Re: [CTRL] How the pie is sliced. Concentration of wealth.
-Caveat Lector- "M.A. Johnson" wrote: -Caveat Lector- snip Wealth is NOT energy. Regard$, --MJ It's not an analogy at all. Wealth is the storage of energy. It is stored in whatever form the wealth takes. That depends on the culture. Everyone shares a common belief as to what is valuable and therefore worth trading time and work for. The value in wealth is precisely because it gets an expenditure of physical energy from others. In the forms of work and compliance. That is why the rich have power. Power is focussed or accumulated energy. The more wealth you have, the more power you have. This is amplified ( leveraged ) in the Capitalist system. The power of wealth is utilized to get more wealth. This is the fatal flaw of the system. It GUARANTEES concentration of wealth to the wealthy. When most of the wealth in the system is owned or controlled by a small group, then that leaves less or little wealth in the system for everyone else to either fight over or share. This causes societal strain. It first shows up as crime. Any long term successful system MUST PREVENT THE ACCUMULATION OF LARGE STORES OF WEALTH TO PREVENT THE CYCLE OF SOCIAL DISINTEGRATION. The period of social disintegration is not pleasant. Ask your relatives who lived through the depression, or ask the Russians and Indonesians, or even ask the modern Japanese. It is a period of devolution. It took WWII to kick start the economies that were interdependent with the US's and Europe's. War is the second most serious flaw of capitalism. The system overproduces and saturates available markets. It then requires new markets. (Like China.) War is also an excellent tool for reducing large quantities of stuff. Cities contain large quantities of stuff. Bombs destroy cities which contain lots of stuff. Brown Root is one of the worlds largest construction firms. It has a five year contract to rebuild northern Albania. If NATO is successful in destroying Yugoslavia even more than it already has since 1990, then Brown Root will have a contract that includes Greater Albania which includes either half or all of Kosovo. This is ( as usual,) a capitalist war with a mercenary socialist political elite. War is good for profits. Profits are the lifeblood of the corporations. A certain percentage of money from the corporations' wealth is channeled through the political system associated with the capitalist economy, and gets the politicians to channel tax moneys back to the corporations through direct purchases or government contracts for services. The return on a corporation's political investment is astronomical in the case of weapons companies, and slightly more modest in other areas. War materiel doesn't get used up like washing machines and cars do. They only get used up in large quantities during a war. A good time to have a war, is when there is a surplus in the economy, and your enemy is much smaller than you. That way the politicians can direct " surplus " moneys from Social Security to the military industrial oligopoly without fear of backlash or rebellion . War is necessary for Capitalism's Capitalists to roll over stock. It is only incidental that so many people die. It is only collateral damage. Joshua2 DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] How the pie is sliced. Concentration of wealth.
-Caveat Lector- In a message dated 5/16/99 7:15:12 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: War is necessary for Capitalism's Capitalists to roll over stock. It is only incidental that so many people die. It is only collateral damage. Joshua2 War is also a from of social control. Why are so many bonesman secretaries of War and Defense? Om K DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] How the pie is sliced. Concentration of wealth.
-Caveat Lector- MJ: Wealth is CREATED, not distributed. nurev wrote: I'm talking about on EARTH, Mr. Johnson. MJ: I am merely POINTING at REALITY. Regard$, --MJ It is an affront to truth to treat falsehood with complaisance. -- Thomas Paine DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] How the pie is sliced. Concentration of wealth.
-Caveat Lector- Kris Millegan wrote: -Caveat Lector- In a message dated 5/16/99 7:15:12 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: War is necessary for Capitalism's Capitalists to roll over stock. It is only incidental that so many people die. It is only collateral damage. Joshua2 War is also a from of social control. Why are so many bonesman secretaries of War and Defense? Om K Agreed. Among other things, it provides an " us " in us against them. However, I don't think this will work with Kosovo because it's a NATO war, and NATO doesn't have citizens or tribal adherents. NATO is simply something amorphously else. NATO out of the Balkans. US out of NATO. Joshua2 DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] How the pie is sliced. Concentration of wealth.
-Caveat Lector- Now I don't know how this fellow Thomas Paine got on the list, but he sure is worth reading...imagine he won't be around long. Colleen DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] How the pie is sliced. Concentration of wealth.
-Caveat Lector- Copyright 1995 by New Prospect, Inc. Readers may redistribute this article to other individuals for noncommercial use, provided that the text and this notice remain intact. This article may not be resold, reprinted, or redistributed for compensation of any kind without prior written permission from the author. If you have any questions about permissions, please contact The American Prospect, P.O. Box 383080, Cambridge, MA 02238, or by phone at (617) 547- 2950. Preferred Citation: Edward N. Wolff, "How the Pie is Sliced" The American Prospect no. 22 (Summer 1995): 58-64 (http://epn.org/prospect/22/22wolf.html). HOW THE PIE IS SLICED America's Growing Concentration of Wealth Edward N. Wolff Conservative economic policy has one central idea: just create a bigger pie, and everyone will have a bigger slice. In fact, conservatives predict that if we cut the rich a bigger piece by lowering their tax rates, the resulting growth will enlarge everyone else's slice, too. This was the core idea of Reagan's tax cuts, and it is central to such current conservative goals as lower capital gains taxes. Unfortunately, since the 1980s the great majority of Americans have not been getting bigger slices from a growing pie. As many people have noted, median family income has failed to grow. The picture is even more stark for gains in wealth than for gains in income. New research, based on data from federal surveys, shows that between 1983 and 1989 the top 20 percent of wealth holders received 99 percent of the total gain in marketable wealth, while the bottom 80 percent of the population got only 1 percent. America produced a lot of new wealth in the '80s--indeed, the stock market boomed--but almost none of it filtered down. Few people realize how extraordinarily concentrated the gains in wealth have been. Between 1983 and 1989 the top 1 percent of income recipients received about a third of the total increase in real income. But the richest 1 percent received an even bigger slice--62 percent--of the new wealth that was created (see figure at right). The most recent data suggest these trends have continued. My preliminary estimates indicate that between 1989 and 1992, 68 percent of the increase in total household wealth went to the richest 1 percent--an even larger share of wealth gain than between 1983 and 1989. As a result, the concentration of wealth reached a postwar high in 1992, the latest year for which data are available. If these trends continue, the super rich will pull ahead of other Americans at an even faster pace in the 1990s than they did in the '80s. Growing inequality in the distribution of wealth has serious implications for the kind of society we live in. Today, the average American family's wealth adds up to a comparatively meager $52,200, typically tied up in a home and some small investments. While Forbes magazine each year keeps listing record numbers of billionaires--in 1994 Forbes counted 65 of them in the U.S.--homeownership has been slipping since the mid-1970s. The percentage of Americans with private pensions has also been dropping. And, with their real incomes squeezed, middle-income families have not been putting savings aside for retirement. The number of young Americans going to college has also begun to decline, another indirect sign of the same underlying phenomenon. In fact, international data now indicate that wealth is more unequally distributed in the U.S. than in other developed countries, including that old symbol of class privilege, Great Britain. Economic worries may be at the root of much of the political anger in America today, but there is almost no public debate about the growth in wealth inequality, much less the steps needed to reverse current trends. The debate needs to start with an understanding of how and why America's pie is getting sliced so unequally. REVERSAL OF FORTUNES The increasing concentration of wealth in the past 15 years represents a reversal of the trend that had prevailed from the mid-1960s through the late 1970s. The share of total wealth owned by the rich depends, to a large extent, on asset values
Re: [CTRL] How the pie is sliced. Concentration of wealth.
-Caveat Lector- Wealth is CREATED, not distributed. Regard$, --MJ It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry. -- Thomas Paine DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] How the pie is sliced. Concentration of wealth.
-Caveat Lector- In a message dated 99-05-15 13:22:40 EDT, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Wealth is CREATED, not distributed. Even ENERGY can be neither created nor destroyed, just redistributed. 'Twould seem even God has less "power" than an ideological Capitalist. "To a 20-nothing wannabee-yuppie virgin, even Ayn Rand at age 65 is a great lay." --L. Ron Rothbard DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] How the pie is sliced. Concentration of wealth.
-Caveat Lector- MJ: Wealth is CREATED, not distributed. Das GOAT wrote: Even ENERGY can be neither created nor destroyed, just redistributed. 'Twould seem even God has less "power" than an ideological Capitalist. MJ: False analogy. Wealth is NOT energy. Regard$, --MJ Few skills are so well rewarded as the ability to convince parasites that they are victims. -- Thomas Sowell DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] How the pie is sliced. Concentration of wealth.
-Caveat Lector- In a message dated 99-05-15 16:48:31 EDT, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Few skills are so well rewarded as the ability to convince parasites that they are victims. -- Thomas Sowell No one is more paranoid about being "victimized" --e.g., by "Socialist" conspiracies, by competitors in business, by "unjust" laws, by the "greedy" poor, etc-- than a capitalist. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] How the pie is sliced. Concentration of wealth.
-Caveat Lector- "M.A. Johnson" wrote: -Caveat Lector- Wealth is CREATED, not distributed. Regard$, --MJ I'm talking about on EARTH, Mr. Johnson. Joshua2 DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] How the pie is sliced. Concentration of wealth.
-Caveat Lector- Das GOAT wrote: -Caveat Lector- In a message dated 99-05-15 13:22:40 EDT, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Wealth is CREATED, not distributed. Even ENERGY can be neither created nor destroyed, just redistributed. 'Twould seem even God has less "power" than an ideological Capitalist. "To a 20-nothing wannabee-yuppie virgin, even Ayn Rand at age 65 is a great lay." --L. Ron Rothbard Dear Mr. Rothbard, I had her and she aint nothin'. All she did was lay there yelling " More, more, I MUST HAVE MORE!" No wonder Atlas Shrugged. He had her too. This happened of course, before she died in the 60's. Joshua2 DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] How the pie is sliced. Concentration of wealth.
-Caveat Lector- In a message dated 99-05-15 13:22:40 EDT, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Wealth is CREATED, not distributed. Even ENERGY can be neither created nor destroyed, just redistributed. 'Twould seem even God has less "power" than an ideological Capitalist. "To a 20-nothing wannabee-yuppie virgin, even Ayn Rand at age 65 is a great lay." --L. Ron Rothbard DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] How the pie is sliced. Concentration of wealth.
-Caveat Lector- MJ: Wealth is CREATED, not distributed. Das GOAT wrote: Even ENERGY can be neither created nor destroyed, just redistributed. 'Twould seem even God has less "power" than an ideological Capitalist. MJ: False analogy. Wealth is NOT energy. Regard$, --MJ Few skills are so well rewarded as the ability to convince parasites that they are victims. -- Thomas Sowell DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] How the pie is sliced. Concentration of wealth.
-Caveat Lector- In a message dated 99-05-15 16:48:31 EDT, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Few skills are so well rewarded as the ability to convince parasites that they are victims. -- Thomas Sowell No one is more paranoid about being "victimized" --e.g., by "Socialist" conspiracies, by competitors in business, by "unjust" laws, by the "greedy" poor, etc-- than a capitalist. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
