bedroom house in CT, buy the BMW 760li and the Ferrari for the weekend and send the kids to Phillips Exeter. Basically, most go in just wanting to join the very top of the upper middle class.

 
IBD_Captain:
I don't think your average Wall St stiff makes 400K, most associates break that. I'd put the number more around 800K which let's face it, is still very respectable.

You think the average guy on wall street makes 800k? Seriously? I doubt its anywhere near that number.

 
IBD_Captain:
I don't think your average Wall St stiff makes 400K, most associates break that. I'd put the number more around 800K which let's face it, is still very respectable.

I'd also say that most of the kids headed to the street know full well about this gap. Most don't go to Wall St to become billionaires, they go to make the aforementioned 800K, buy a 7 bedroom house in CT, buy the BMW 760li and the Ferrari for the weekend and send the kids to Phillips Exeter. Basically, most go in just wanting to join the very top of the upper middle class.

Jesus. Now I have to name drop Michael Douglas and spell out that I'm quoting fucking Wall Street? You kids are really slacking these days.

As for $800K buying all that, perhaps...in 1987.

Try a 4/3 in Westchester, a Windstar for her, a Navigator for you and a happy daily trip to Our Lady of Whereverdafukk for the little ones.

 

In before ANT finds this thread and tells us that everyone should be able to feed a family, provide for a college education and healthcare, and destroy communism (SOCIALISM AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!) on 30k a year.

This shit makes me want to find a rich person and eat them.

 
monkeysama:
In before ANT finds this thread and tells us that everyone should be able to feed a family, provide for a college education and healthcare, and destroy communism (SOCIALISM AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!) on 30k a year.

This shit makes me want to find a rich person and eat them.

30K is about what my parents made when I was born. In all honesty, my mom raised two kids on

 
txjustin][quote=monkeysama:
In before ANT finds this thread and tells us that everyone should be able to feed a family, provide for a college education and healthcare, and destroy communism (SOCIALISM AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!) on 30k a year.

This shit makes me want to find a rich person and eat them.

30K is about what my parents made when I was born. In all honesty, my mom raised two kids on

 

The fact of the matter is middle class incomes have been largely stagnant for almost a generation while the hyper wealthy has had their income explode. I just don't see how Obama raising the top income bracket by 2% is that crazy a policy choice.

 

[quote=Edmundo Braverman]If this pisses you off, don't dare click on THIS:

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/income-inequality-in-america-ch…]

If that pisses you off dont date click on THIS:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/6674234/Citigroup-Oct-16-2005-Plutonomy-Report-Part-1

...Citi's infamous Plutonomy Report 6 years old but still relevant

 
michaelj901:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/6674234/Citigroup-Oct-16-2005-Plutonomy-Report-Part-1 ...Citi's infamous Plutonomy Report 6 years old but still relevant
This was the state of old Rome before the emperial period began: plutocracy, rule by the rich, which is a subset of oligarchy: rule by the few. This is nothing new, and is the natural progression of civilizations, with royal families official or otherwise to institute themselves being the next logical step. If the logic of the founding fathers holds, at this point our citizens will move to begin dismantling the government that protects this background power structure. The only thing that can put this trend on hold is to have the $30K+/- provide a day to day lifestyle that is acceptable, and maintain civil liberties. Also, in the US, charity is much more prominent than in any other civilization of history.

The counterpoint that I always get is this: While I agree that Bill Gates is about to give away more money at his death than has ever been done in all of history, he has effectively trumped any civil society and retained personal control of the decision making process. Why should I vote if one man can throw some pocket change around and wield more power than my state? What if he chose to give this money to his progeny, as the Waltons have, and cultivate them to be the new ruling class? What would happen then?

The Tea Party would seem like moderates.

Get busy living
 
Best Response

If you have no skill or education and can only make 30k per year, what business do you have bringing a child into this world?

Honestly, fuck them. I didn't realize my hard work was so someone else can slack and be taken care of.

How is it a rich persona fault. Most wealth comes those who giro school. Not just ivy league schools. You get a state school education, work two jobs, save and plan and build wealthy.

Why is it that immigrants, who don't speak English, can come here with nothing and follow that simple plan and do well, but Amerxans, with all the advantage in the world look for help and someone to blame.

So tired of this topic. Be free and accept responsibility. I'm not your parent and I am not your friend. Goof off, shot out kids, spend too much and suffer the consequences.

We keep helping out the weakest links.

Oh well. I guess I should be punished for working hard my whole life. I must have done something wrong. And we wonder why this country is going down the tubes.

 
GoodBread:
ANT:
If you have no skill or education and can only make 30k per year, what business do you have bringing a child into this world?

With that kind of logic, the demographics of our country could get pretty ugly, pretty quick.

No one will listen, but that is why I no longer care. Condoms are cheap and easy. Bringing a life into this world is a big responsibility. People who cannot afford to raise a kid, yet have them anyway an then cry to me for money get no sympathy.

Once again, in America, those who plan and save have to finance the losers of society. Not my problem.

 
ANT:
If you have no skill or education and can only make 30k per year, what business do you have bringing a child into this world?

Honestly, fuck them. I didn't realize my hard work was so someone else can slack and be taken care of.

How is it a rich persona fault. Most wealth comes those who giro school. Not just ivy league schools. You get a state school education, work two jobs, save and plan and build wealthy.

Why is it that immigrants, who don't speak English, can come here with nothing and follow that simple plan and do well, but Amerxans, with all the advantage in the world look for help and someone to blame.

So tired of this topic. Be free and accept responsibility. I'm not your parent and I am not your friend. Goof off, shot out kids, spend too much and suffer the consequences.

We keep helping out the weakest links.

Oh well. I guess I should be punished for working hard my whole life. I must have done something wrong. And we wonder why this country is going down the tubes.

Did you even read the OP's post? You just advocated that 90% of this country stop procreating and said fuck you to them. This is why I never take you seriously.

 
awm55:
ANT:
If you have no skill or education and can only make 30k per year, what business do you have bringing a child into this world?

Honestly, fuck them. I didn't realize my hard work was so someone else can slack and be taken care of.

How is it a rich persona fault. Most wealth comes those who giro school. Not just ivy league schools. You get a state school education, work two jobs, save and plan and build wealthy.

Why is it that immigrants, who don't speak English, can come here with nothing and follow that simple plan and do well, but Amerxans, with all the advantage in the world look for help and someone to blame.

So tired of this topic. Be free and accept responsibility. I'm not your parent and I am not your friend. Goof off, shot out kids, spend too much and suffer the consequences.

We keep helping out the weakest links.

Oh well. I guess I should be punished for working hard my whole life. I must have done something wrong. And we wonder why this country is going down the tubes.

Did you even read the OP's post? You just advocated that 90% of this country stop procreating and said fuck you to them. This is why I never take you seriously.

Left meet Right. have fun....
Get busy living
 

Hey monkey, could you tell me where you donate all of your income to? You always push for more tax and anti rich, I am sure you walk the talk and redistribute your own wealth to those who have lesser than you.

Or maybe you just want to take from others and not do it yourself.

 

Too busy making excuses and not busy enough solving problems. Booooooooo hoooooo, cry me a river.

You want to make money in America? Go long Kleenex abs tampons. Bunch of pussies crying all the time.

 

We have rule of law in this country. No one is stopping someone from working hard and making wealth. This is not what Rome was.

Nation of hand outs and babies. We dot deserve to be great anymore. Pathetic.

 

This country is full of entitled whiny lazy pieces of shit. Anyone in this country with a work ethic and half a brain could easily become a millionaire. The problem is that people do not know how to budget their money, forego instant gratification through purchases of meaningless crap and make the appropriate sacrifices to grow their wealth (i.e. stop popping out kids you fckng idiot, study harder, work longer, etc.)

I am sick and tired of the excuses and paying for other people's entitlement programs.

Monkeysama, you dont have to be "special" to build wealth and lead a satisfying life. You're just a negativity spreader who at the moment is down on his luck.

 

Fuck you AWM. I advocate procreating when you can take care of your child. I know personal responsibility is foreign to you.

Also kid, 30k x2 people is 60k. Enough to raise a kid, but not 3 or 4.

 
ANT:
Fuck you AWM. I advocate procreating when you can take care of your child. I know personal responsibility is foreign to you.

Also kid, 30k x2 people is 60k. Enough to raise a kid, but not 3 or 4.

So do I, and when I suggested that people on welfare should have their welfare taken away if they have more kids you made it sound like it was such a crazy idea that the government control procreation.

All you do is rant about the poor. How about offering a solution? You are not going to change the mentality of a huge proportion of this country by telling them they are lazy and stupid. The government needs to take a hard line solution when it comes to this kind of stuff, its the only way people are going to change.

 

I dunno Midas. My grandparents live on $10K/year combined and are very happy. Grandpa heats his home with firewood he chops in the woods, and a lot of their vegetables are grown in their backyard garden.

It is a much different lifestyle than most of us urbanites. I don't think money can buy you happiness, but free-time, family, and a sense of your place in world does.

For a married couple, $63K/year goes a long way outside NYC. In fact, $63K/year in Sheboygan, Wisconsin goes as far as $134K/year in Manhattan:

http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/savings/moving-cost-of-living-calcu…

So I would not feel too bad for our friends in Akron in the bottom 90%. They are probably enjoying better lives than many Manhattanites while working less.

Will I retire a billionaire? Or even an eight-figure millionaire? Probably not (short of massive inflation). Will I retire happier than most billionaires? You can count on that. :D

 

AWM, for the one millionth time, if you really believe what you say, sign over at least half of your future earnings to social programs to help your fellow countrymen. Maybe it has to do with we don't like being robbed, aka taxed, to subsidize those that are too lazy. There are exceptions to those that need social programs, yes I admit that, but not what we have now.

 
txjustin:
AWM, for the one millionth time, if you really believe what you say, sign over at least half of your future earnings to social programs to help your fellow countrymen. Maybe it has to do with we don't like being robbed, aka taxed, to subsidize those that are too lazy. There are exceptions to those that need social programs, yes I admit that, but not what we have now.

What are you talking about? I have taken very hard line positions on welfare reform that protect the tax payer. All you is call people lazy. Fuck you.

 
txjustin:
Haha, I bet you've never had to do anything on your own. Daddy on Wall Street takes care of you. I can just envision you as some skinny pimple faced virgin sitting behind his computer with a shit eating grin on his face right now.

What is your (practical) solution to the welfare issue?

 

We can solve this problem easily. EASILY. With three steps:

1) Adopt a flat tax. All income levels pays 10%. Taxes average around 40% right now; that would do wonders for everybody's budget. Plus we'd actually have growth.

2) Remove restrictions on health insurance companies to let them compete nationally. Cost of healthcare would go down.

3) Start drug testing for welfare. I'm not totally heartless; the help should be available, but if anyone chooses not to take advantage of it, they're on their own. There has to be proof that they're genuinely trying to improve their lot. I don't want to support someone who sits around all day and does nothing; I would be willing to pay to help someone get off the ground. But the Feds don't make that distinction, and it has to stop.

Metal. Music. Life. www.headofmetal.com
 
Pfalzer:
We can solve this problem easily. EASILY. With three steps:

1) Adopt a flat tax. All income levels pays 10%. Taxes average around 40% right now; that would do wonders for everybody's budget. Plus we'd actually have growth.

2) Remove restrictions on health insurance companies to let them compete nationally. Cost of healthcare would go down.

3) Start drug testing for welfare. I'm not totally heartless; the help should be available, but if anyone chooses not to take advantage of it, they're on their own. There has to be proof that they're genuinely trying to improve their lot. I don't want to support someone who sits around all day and does nothing; I would be willing to pay to help someone get off the ground. But the Feds don't make that distinction, and it has to stop.

1) It's easy to pay 10 percent when you aren't using 100 percent of your income to eat. Bad idea.

2) I agree completely. We also have to repeal the laws that give health insurers protection from antimonopoly laws and create a public healthcare "pool" that offers no frills healthcare for all citizens.

3) I say we drug test banking CEOs. I'm not totally heartless; bailout money should be available, but if anyone chooses not to take advantage of it, they're on their own. There has to be proof that they're genuinely trying to improve their lot. I don't want to support someone who sits around all day and bankrupts the country; I would be willing to pay to help someone get their golden parachute. But the Feds don't make that distinction, and it has to stop.

 
monkeysama:
^ I looked it up and you are correct. My original point still stands - even bringing up welfare reform when we're talking about the income of 90 percent of the population is not even absurd but rather insulting. What we need in this country is wealth reform.

Wealth reform? Why don't you changer your username to "SocialismRules"?

 
txjustin:
monkeysama:
^ I looked it up and you are correct. My original point still stands - even bringing up welfare reform when we're talking about the income of 90 percent of the population is not even absurd but rather insulting. What we need in this country is wealth reform.

Wealth reform? Why don't you changer your username to "SocialismRules"?

Welfare reform? Why don't you changer your username to "FascismRules"?

 

1 child, 2 child policy? Whatever happened to freedom and capitalism? You guys are assuming that every child born to parents who make under 30k will end up being a welfare recipient. No. These guys will be the farmers, construction workers, burger flippers, nurses, school teachers, policemen, firemen, secretaries, and for a lucky few bankers of our future. If we restrict demographic growth now, the US will be forcing a dwindling amount of workers to pay for millions of baby boomers' Medicare and shriveling tax receipts. Good luck pushing IPOs and mergers when your markets are inexorably shrinking (you guys do realize people making under 30k buy Ipods and use Facebook too, right?).

The American middle class isn't being destroyed by welfare recipients and Obama. It is now on the losing end of global imbalances correcting themselves as wage differentials between developed nations and the BRICs are being compressed and we ever so slowly creep back into being competitive in the industrial field. The people getting hit are the workers taking pay cuts and giving up benefits to keep their jobs. The winners are the top 1% dispensing advice and providing capital for the intervening restructuring process.

 
GoodBread:
1 child, 2 child policy? Whatever happened to freedom and capitalism? You guys are assuming that every child born to parents who make under 30k will end up being a welfare recipient. No. These guys will be the farmers, construction workers, burger flippers, nurses, school teachers, policemen, firemen, secretaries, and for a lucky few bankers of our future. If we restrict demographic growth now, the US will be forcing a dwindling amount of workers to pay for millions of baby boomers' Medicare and shriveling tax receipts. Good luck pushing IPOs and mergers when your markets are inexorably shrinking (you guys do realize people making under 30k buy Ipods and use Facebook too, right?).
I specifically said anyone on the public dole. If you are on welfare, we are no longer going to fund 15 children. I do think we can infer that people who rely on the government for help will have trouble training their children to live independently.

If you earn $7K/year, do not claim welfare, and want to have 15 children, that's great! We just can't afford to pay people to have children if the parents are already collecting welfare.

We can afford the mercy of prohibiting Darwinism for one generation of people who can't support themselves. If your parents can take care of themselves, we can afford to support you. We cannot afford indefinite generations of suspending Darwinism. People who cannot support themselves without government help should not be having more than two children.

 
GoodBread:
1 child, 2 child policy? Whatever happened to freedom and capitalism? You guys are assuming that every child born to parents who make under 30k will end up being a welfare recipient. No. These guys will be the farmers, construction workers, burger flippers, nurses, school teachers, policemen, firemen, secretaries, and for a lucky few bankers of our future. If we restrict demographic growth now, the US will be forcing a dwindling amount of workers to pay for millions of baby boomers' Medicare and shriveling tax receipts. Good luck pushing IPOs and mergers when your markets are inexorably shrinking (you guys do realize people making under 30k buy Ipods and use Facebook too, right?).

The American middle class isn't being destroyed by welfare recipients and Obama. It is now on the losing end of global imbalances correcting themselves as wage differentials between developed nations and the BRICs are being compressed and we ever so slowly creep back into being competitive in the industrial field. The people getting hit are the workers taking pay cuts and giving up benefits to keep their jobs. The winners are the top 1% dispensing advice and providing capital for the intervening restructuring process.

Good post.

 

I'm seriously considering just making this my sig.

This is America. People do whatever the fuck they feel like doing, you got a problem with that? Because they have a right to. And because they have guns and no one can fucking stope them. As a result, this country has one of the worst economies in the world. When it gets down to it - talking trade balances here - once we've brain-drained all our technologies to other countries, once things have evened out, they're making cars in Bolivia and microwave ovens in Tadzhikistan and sell them here - once our edge in natural resources has been made irrelevant by giant Hong Kong ships and dirigibles that can ship North Dakota all the way to New Zealand for a nickel - once the Invisible Hand has takn all those historical inequities and smeared them out into a broad global layer of what a Pakistani brickmaker would consider prosperity y'know what? There's only four things we do better than anyone else

music movies microcode (software) high-speed pizza delivery

 

[quote=Edmundo Braverman]This is just a preview of one of the things on tomorrow's Bonus Bananas, but I thought it was germane to the conversation.

If you live in America, your statistical odds of becoming a millionaire are 1 in 22. That's pretty strong.

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/income-inequality-in-america-ch…]

If you ever want to retire you need 2 million in order to afford healthcare and not having to work into your 80s. I consider that terribly low.

 

Does anybody know exactly how they measure this stuff? Like, some people are wealthy but don't make a very high salary (stock options, for example)? Other people receive bonus as a large chunk of their salary? Are bonuses being included?

 

Yawn. People always advocate wealth reform, but never start with themselves first.

It is jealousy and an inferiority complex. Pretty sad really. Oh well. Thank god people know better and socialism is marginalized at best in this country. The poor can keep dreaming of the government solving their problems while better people take initiative and do it themselves.

More and more people should stop giving to charity. If they are going to use the goverent to punish and tax me they should only rely on the government. Don't cry to me when you are starving. Cry to the government who you have used to reduce my wealth.

I work for myself and my family. I will not work hard so another person doesn't have to.

Socialism fails all the time because it is counter to human nature.

 

^^ If you want to retire at 50.

In retirement, non-medicare medical expenses are projected to be $250K. In the interest of conservatism, let's double that to $500K.

Beyond that, you need about 20 times your desired income for an inflation-adjusted lifetime annuity from a AAA rated insurer at 65. So to retire on $40K/year in addition to social security, you need $1.3 million.

Bear in mind that many retirees also have pensions and other retirement assets that are typically not counted towards "millionaire" status.

I am not worried about America in the long run. The average 401K balance is at a 10 year high and the average worker is saving 8% of their income per year before company match for retirement. Tack on a 3% employer match, and you're within the 10-15% of income range that you need to save in order to retire at 65.

In reality, most people will work until 70 and perhaps part-time until 75-80, In reality, the average American has it much better off than they did back in the '50s when the average person at the age of 62 was only expected to make it a few years, rather than 30.

 
IlliniProgrammer:
^^ If you want to retire at 50.

In retirement, non-medicare medical expenses are projected to be $250K. In the interest of conservatism, let's double that to $500K.

Beyond that, you need about 20 times your desired income for an inflation-adjusted lifetime annuity from a AAA rated insurer at 65. So to retire on $40K/year in addition to social security, you need $1.3 million.

Bear in mind that many retirees also have pensions and other retirement assets that are typically not counted towards "millionaire" status.

I am not worried about America in the long run. The average 401K balance is at a 10 year high and the average worker is saving 8% of their income per year before company match for retirement. Tack on a 3% employer match, and you're within the 10-15% of income range that you need to save in order to retire at 65.

In reality, most people will work until 70 and perhaps part-time until 75-80, In reality, the average American has it much better off than they did back in the '50s when the average person at the age of 62 was only expected to make it a few years, rather than 30.

Since when have workers ever saved 8 percent?

 

Illini, I'm still not comfortable with that kind of social engineering. Doing that would in essence equates to the U.S. having an authoritarian/communist relationship with part of its citizens. Besides, people on welfare are a drop in the bucket when it comes to this country's fiscal problems and implementing such a radical solution is in poor taste when so much could be done to reduce the wealth gap by other means.

 
GoodBread:
Illini, I'm still not comfortable with that kind of social engineering. Doing that would in essence equates to the U.S. having an authoritarian/communist relationship with part of its citizens. Besides, people on welfare are a drop in the bucket when it comes to this country's fiscal problems and implementing such a radical solution is in poor taste when so much could be done to reduce the wealth gap by other means.
Nobody is being an authoritarian here. If you're on welfare, you can have three kids, but we're only going to pay welfare benefits for two. Please consider putting your third child up for adoption.
 
GoodBread:
Illini, I'm still not comfortable with that kind of social engineering. Doing that would in essence equates to the U.S. having an authoritarian/communist relationship with part of its citizens. Besides, people on welfare are a drop in the bucket when it comes to this country's fiscal problems and implementing such a radical solution is in poor taste when so much could be done to reduce the wealth gap by other means.

I agree that the cost of welfare itself is a relatively minor blip in the grand scheme of the economy. But what about the loss of a potentially productive part of the population? With the way our current welfare system is set up, a a portion of the population may have greater benefits to having another child than to enter the workforce.

 

I think a bigger problem is that our society is no longer content with being "middle class". No one "needs" to send their kids to private schooling, drive foreign sports cars, wear a Rolex, etc. I'm sure 50 years ago there weren't millions of people bitching and moaning about making $150,000 a year..

"I don't know how to explain to you that you should care about other people."
 

First off, I am at fucking work, but this topic pisses me off so god damn much, I have to respond.

1) Do any of you actually look at the data backing this "thesis" up? Whenever I see shit like this, I always want to look at the raw numbers. I suggest you all do also.

The chart and premise of this article come from this paper, linked to below.

http://www.people.hbs.edu/mnorton/norton%20ariely%20in%20press.pdf

This is the standard definition of wealth, given to all respondents.

"Wealth, also known as net worth, is defined as the total value of everything someone owns minus any debt that he or she owes. A person's net worth includes his or her bank account savings plus the value of other things such as property, stocks, bonds, art, collections, etc., minus the value of things like loans and mortgages.”

This is the height of the paper. The rest of the paper is about showing people graphs of wealth equality and which people would prefer. They conclude that people prefer Sweden's distribution and that they under estimate the wealth distribution in America.

WOW, revolutionary. People PREFER an even wealth distribution.

I PREFER women to want me all the time and never complain. I PREFER making 400K a year and getting my way all the time.

Last time I checked, the Bill of Rights didn't include jack shit about what people prefer.

How about asking yourself, why do high earners and more affluent people have wealth? My thoughts are as follow.

Lower income people or people who are more poor tend to fixate on possession. Material goods. They want to look and feel rich. You see this with all kinds of market research studies and spending patters. They don't buy assets or wealth, they buy goods or name brand shit.

Look at the recent mortgage crisis. People bought massive homes, maxed out credit cards, cleaned out their home equity. They all felt and looked rich. But in truth they were poor.

"Anthony, why is someone with a BMW and 40 LCD TV's in a McMansion poor??"

YOU HAVE DEBT, NOT ASSETS

Gather round children, story time from Anthony.

I used to work in a factory, since age 18 to 21. I worked my ASS off. I think I made 8.00 an hour when I started. I also lived at home. You know what I did. I saved, invested and bought assets.

I put money into I Bonds, CD's, Mutual funds. I was putting 16% into a 401(k), etc. When I did buy things I tended to buy expensive watches (which have actually appreciated!). I had no debt. I bought a car and paid it off in two years.

"Wow Anthony, how did you do that? How did someone working in a FUCKING FACTORY accumulate WEALTHY, not DEBT"

BECAUSE I AM NOT A RETARD AND I SAVED MY MONEY INSTEAD OF PISSING IT ALL AWAY

This chart and graphic would be horrible if the world had FINITE wealth. We DO NOT.

Rich people hold wealth because they save, invest, buy houses, land, business, art, etc. They buy other things, yes, but they usually do not go into bone crushing debt to have these things.

This is why immigrants are so successful. They buy assets, not crap. This is why Indian people and Chinese people are so successful. They don't buy Air Jordans, they buy fucking newsstands.


Let me switch gears. Suppose we taxed the wealthy in an attempt to redistribute the "wealth". Unless you teach lower income people to save, they will simply take this money and buy more shit with it. Wealth is not transferred or redistributed. Wealth is taken from the rich and cash is given to the poor. Wealth is only created when debt is reduced and assets grow.

You could take all the savings from the rich and give it to the poor and the poor would still not have wealth because they would spend all of their money.


If you want to redistribute wealth to poor people, you MUST FOLLOW THESE STEPS

1) Take from the Rich

2) Government gets money

3) Government buys bonds

4) Government gives bonds to poor people and does not allow them to sell them

5) Government takes poor people and pays all of their debt

6) Government does not allow poor people to spend more than they make

There you go. Debt will be zero. Budget will be balanced and they will have assets (the bonds) which will give them wealth. That is the only way.

OR YOU COULD JUST LET PEOPLE BE MOTHER FUCKING FREE AND LET MONEY GET SPENT ON WHAT PEOPLE VALUE. RICH WILL SAVE, POOR WILL BY NIKES AND WE WILL LIVE IN A FREE GOD DAMN COUNTRY!!!!!!!!!!

 

But here's the thing Ant. We live in a democracy, and if we have this system, we have a small group of people who keep getting richer and we have lots of poor voters and class envy. This never ends well for rich people. You may be 100% right from an idealistic standpoint, but from a pragmatic standpoint, we should consider ways that we can avoid having the government encourage welfare recipients to have extra children.

 

Illini,

I am a strong proponent of population control and decline. But what can we do? Being pragmatic, anything that is anti human gets a horrible rap. No way a bill restricting cash pay outs to people on welfare based on the number of kids would pass.

Atlas Shrugged man. I realize it must suck and look unfair, but you are doing wrong by taking from people who have earned it.

I don't know. Ill let this topic develop more and think over things. I need to crank out some work, but I will be back.

No more socialism. Lets discuss how we can get poor people to accumulate assets and not debt. This will involve more than simply tax and redistribute methods.

 
ANT:
Illini, I am a strong proponent of population control and decline. But what can we do? Being pragmatic, anything that is anti human gets a horrible rap. No way a bill restricting cash pay outs to people on welfare based on the number of kids would pass.

I hate the PCness that flitters around the recent debates regarding whether or not Planned Parenthood should have its federal funding cut. Liberal word dancing of "choice" and "reproductive health."

I think PP should be increased tenfold, allowing them to offer free abortions, on demand, day or night. Every aborted fetus is worth 100,000x its weight in gold if you consider the social and economic ramifications of this unwanted child being brought into the world and supported by the public welfare system.

 

I would like to be the first to make a market on Anthony having a heart attack. The over/under is 35. The under is 3:1 and the over is 3:2. PM me for paypal info.

If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 
happypantsmcgee:
I would like to be the first to make a market on Anthony having a heart attack. The over/under is 35. The under is 3:1 and the over is 3:2. PM me for paypal info.

Hahaha!!! HPM, I think that's the hardest you've ever made me LOL (and trust me, that's saying something).

I said it before and I'll say it again, this is the best coverage of income inequality issues I've ever heard discussed: http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2008/11/richard_epstein.html
(Richard Epstein is truly a f*cking genius!)

 
txjustin:
Monkeysama, what do you suggest specifically? I'm genuinely curious.

The first thing we need to do is change the rhetoric in this country. Anyone who can count without having to use their fingers knows that something is terribly, terribly wrong.

Second, we need tax reform. We need a tax based on wealth, not income. This would encourage spending while also apportioning the amount of tax to those who could best afford it. It also wouldn't distinguish between capital gains tax (interest earned income) and working income. The tax would be apportioned based upon the Gini coefficient - the more unequal society became the more the wealthy would need to pay. Tax brackets would go all the way to the top and be as smooth as possible. None of this top tax bracket at 250k bullshit.

Third we need budgetary reform. Congress sets a budget at the beginning of every year, a week before tax day, and everyone has to pay according to their current wealth. If deficit spending is needed or unavoidable the Federal Reserve would make an announcement and emergency spending would be used to cover the shortfall. If the deficit isn't balanced by the time of the next year's budget every congressmen is recalled and general elections are in place for election to office the following month. None of the current sitting congressmen are ever allowed to hold public office again.

Fourth we need corruption reform. Every federally elected public official gets the median wage of a citizen of the country, for so long as they are in public office. They are not allowed to accept money from any outside source after they have been in office and they are not allowed to accept any money from outside sources for 2 years before being elected. Sound harsh? It is. No one will ever run for office again you say? I doubt it. We have too many people who want to milk the tit of the public trust at the expense of the general welfare as it is. We can find 435 power hungry publicity hounds by throwing a rock in times square.

Let's do those things for starters.

 
monkeysama:
txjustin:
Monkeysama, what do you suggest specifically? I'm genuinely curious.

The first thing we need to do is change the rhetoric in this country. Anyone who can count without having to use their fingers knows that something is terribly, terribly wrong.

Second, we need tax reform. We need a tax based on wealth, not income. This would encourage spending while also apportioning the amount of tax to those who could best afford it. It also wouldn't distinguish between capital gains tax (interest earned income) and working income. The tax would be apportioned based upon the Gini coefficient - the more unequal society became the more the wealthy would need to pay. Tax brackets would go all the way to the top and be as smooth as possible. None of this top tax bracket at 250k bullshit.

Third we need budgetary reform. Congress sets a budget at the beginning of every year, a week before tax day, and everyone has to pay according to their current wealth. If deficit spending is needed or unavoidable the Federal Reserve would make an announcement and emergency spending would be used to cover the shortfall. If the deficit isn't balanced by the time of the next year's budget every congressmen is recalled and general elections are in place for election to office the following month. None of the current sitting congressmen are ever allowed to hold public office again.

Fourth we need corruption reform. Every federally elected public official gets the median wage of a citizen of the country, for so long as they are in public office. They are not allowed to accept money from any outside source after they have been in office and they are not allowed to accept any money from outside sources for 2 years before being elected. Sound harsh? It is. No one will ever run for office again you say? I doubt it. We have too many people who want to milk the tit of the public trust at the expense of the general welfare as it is. We can find 435 power hungry publicity hounds by throwing a rock in times square.

Let's do those things for starters.

So what happens when all of the rich people move to the Bahamas or the Cayman Islands or Brazil and take most of their wealth with them?
 

Monkeysama, it is hilarious to me that you have turned your way of thinking around so much in the past few months.

If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 

Rage man, fucking rage.

I honestly want to help the poor, but I think the Left uses them as a weapon. Really upsets me.

Look at us guys. I literally want to kick the shit out of a poor person because of this topic. They probably don't even care. It is Democrats and Liberals who are pushing this garbage.

How many genuinely poor kids are on here advocating this shit. You always here rich or well off people pushing this redistribution bullshit.

Democrats want slaves and poor people are the closest thing to it. The use the carrot of free money then rich as their enemy.

In reality, the rich employ them, buy goods and services and help them.

 
ANT:
I support the bottom two things.
I will also chime in that if we switch to the FairTax model, a National Property Tax- which only covers military, state, and defense spending- with the VAT covering everything else- would also be reasonable.

If you own $1 Billion worth of oil fields, aren't you happy they're in the US and not, say, Libya right now? Keeping those assets safe costs something- military and state spending.

 
ANT:
^^^^^

Booyah

Yeah, how do you stop people from leaving or not working as hard????????

HOW DO YOU STOP THEM, I am waiting to hear it.

Well,you do it by playing fair and reasonable and emphasizing the value of the state. People won't leave over a 45% marginal tax rate. Given that it is not the 1950s where the only states not entirely destroyed by WWII are communist, however, I don't think most rich Americans would tolerate a 90% marginal tax rate. I think most of them would just leave.

 

ALL. Every single last one of them is going to leave? I somehow doubt it. How many people would flock to this country who see that the middle class is growing and it is worthwhile to be a working American again? Somehow I don't think this enters into your calculus.

I love that statement. If I am being rich and singled out and raped do you think I am going to give a shit.

You are dogging the question.

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO STOP PEOPLE?

Are you?

Are you going to allow money to go overseas?

Your thesis also relies on people not pissing that money away. Take a look at lottery winners. They got a ton of money and most are broke right now.

 
ANT:
ALL. Every single last one of them is going to leave? I somehow doubt it. How many people would flock to this country who see that the middle class is growing and it is worthwhile to be a working American again? Somehow I don't think this enters into your calculus.

I love that statement. If I am being rich and singled out and raped do you think I am going to give a shit.

You are dogging the question.

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO STOP PEOPLE?

Are you?

Are you going to allow money to go overseas?

Your thesis also relies on people not pissing that money away. Take a look at lottery winners. They got a ton of money and most are broke right now.

I'm saying "How are you going to stop people from leaving?" is the wrong question. If I can raise the median wage by 10k and 10 billionaires get huffy and move to Singapore, I don't give a shit. So long as I can raise the standard of living for 90 percent of Americans I would be more than willing to raise taxes on the wealthy.

 

45% TAX RATE!!!!!!

Fuck that dude. At 45% I stop working hard and start looking to move and move if possible.

I would renounce my citizenship at 45% and piss on the flag. America doesn't exist in my heart at 45%.

ARE YOU CRAZY!!!!!

OMG

45%

AAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 
ANT:
45% TAX RATE!!!!!!

Fuck that dude. At 45% I stop working hard and start looking to move and move if possible.

I would renounce my citizenship at 45% and piss on the flag. America doesn't exist in my heart at 45%.

ARE YOU CRAZY!!!!!

OMG

45%

AAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Anthony, that's fine. You can leave. I really like this country. I'll stick it out until at least 55%, then it gets a little iffy. I'm gone at 75%, though.

Most people will stay until they become convinced that tax rates are "unfair." 45% isn't unfair- it's below what we had under Reagan. Once we get above the Carter tax schedule, though, this is no longer America. I'm heading for a country that's friendlier to smart folks willing to work hard.

 
IlliniProgrammer:
ANT:
45% TAX RATE!!!!!!

Fuck that dude. At 45% I stop working hard and start looking to move and move if possible.

I would renounce my citizenship at 45% and piss on the flag. America doesn't exist in my heart at 45%.

ARE YOU CRAZY!!!!!

OMG

45%

AAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Anthony, that's fine. You can leave. I really like this country. I'll stick it out until at least 55%, then it gets a little iffy. I'm gone at 75%, though.

Most people will stay until they become convinced that tax rates are "unfair." 45% isn't unfair- it's below what we had under Reagan. Once we get above the Carter tax schedule, though, this is no longer America. I'm heading for a country that's friendlier to smart folks willing to work hard.

45%

Are you talking Federal levels or Fed & State combined?

Are you factoring sales tax, county/city tax, fees, fines, and all the other quasi tax?

I pay friggin 45% all in tax right now.

 

I am moving to China or India. You talk to people over there about building wealth and they understand. In America if isn't fair unless you have Air Jordans and an X5.

My people are brown and yellow. Cannot handle this shit anymore.

 
ANT:
I am moving to China or India. You talk to people over there about building wealth and they understand. In America if isn't fair unless you have Air Jordans and an X5.

My people are brown and yellow. Cannot handle this shit anymore.

Hahaha....they would eat you alive.

 
monkeysama:
ANT:
I am moving to China or India. You talk to people over there about building wealth and they understand. In America if isn't fair unless you have Air Jordans and an X5.

My people are brown and yellow. Cannot handle this shit anymore.

Hahaha....they would eat you alive.

I date an Indian girl and her whole family thinks just like me. That is why Indian people and Chinese people utterly dominate.

People who come from poor countries (not bullshit American poor, real poor) know how to work and save and appreciate this country.

Fat, stupid, lazy "Americans" don't appreciate it anymore. They think they are owed something.

Puke.

You want to hang out with real Americans. Go to China town or Edison.

These people have the spirit of America in their heart.

 
ANT:
Well it is known for delicious Indian food, being the largest deposit of Gold outside of Ft. Knox and people who know how to work hard and appreciate America!

I grew up just south of Edison. We always knew it to be more

looking for that pick-me-up to power through an all-nighter?
 

In summary, I think there's three things people understand in this country in terms of taxes. And none of them are GINI taxes.

1.) Property tax 2.) Sales Tax 3.) Income tax.

If monkeysama wants to use a National Property Tax to ONLY fund the military, I think that makes a lot of sense. We can use a combination of sales tax and less progressive income tax to fund domestic spending. We need to spend some money on giving people opportunities (like an efficient means of giving people college educations), but not on subsidizing poor people for the sake of it.

If we start redistributing wealth, the tax base is going to leave. But you can justify some taxes (like a national property tax) by saying that it costs money to keep Libya and Egypt out of the US via the US Military and the justice system.

You can always get money out of rich people by justifying the cost. On top of that, you can get a little bit more by asking them to do their neighborly/patriotic duty. But you can't have coercive redistribution. IMHO, that starts to happen past 55% federal taxes with a 5% state tax allowance (with an itemized deduction for state tax paid.)

 

Well see, I am pro choice, but I would ideally like to live in a world where no one has an abortion. Birth control, condoms, morning after pill, etc are all cheap and easy ways to prevent pregnancy. Abortion is a very messy and horrible thing.

I've seen the pics and the videos. Whether you think life starts at birth or before, it is fucking nasty seeing something that resembles a human baby being sucked out of a womb.

 
ANT:
Well see, I am pro choice, but I would ideally like to live in a world where no one has an abortion. Birth control, condoms, morning after pill, etc are all cheap and easy ways to prevent pregnancy. Abortion is a very messy and horrible thing.

I've seen the pics and the videos. Whether you think life starts at birth or before, it is fucking nasty seeing something that resembles a human baby being sucked out of a womb.

I don't agree with her on much, but I like Hilary Clinton's take on abortion: "It should be legal, safe, and RARE."

 
persimmon:
ANT:
Well see, I am pro choice, but I would ideally like to live in a world where no one has an abortion. Birth control, condoms, morning after pill, etc are all cheap and easy ways to prevent pregnancy. Abortion is a very messy and horrible thing.

I've seen the pics and the videos. Whether you think life starts at birth or before, it is fucking nasty seeing something that resembles a human baby being sucked out of a womb.

I don't agree with her on much, but I like Hilary Clinton's take on abortion: "It should be legal, safe, and RARE."

Incidentally that is EXACTLY how I feel about steak.
If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 
monkeysama:
I'm all for contraception and safe sex practices as well, but the religious right is doing everything it can to defund PP. Complete bastards.

How is somebody a "completely bastard" for not wanting to be forced to pay for something they have a moral problem with based on some fundamental beliefs that are held very close to their hearts? Maybe, you don't share their beliefs or agree with them on anything, but you certainly don't have the right to force them to fund something that is against everything that they stand for just because you believe in it or it may be "economically convenient." Again, I always feel like the coercive agent is more the "bastard" than anybody who is just trying to mind their business.

 
rebelcross:
monkeysama:
I'm all for contraception and safe sex practices as well, but the religious right is doing everything it can to defund PP. Complete bastards.

How is somebody a "completely bastard" for not wanting to be forced to pay for something they have a moral problem with based on some fundamental beliefs that are held very close to their hearts? Maybe, you don't share their beliefs or agree with them on anything, but you certainly don't have the right to force them to fund something that is against everything that they stand for just because you believe in it or it may be "economically convenient." Again, I always feel like the coercive agent is more the "bastard" than anybody who is just trying to mind their business.

I'm anxiously awaiting monkeysama's response to this one...

(And, before you start name calling and whatnot, let me assure you that I believe in a woman's right to choose.)

P.S. Totally off topic, but I'm gonna be pissed if this thread gets bigger than the capitalism/inequality one! Just playing, I could give a rat's ass. The debates on these forums are highly entertaining lately. The only thing they need, is more HPM (and more cowbell, but that's another story...)

P.S.S. Ignore me, I'm drunk...

 
persimmon:
The government should fund abortions clinics because it's a helluva lot cheaper than caring for lifelong incarcerated criminals.

And economic considerations are everything right? Well now that we've settled that, let's get to work, we have a lot of elderly people to kill off over the next few years.

BTW - I know you're trolling, it was funny, I'm just making a point for others to see. Because I feel like a lot of people actually think like this.

 
rebelcross:
persimmon:
The government should fund abortions clinics because it's a helluva lot cheaper than caring for lifelong incarcerated criminals.

And economic considerations are everything right? Well now that we've settled that, let's get to work, we have a lot of elderly people to kill off over the next few years.

I worked in a nursing home for two years and I know positively that more than half of them there would very much welcome an assisted suicide. Give them a great send off, family and friends remembering their lives (if they have any left that would even show up) some nice music, and a nice downer with some ecstasy thrown in there, and they'd sign up left and right.

I don't buy this sanctity of life bullshit. I believe in quality of life. When I need to be taken care of like a two year old, take me out back and shoot me.

 
rebelcross:
persimmon:
The government should fund abortions clinics because it's a helluva lot cheaper than caring for lifelong incarcerated criminals.

And economic considerations are everything right? Well now that we've settled that, let's get to work, we have a lot of elderly people to kill off over the next few years.

BTW - I know you're trolling, it was funny, I'm just making a point for others to see. Because I feel like a lot of people actually think like this.

Oh, I missed your second part. No, I'm not trolling. I genuinely support the idea of easier access to abortions, and that children should be given up for adoption or aborted unless a family is fully ready to raise him. Ideally, the kid would not have been conceived in the first place, but I'm gay so I can't really weigh in here.

And we have separation of church and state in my fine country (USA). I don't appreciate religious fanatics trying to force the rest of us to abide by their standards of when life begins.

 

Oh my!

I always describe myself as omni-attractive lol.

I do think we should teach sex education in school and provide free contraceptives.

Also, the USA is at replacement rate or slightly negative. We grow as a nation through immigration. Not much organic growth. You see this with all developed nations.

 

^^^A religion is a belief system plain and simple, You have your belief system, it is what it is, there is no way to assign a quantitative value to it. Hence you believe what you believe as much as I believe what I believe. You are as a religious as I am (and, yes, I grew up a Christian, deal with it.) Some people are more fanatical, if you will, and more likely to act upon their religious beliefs, hence some Christians might do harm or Atheists may protest in the streets, etc. In fact, in today's society, it seems the greatest amount of fundamentalism and public uproar is from the atheists and agnostics amongst us who have basically waged a very vicious public war on all those that hold a different belief system (well not "all" those, just those that are more associated with America i.e. Christians.)

That being said, the problem with your argument above is everything you have said is based upon what you believe. You believe abortion is more practical and pragmatic, I know some people who believe it's murder...so how are you going to settle that? It matters not what "seems pragmatic" to you, that fundamentally dodges the ethical conundrum you have gotten yourself into. You want to force people to fund what in their hearts is murder. And don't play semantics with me, abortion is not as clear cut as the death of somebody standing before us, there is debate on the issue, so neither you are I can say for sure what actually constitutes murder in the case of a fetus. However, based on your belief system it is not murder and because it "seems" practical you want others to fund it. To be fair, how about I make you fund a government campaign that publicly denounces homosexuality, because I'm concerned about the "stigma" homosexual children go through, and it fits with my belief system. How about you are forced to fund a program that will draft all homosexuals to the military because it's a practical way to keep our military stocked, and according to my belief system homosexual lives aren't as valuable.

How do we deal with this? Whose belief system wins? How about nobody's belief system wins. How about if you believe it you go fund it and "make it available" because that's what you believe. Or are you just too fanatical in your beliefs to not force everybody else to follow suit?

I don't care about the marriage issue, not talking about it, it's not relevant to this matter.

 
rebelcross:
Hence you believe what you believe as much as I believe what I believe. You are as a religious as I am (and, yes, I grew up a Christian, deal with it.)

You sound like Anne Coulter. I am not religious, I am agnostic. This means I have no religion, which means, FALSE, I am not as religious as you. Was your holy water spiked with idiot juice?

My beliefs are not based on doctrine, divinity, religion, spirituality, or anything at all related to religion, so, no, I am not as religious as you or, or anyone for that matter.. And as far as your discussion of "belief systems" goes, no, I do not belong to a system. You're dumb for grouping all agnostics, atheists, etc., together. Whereas the Catholic Church has its official word on things, there is no High Authority (dressed like fabulous drag queens, might I add... have you seen the variety of hats the pope has?) That Thinks For Us to guide the agnostics of the world. I am an independent and claim no allegiance to anyone or any label. Except that of "awesome."

rebelcross:
In fact, in today's society, it seems the greatest amount of fundamentalism and public uproar is from the atheists and agnostics amongst us who have basically waged a very vicious public war on all those that hold a different belief system (well not "all" those, just those that are more associated with America i.e. Christians.)

You ignorant, xenophobic piece of shit. This is not a Christian country. It is not your country. It was founded by Christians on the principles of separation of church and state, and what made it great has been immigration, and largely of non-Christians. Without WWII and the persecution of Jews, we wouldn't have gotten the brilliant Jewish scientists of Europe to come lead our scientific explosion.

Fundamentalism? You call atheistic and agnostic thought fundamentalism? To which Word of God (or anything) are we fundamentally returning to? When someone wants to use the Qur'an for their constitution, I call that fundamentalism.

rebelcross:
That being said, the problem with your argument above is everything you have said is based upon what you believe. You believe abortion is more practical and pragmatic, I know some people who believe it's murder...so how are you going to settle that? It matters not what "seems pragmatic" to you, that fundamentally dodges the ethical conundrum you have gotten yourself into. You want to force people to fund what in their hearts is murder. And don't play semantics with me, abortion is not as clear cut as the death of somebody standing before us, there is debate on the issue, so neither you are I can say for sure what actually constitutes murder in the case of a fetus. However, based on your belief system it is not murder and because it "seems" practical you want others to fund it.

I can fully empathize with the understanding that abortion is murder. I see how one could be so passionate about the issue. My brother and his family march in Washington every year on the anniversary of Roe V Wade.

But what about a woman who needs a life-saving abortion at 7 months of pregnancy? Pro-lifers I have talked to still would not allow her to get an abortion. Laws forcing women to death for the sake of protecting the POTENTIAL of life in the form of a fetus is plain idiocy, and is a hole in the whole logic structure that pretends to defend innocents from needless death. So, I dare say, this abortion should be allowed, and if one abortion should be allowed, they all should be allowed.

rebelcross:
To be fair, how about I make you fund a government campaign that publicly denounces homosexuality, because I'm concerned about the "stigma" homosexual children go through, and it fits with my belief system.

I don't have to fund government campaigns for this because these denunciations fall from the dribbling lips of cunt politicians every day.

rebelcross:
How about you are forced to fund a program that will draft all homosexuals to the military because it's a practical way to keep our military stocked and according to my belief system homosexual lives aren't as valuable.

This would constitute hate speech and arguably be persecuted as a threat against a protected class / minority of Americans. Gays are (somewhat, sometimes, in some places) a protected class, just as usually, a woman's right to choose is a protected right. Why? Because our justice system has judged on these issues based on our CONSTITUTION, not on some religious beliefs. Anti-abortion legislation is passed in states based on popular referendum bolstered by religious beliefs, not on legal judgements.

rebelcross:
How do we deal with this? Whose belief system wins? How about nobody's belief system wins. How about if you believe it you go fund it and "make it available" because that's whay you believe. Or are you just too fanatical in your beliefs to not force everybody else to follow suit?

I don't care about the marriage issue, not talking about it, it's not relevant to this matter.

I'm not fanatical, and you lemming Christians exhaust me.

 
persimmon:
You sound like Anne Coulter. I am not religious, I am agnostic. This means I have no religion, which means, FALSE, I am not as religious as you. Was your holy water spiked with idiot juice?

My beliefs are not based on doctrine, divinity, religion, spirituality, or anything at all related to religion, so, no, I am not as religious as you or, or anyone for that matter.. And as far as your discussion of "belief systems" goes, no, I do not belong to a system. You're dumb for grouping all agnostics, atheists, etc., together. Whereas the Catholic Church has its official word on things, there is no High Authority (dressed like fabulous drag queens, might I add... have you seen the variety of hats the pope has?) That Thinks For Us to guide the agnostics of the world. I am an independent and claim no allegiance to anyone or any label. Except that of "awesome."

As ingenious as you seem to think you are with your mindless dribble of what constitutes an agnostic or an atheist or a whatever, you have completely missed the point of my saying it is merely a belief system. Agnosticism is as much a chosen belief system as is Christianity? Do you deny this? I don't care if you have a higher authority or not...you believe what you believe as much as I believe what I believe, follow me here:

Religion = Belief system

Your have a belief system, I have a belief system, hence, philosophically speaking, we are both religious in our own ways. My religion is one that has me to believe in a certain higher authority, etc...your religion is one that has you believing that you have no way to know what the universe holds. You believe that as much as I believe what I do. We are equally religious.

I guess that makes me Anne Coulter, huh? I did enjoy the anger this somehow caused you...but I guess only those of us that believe in a "higher authority" can somehow be "fundamental" about those beliefs.

BTW - I love how people like you, who really have nothing to say or follow no pattern of logical reasoning love to drop the names of right wingers you hate in your diatribes (i.e. Glenn Beck, Anne Coulter, O'Reilly, etc.), even though nothing I've said has anything to do with anything they may have said...nor do they have anything to do with this issue. Keep trying though.

persimmon:
You ignorant, xenophobic piece of shit. This is not a Christian country. It is not your country. It was founded by Christians on the principles of separation of church and state, and what made it great has been immigration, and largely of non-Christians. Without WWII and the persecution of Jews, we wouldn't have gotten the brilliant Jewish scientists of Europe to come lead our scientific explosion.

That's a cute story and nice an all. Perhaps you can point me to where I said this was a "Christian" country. I said Christians are associated with this country and hinted that that's possibly the reason that they've become a target of people who hold certain belief systems that are against this country. Guess that makes me a xenophobic piece of shit, huh? I thought I was Anne Coulter...but just look at the anger you have displayed at the very misconception that somebody may have hinted such a horrible thing...perhaps the "piece of shit" is you...dare I say, a Christophobic piece of shit. "Awesome" huh?

persimmon:
Fundamentalism? You call atheistic and agnostic thought fundamentalism? To which Word of God (or anything) are we fundamentally returning to? When someone wants to use the Qur'an for their constitution, I call that fundamentalism.

It does help to read what I've written. And for those who may be illiterate, I suggest reading it a few times over (and no I'm saying all homosexuals are illiterate, though I know you would love to make this accusation of me as you have shown a pattern of such misconstrued reasoning.) You'll notice I've said that acting out upons one beliefs denotes the idea of "fundamentalism." It has nothing to do with a word of anything nor does it have to do with being agnostic or an atheist or a Christian or a Muslim or purple or green (please show me where I called "atheistic and agnostic thought fundamentalism" as you say.) What matters is that if one is to act upon their beliefs in an extreme way, it is fundamentalism within that belief system. You are as capable of fundamentalism as a Christian or a Muslim if you are to act out upon your agnostic beliefs against those who don't share your beliefs. I would posit that your angry rant against me is fundamentalist in nature due to your very vicious approach to the Christian belief system which I hold. I would also posit that if you look at the streets or watch TV you will see more displays of anti-Christian sentiment from agnostics towards Christians than you see the other way around, hence, I sense strong undertones of fundamentalism by many agnostics in this country. Funny, how I am somehow the right wing crazy Christian zealot that is bringing down this country, when all I want to do is be left alone and go about my own business, and all you and your ilk wants to do is attack me day and night for what I believe and force me to fund the programs that you see fit and live in a way that you see appropriate. I've never forced nothing upon you. I know you're so brainwashed into believing "Christians are evil, they are destroying everything." But take a harsh look at reality, maybe it's time to look in the mirror. You proved it in your rant.

persimmon:
I can fully empathize with the understanding that abortion is murder. I see how one could be so passionate about the issue. My brother and his family march in Washington every year on the anniversary of Roe V Wade.

But what about a woman who needs a life-saving abortion at 7 months of pregnancy? Pro-lifers I have talked to still would not allow her to get an abortion. Laws forcing women to death for the sake of protecting the POTENTIAL of life in the form of a fetus is plain idiocy, and is a hole in the whole logic structure that pretends to defend innocents from needless death. So, I dare say, this abortion should be allowed, and if one abortion should be allowed, they all should be allowed.

Glad to see you show some maturity here. Outliers are outliers, we can make exceptions in the case of outliers, I don't want to get bogged down on that now. Two irresponsible kids making a baby and then wanting me to bail them out is a very different situation from a mother who is about to die if she gives birth to the kid. It's not fundamental to the overriding argument. One is a sacrifice to save another, one is a sacrifice out of convenience or economic concerns or whatever. So I don't by into the idea that "if one should be allowed, they all should be allowed." That's like saying, "if one prisoner should get out of jail earlier, they all should get out of jail earlier." Different circumstances in different cases. Legal or not, legal in special cases or not, I still have a big problem with you forcing my grandpa to pay for it.

persimmon:
I don't have to fund government campaigns for this because these denunciations fall from the dribbling lips of cunt politicians every day.

Cool story bro, you dodged the issue.

persimmon:
This would constitute hate speech and arguably be persecuted as a threat against a protected class / minority of Americans. Gays are (somewhat, sometimes, in some places) a protected class, just as usually, a woman's right to choose is a protected right. Why? Because our justice system has judged on these issues based on our CONSTITUTION, not on some religious beliefs. Anti-abortion legislation is passed in states based on popular referendum bolstered by religious beliefs, not on legal judgements.

Ugh what...? Oh so hate speech against you is a problem, but murder against a fellow human isn't? As quickly as you say my scenario constitutes "hate speech" and a threat is how quickly I will return the favor by informing you yet again that your idea of abortions constitutes "murder." It comes down to belief system, see what I am saying? You somehow managed to disregard this logic and made your belief system vastly superior. I, the "xenophobe" as you put it,, am the one saying that no belief system is superior. As much as you should not have to deal with the scenario I put forward is as much as I should not be forced to fund abortion. Very simple logic here.

persimmon:
I'm not fanatical, and you lemming Christians exhaust me.

Funny, you seem pretty fanatically against anything that doesn't adhere to your belief system, and yeah it's a belief system...lest your mind be empty and you be incapable of belief. Believing in nothing is as much a chosen belief as believing in something. Deal with it. So walk in lockstep with your fanatical anti-religious buddies...keep drinking the kool-aid. Everybody else is a "lemming" right? As your voices all echo at the same time...

 
rebelcross:
^^^A religion is a belief system plain and simple, You have your belief system, it is what it is, there is no way to assign a quantitative value to it. Hence you believe what you believe as much as I believe what I believe. You are as a religious as I am (and, yes, I grew up a Christian, deal with it.) Some people are more fanatical, if you will, and more likely to act upon their religious beliefs, hence some Christians might do harm or Atheists may protest in the streets, etc. In fact, in today's society, it seems the greatest amount of fundamentalism and public uproar is from the atheists and agnostics amongst us who have basically waged a very vicious public war on all those that hold a different belief system (well not "all" those, just those that are more associated with America i.e. Christians.)

That being said, the problem with your argument above is everything you have said is based upon what you believe. You believe abortion is more practical and pragmatic, I know some people who believe it's murder...so how are you going to settle that? It matters not what "seems pragmatic" to you, that fundamentally dodges the ethical conundrum you have gotten yourself into. You want to force people to fund what in their hearts is murder. And don't play semantics with me, abortion is not as clear cut as the death of somebody standing before us, there is debate on the issue, so neither you are I can say for sure what actually constitutes murder in the case of a fetus. However, based on your belief system it is not murder and because it "seems" practical you want others to fund it. To be fair, how about I make you fund a government campaign that publicly denounces homosexuality, because I'm concerned about the "stigma" homosexual children go through, and it fits with my belief system. How about you are forced to fund a program that will draft all homosexuals to the military because it's a practical way to keep our military stocked, and according to my belief system homosexual lives aren't as valuable.

How do we deal with this? Whose belief system wins? How about nobody's belief system wins. How about if you believe it you go fund it and "make it available" because that's what you believe. Or are you just too fanatical in your beliefs to not force everybody else to follow suit?

I don't care about the marriage issue, not talking about it, it's not relevant to this matter.

Yeah without abortion clinics preggers are just going to throw themselves down a flight of stairs to abort. Or shoot up with drugs. And you'll never convince the Christians. Their sandal wearing skyfairy wizard daddy says it's murder so they're against it. He also says love thy neighbor and not to be greedy, but those are hard to follow because it puts constrictions on ones' own actions, and so it's hard and not fun. Who wants to be nice to people and not be rich as fuck while others suffer? Fuck that, am I right?

 
monkeysama:
Yeah without abortion clinics preggers are just going to throw themselves down a flight of stairs to abort. Or shoot up with drugs. And you'll never convince the Christians. Their sandal wearing skyfairy wizard daddy says it's murder so they're against it. He also says love thy neighbor and not to be greedy, but those are hard to follow because it puts constrictions on ones' own actions, and so it's hard and not fun. Who wants to be nice to people and not be rich as fuck while others suffer? Fuck that, am I right?

This is pretty fucking comical. First of all, get it straight, never once did I even approach the issue of the legality of abortion or whether abortion clinics should exist. Not even close to what my argument was...I'm tired of that argument it's an argument for another time. I'm talking about your forcing people to fund abortion, but again, you changed the point and the argument like you always fucking do.

BUT I must say, your defense of abortion here is laughable. Without getting into the debate of whether or not abortion should be legal, you CANNOT seriously justify it by suggesting it should be legal because "without abortion clinics peggers are just going to throw themselves down a flight of stairs to abort." You know you have to do better than that...that's like me saying "well, we might as well give the terrorists what they want, because they're just going to keep terrorizing if we don't." You know those "might as well" arguments don't work. Argue for it on the basis of what it is, don't excuse a possible unjust action because people might react in negative ways. That is a failed attempt, you're better than that.

And no need for the fairy stuff with the Christians. Look, I know to you, in your twisted version of reality, religion is the worst thing that's ever happened in the history of the universe. And I know a lot of you were more scared of George W. Bush because he carried a bible than you were of a terrorist that carried a machete to slice your throat with. I get it, no need for the fairy stuff. You know what Christians believe in, maturity goes a long way in getting your point across. I wouldn't insult your heritage or background if I knew what your bloodline was.

 

Alright I'm stepping in. Agnosticism is AND is not a belief system. It is a belief system in that it is the position you hold on metaphysics. It is not a belief system in that you don't go to church and you don't spend any of your time considering your actions on a religious level. So thinking about metaphysics for an agnostic could be very low (ie very low religiosity). I tend to think about it more than most and consider myself a secular humanist agnostic.

Now then.

Let's get back to hating on rich people.

 

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