Wealth distribution in the US of A

Today's educational video is brought to you by the letter "f*ck this sh*t I'm moving to Pluto."

You'd think that we'd be over this type of thing by now. I mean, centuries ago, it was the same thing with all the kings and queens--that kind of thing. But now, it's basically the same thing, and that totally sucks. As the guy said, it's only going to get worse.

Btw, there is an economic indicator called the Gini index that measures this type of stuff: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficient

Look at this and order that list by "gini %" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_income_equality

The higher the percentage, the more income inequality there is. Countries like Sweden that have low percentages do not have such as wide gap in wealth disparities between the rich and poor. Likewise, a bunch of those South African countries with high percentages have such a wide gap that it's no wonder you see people like war lords and local rulers that have control over everyone else.
edit:
this was also on that Wiki page:

Looking at that map, Canadia eh? doesn't seem like such a bad Plan B if Pluto doesn't work out. Cabin in the woods.


It's almost funny if you start to think about the means and methods warlords will use to maintain control vs those that people behind the huge corporations and their political minions will use stateside.

I mean, they aren't killing people, not directly anyway, but as I think about it I start to draw some comparisons. It would take the same kind of power hungry control freak who places their own wellbeing above everyone else's to fill both of those pairs of shoes. It takes a certain type of ego and willingness to take huge risks. Greed, prejudice, an uncanny ability to lie.... all the characteristics we would like to think we're moving beyond and becoming too enlightened for are all the characteristics that make up these two types of people. And they're more prevalent in our world than we maybe want to admit.

It's almost funny, until it starts to become scary.

Relevant and somewhat infuriating: Why DC is the richest region in the country:

http://reason.com/archives/2013/03/27/imperial-washington

This is so true. One thing that rich people do to rationalize their lavish lifestyles is by saying that what they are doing is necessary for whatever BS reason they make up. So for one class I took last year, I gave a presentation on the economics of how to cut school costs to reduce tuition inflation. One thing my school did was decide to spend millions of millions of dollars to improve the school president's house, the logic being that the school would look nicer for donors to give money. But what does that do? That encourages inequities in wealth distribution and social stratification. Is it fair that the rich can decide who gets what? I remember people told me I should go up to the school president and tell him that.

I don't support socialism or communism exactly, but I think that the rich need to realize that they can solve a lot of problems by not wasting money on crap they do not need. The "it creates jobs" idea can work in certain circumstances, but you can't push it to its limits.

That article discussed a lavish teacher's union headquarters. Again, it's the same thing. The idea that big and expensive means powerful and virtuous is antiquated and, quite frankly, pretty darn stupid. Personally, I feel kinda uncomfortable in expensive stores and establishments because I don't understand the point. It's like when all the chicks go to fancy nail salons and hair dressers all the damn and spend hundreds when they don't need to. Like, seriously?

I could go on and explain more, but y'all get the point.

There's been so many things put up around the internet showing how little it would take to completely eliminate poverty from the entire US, and give every single person a reasonable, livable wage. I think that video I originally posted mentions something about that.

Basically, the top richest 1% of the country would have to give what equates to dollars and cents for us normal people. They'd still be outlandishly rich and poverty would be a thing of the past.

How disgusting is it that there are people who have the ability to ELIMINATE POVERTY from our world by simply writing a check they wouldn't otherwise think twice about spending on some solid gold diamond studded private island mansion complete with matching yacht and space station orbiting Mars.

Seriously people. Buy one less car this year and let's eliminate poverty instead.