. Look at Bill Gates. He hasn't always been rich, now he has more money than anybody. It seems the seperation between rich and poor is getting far wider. Most people scrape by, day by day, week at a time. The super rich have more money than they could spend in a lifetime, 10 lifetimes. This isn't the bad part, the world has always been like this. The bad part, it seems the middle class seems to be getting smaller.
Mod the parent up. Very perceptive. Rich people get richer because they buy income producing assets and use the income to buy more income producing assets. An asset is like the crystal harvesers in starcraft - each one costs so much, but produces income over time. Over time the income from your SCV pays for itself and lets you buy another one, and so on.
Here is why the poster is right about the middle class shrinking:
Our tax system attacks the middle class the hardest. The middle and upper middle pay nearly 40% in taxes (sales, income and property). This prevents the middle class from being able to buy income producing assets.
The middle class is financially illeterate. They do not know the difference between assets and liabilities. Many people think that their home is an asset. It usually isn't in that it may appreciate from $150,000 to $300,000, but you've had to pay $420,000 to buy it. Reality is that most middle classers have few assets, and lots of liabilities and expenses.
Debt. Debt is an asset for the bank and a liability to the loan-holder. Rich people make loans to less affluent people.
The lower class isn't mobile. If you can't meet your expenses, you cant build wealth.
I think the real problem isn't a vast conspiracy against the poor and middle class. The problem is education. Simple concepts like the difference between assets & liabilities and income & expenses are taught. People don't understand debt beyond I get money today for giving you more money tomorrow. People don't understand taxes. Things like capital gains, income tax shelters and corporations are all foreign to most middle classers. It took me 32 years to figure it out, and I'm now on my way financially.
What bothers me is there is no conceivable way these individuals could have performed over a billion dollars worth of labor, ever. I'm not advocating communism or socialism, I'm just pointing out a basic truth. None of these people could have conceivably done more useful work than the entire lifetimes work of thousands of people.
Sure they can. They've provided work for a lifetime for thousands of people.
Ummm...the USA didn't spring out of fresh air. It's an offshoot of European colonists and numerous waves of immigrants (Irish, Jewish, Italian, Mexican &c) The 'headstart' comment is laughable.
LOLx3. My family is made up of a bunch of people the bugois in France, Britain and Germany didn't want. The problem with Europe is that no one rows the boat in the same direction, and when you do its either:
A) Tyrant brings (er... encourages)togather several nations to try to conquer the world. Row row row the boat -- or else.
B) Nations unite against a Tyrant trying to conquer the world. Row Row Row the boat -- or else.
It's ok though. We love our slightly less than responsible, sometimes n'er do well uncle - Europe. Next time somebody comes along and starts bullying you, we'll use our very nice shiny missles, tanks, guns, and of course aircraft carriers to run them off and then we'll rebuild you again. And again.
Of course, that's what you get for sending us good wine, find cheese, nice cars and cool threads from time to time. Just don't be an ass about it.
It is my impression that you are actually quite lucky. In the country I currently live in (Italy) a whopping 43% gets deducted from my salary even before I get it.
The marginal cost per unit is zero. All these stupid corporations need to do is work out that they're sitting on a gold mine and increase their profits exponentially.
Cutting your marginal costs to zero is stupid if it cut your revenue to less than you make in profit today, assuming you are willing to put your entire distribution channel out of work.
Now third world countries have wised up to that. Why do you think North Korea is so interested in developing its own nuclear weapons?
This is not surprising. It is only surprising that it has taken 50 years.
And that promotes peace all over the globe how exactly?
Peace is relative. Compare the last 50 years to the prior 50 years. The last 50 have been relatively uneventful in comparison.
Study history and you'll find all kinds of various military interventions. What is impressive is that war has not spread like wildfire as it would of 50 years ago. Wars just don't escalate anymore.
The constitution recognizes the US Supreme Court as the only court competent to hear such a case, which is probably why so many Americans (conservatives especially I guess) don't like the World Court in the Hague. I almost see their point, but it seems a little self-centered.
This is not a liberal/conservative issue. It is a nationalist/globalist issue.
What happens when two nations have a disagreement where the recognize their own supreme court as the only competent jurisdiction? I think the practical answer is that these issues have always been worked out diplomatically in the past and could continue to be worked out so.
Exactly.
The problem with that is it denies the possibility of true international law.
And how is that a problem? Right now supreme power rests with the nation-state. That is the order of things. Perhaps this is changing, but not to the extent that nations allow organizations like the UN to push them around. Iraq and Israel would be two example of this.
Abdul Rashid Dostum's, more specifically [ google him for some fun! ] troops, with the apparent aid or at least the blind eye of US troops, killed captured Taliban.
That's what I thought: bad guys killed by less bad guys. News at 11.
Both are considerably more progressive than NPR itself
I think that you are insulting the progressives here... Pacifica and Counterspin are out on the kook fringe, a lot like the 4:00PM-8:00PM fringe kook right wingers on commercial radio. It would be nice if NPR had some diversity of viewpoint that wasnt:
* LIBERAL * LIBERAL/______________ Race Here * LIBERAL / _____________ Sexual Pref here
I'd be happy to see:
* Slightly leaning left moderate
Any more to the left and NPR's going to roll over.
How about the right to have a President that was elected.
LOLx2 Bush won the electorial college. The supremes denied a recount that basically obliterated equal protection. How about you change the constitution to popular vote majority?
I believe this could be considered discrimination, and companies are required to keep all resumes they receive on file.
a) Voting someone off the island because you have concerns about hiring an IP lawsuit is fine or if you feel that a particular employer provides, for example, poor training.
b) You must keep all resumes on file if you are subject to EEOC.
#8: US/British forces knowingly use illegal depleted uranium weapons in Gulf War
Bullets are designed to kill or injure. DU does it better! And for longer, too. Plus it sounds scary because people picture "nuclear bullets"!
The alternative would be to have soldiers fire hardened lucky charms marshmallows. The make up for lack of density with that magically delicous flavor.
#10: Africa Faces New Threat of Colonialism
I'm helping out that Nigerian gentleman that keeps sending me emails.
#11: U.S. Implicated in Taliban Massacre
Yes, we did kill a lot of them. Fortunately, there was no conspiracy there. WAIT! Because we funded the enemy of our soviet enemy when they were our enemy, that must mean the Taliban was, is and will always be our freind. Get married so you can find out about how friendships change over the years.
#17: Clear Channel Monopoly Draws Criticism
Rush Limbaugh haters unite! I'm suprised Fox New's surge to the top wasn't on the list too. Open minds, open minds... If it's not our news there can't be news.
#20: For-Profit Military
Obviously never read "Soldier of Fortune" mag as a kid. This just in: "For-profit sex: it's real and in your neighborhood!"
Only because this man clearly stated he did not care about the moral consequences of his endaevours, was willing to sacrifice anything (like Alaskan wilderness or poor Pacific islanders homes) in the pursuit of his deadly devices or because for 50 years humanity was held hostage of these paranoids (and their soviet counterparts)?
First, we and the Soviets were not held hostage by weapons. In fact, Teller's work is directly responsible for ending the cycle of terrible wars that would sweep across Europe every 20-50 years. His work has assured us that war would be reserved to smaller areas where the most powerful nations did not have a strong enough stake to threaten distruction on themselves.
Think of this: what if the US and the western European nations never had the hydrogen bomb - and a tolitarian state did. That would be truley being held hostage. Teller guaranteed our freedom and wrote the check that ensured that large-scale wars between superpowers would never again be feasible.
The best they could've made were wooden ships to sail to Korea with... and the Koreans would've been ready with a nasty greeting party. Before long every other country occupied by Japan would've come back for revenge, and they'd probably be a poor Chinese protectorate today.
Wow. Had we turned tail, we would have left the entire region destabilized and worse, with a vaccum of power. By filling Japan's role as the superpower in the southeast, the US was able to control the carnage and long term, establish a relative peace. The exception being Korea and Viet Nam which were originally proxy wars between the US and communist states.
Truman was right. He chose the lesser of two evils to end the war.
I find the comparison of propaganda techniques used by SCO and the Nazi Minister of Propaganda not subject to Godwin's law, and actually, rather telling about the character of the players at SCO. I think that the Nazis would be offended by the comparison.
Well, RIAA, congrats. You've just succeeded in educating the masses as to what is at stake. You are ruining peoples life over songs I can hear for free over the radio.
Slashdot Mirror
Mod the parent up. Very perceptive. Rich people get richer because they buy income producing assets and use the income to buy more income producing assets. An asset is like the crystal harvesers in starcraft - each one costs so much, but produces income over time. Over time the income from your SCV pays for itself and lets you buy another one, and so on.
Here is why the poster is right about the middle class shrinking:
I think the real problem isn't a vast conspiracy against the poor and middle class. The problem is education. Simple concepts like the difference between assets & liabilities and income & expenses are taught. People don't understand debt beyond I get money today for giving you more money tomorrow. People don't understand taxes. Things like capital gains, income tax shelters and corporations are all foreign to most middle classers. It took me 32 years to figure it out, and I'm now on my way financially.
What bothers me is there is no conceivable way these individuals could have performed over a billion dollars worth of labor, ever. I'm not advocating communism or socialism, I'm just pointing out a basic truth. None of these people could have conceivably done more useful work than the entire lifetimes work of thousands of people.
Sure they can. They've provided work for a lifetime for thousands of people.
Cybersquatting, though one of the great minor evils of the web, is damned hard to stop.
I am not a squatter. That said, I don't see where there is a problem with it. Domains are the internet's equivelent of real estate addresses:
* Speculators will invest in and lease the best addresses.
* If you don't renew your lease, someone else can and likely will.
You do realise that Europeans colonised America? They didn't suddenly start from the stone age again.
You are right about that. Thank you for your support.
Ummm...the USA didn't spring out of fresh air. It's an offshoot of European colonists and numerous waves of immigrants (Irish, Jewish, Italian, Mexican &c) The 'headstart' comment is laughable.
LOLx3. My family is made up of a bunch of people the bugois in France, Britain and Germany didn't want. The problem with Europe is that no one rows the boat in the same direction, and when you do its either:
A) Tyrant brings (er... encourages)togather several nations to try to conquer the world. Row row row the boat -- or else.
B) Nations unite against a Tyrant trying to conquer the world. Row Row Row the boat -- or else.
It's ok though. We love our slightly less than responsible, sometimes n'er do well uncle - Europe. Next time somebody comes along and starts bullying you, we'll use our very nice shiny missles, tanks, guns, and of course aircraft carriers to run them off and then we'll rebuild you again. And again.
Of course, that's what you get for sending us good wine, find cheese, nice cars and cool threads from time to time. Just don't be an ass about it.
It is my impression that you are actually quite lucky. In the country I currently live in (Italy) a whopping 43% gets deducted from my salary even before I get it.
But you have great health care, right?
The marginal cost per unit is zero. All these stupid corporations need to do is work out that they're sitting on a gold mine and increase their profits exponentially.
Cutting your marginal costs to zero is stupid if it cut your revenue to less than you make in profit today, assuming you are willing to put your entire distribution channel out of work.
Now third world countries have wised up to that. Why do you think North Korea is so interested in developing its own nuclear weapons?
This is not surprising. It is only surprising that it has taken 50 years.
And that promotes peace all over the globe how exactly?
Peace is relative. Compare the last 50 years to the prior 50 years. The last 50 have been relatively uneventful in comparison.
Study history and you'll find all kinds of various military interventions. What is impressive is that war has not spread like wildfire as it would of 50 years ago. Wars just don't escalate anymore.
If it would help you feel better, we can flame you for the crime of having an opinion...
The constitution recognizes the US Supreme Court as the only court competent to hear such a case, which is probably why so many Americans (conservatives especially I guess) don't like the World Court in the Hague. I almost see their point, but it seems a little self-centered.
This is not a liberal/conservative issue. It is a nationalist/globalist issue.
What happens when two nations have a disagreement where the recognize their own supreme court as the only competent jurisdiction? I think the practical answer is that these issues have always been worked out diplomatically in the past and could continue to be worked out so.
Exactly.
The problem with that is it denies the possibility of true international law.
And how is that a problem? Right now supreme power rests with the nation-state. That is the order of things. Perhaps this is changing, but not to the extent that nations allow organizations like the UN to push them around. Iraq and Israel would be two example of this.
Abdul Rashid Dostum's, more specifically [ google him for some fun! ] troops, with the apparent aid or at least the blind eye of US troops, killed captured Taliban.
That's what I thought: bad guys killed by less bad guys. News at 11.
Both are considerably more progressive than NPR itself
I think that you are insulting the progressives here... Pacifica and Counterspin are out on the kook fringe, a lot like the 4:00PM-8:00PM fringe kook right wingers on commercial radio. It would be nice if NPR had some diversity of viewpoint that wasnt:
* LIBERAL
* LIBERAL/______________ Race Here
* LIBERAL / _____________ Sexual Pref here
I'd be happy to see:
* Slightly leaning left moderate
Any more to the left and NPR's going to roll over.
How about the right to have a President that was elected.
LOLx2 Bush won the electorial college. The supremes denied a recount that basically obliterated equal protection. How about you change the constitution to popular vote majority?
maybe 75% of the "stories" are probably basically true.
LOL. Define "probably basically true".
Any EOE experts to give some clarification?
I believe this could be considered discrimination, and companies are required to keep all resumes they receive on file.
a) Voting someone off the island because you have concerns about hiring an IP lawsuit is fine or if you feel that a particular employer provides, for example, poor training.
b) You must keep all resumes on file if you are subject to EEOC.
There are some comedic gems in here...
#8: US/British forces knowingly use illegal depleted uranium weapons in Gulf War
Bullets are designed to kill or injure. DU does it better! And for longer, too. Plus it sounds scary because people picture "nuclear bullets"!
The alternative would be to have soldiers fire hardened lucky charms marshmallows. The make up for lack of density with that magically delicous flavor.
#10: Africa Faces New Threat of Colonialism
I'm helping out that Nigerian gentleman that keeps sending me emails.
#11: U.S. Implicated in Taliban Massacre
Yes, we did kill a lot of them. Fortunately, there was no conspiracy there. WAIT! Because we funded the enemy of our soviet enemy when they were our enemy, that must mean the Taliban was, is and will always be our freind. Get married so you can find out about how friendships change over the years.
#17: Clear Channel Monopoly Draws Criticism
Rush Limbaugh haters unite! I'm suprised Fox New's surge to the top wasn't on the list too. Open minds, open minds... If it's not our news there can't be news.
#20: For-Profit Military
Obviously never read "Soldier of Fortune" mag as a kid. This just in: "For-profit sex: it's real and in your neighborhood!"
Secondly, I am very unenthusiastic about warfare
Good.
Only because this man clearly stated he did not care about the moral consequences of his endaevours, was willing to sacrifice anything (like Alaskan wilderness or poor Pacific islanders homes) in the pursuit of his deadly devices or because for 50 years humanity was held hostage of these paranoids (and their soviet counterparts)?
First, we and the Soviets were not held hostage by weapons. In fact, Teller's work is directly responsible for ending the cycle of terrible wars that would sweep across Europe every 20-50 years. His work has assured us that war would be reserved to smaller areas where the most powerful nations did not have a strong enough stake to threaten distruction on themselves.
Think of this: what if the US and the western European nations never had the hydrogen bomb - and a tolitarian state did. That would be truley being held hostage. Teller guaranteed our freedom and wrote the check that ensured that large-scale wars between superpowers would never again be feasible.
The best they could've made were wooden ships to sail to Korea with... and the Koreans would've been ready with a nasty greeting party. Before long every other country occupied by Japan would've come back for revenge, and they'd probably be a poor Chinese protectorate today.
Wow. Had we turned tail, we would have left the entire region destabilized and worse, with a vaccum of power. By filling Japan's role as the superpower in the southeast, the US was able to control the carnage and long term, establish a relative peace. The exception being Korea and Viet Nam which were originally proxy wars between the US and communist states.
Truman was right. He chose the lesser of two evils to end the war.
So why dream up such a boondoggle?
Oh...that's right. Because the Galileo system is just an out-of-this-world waste of money.
LOLx2. I am impressed that the EU has already built the most impessive department of redundancy department in the world.
Snake oil that works? What do you even call something like that?
Good eatin. Ever try chicken-fried buffalo in rattle-snake oil?
I find the comparison of propaganda techniques used by SCO and the Nazi Minister of Propaganda not subject to Godwin's law, and actually, rather telling about the character of the players at SCO.
I think that the Nazis would be offended by the comparison.
what you listen to is still controlled by the man.
Nah... I have 15 channels to choose from that are all playing the same song right now.
And if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Stealing is stealing.
I simply disagree with your morals. Fortunately, laws can and will be changed no that RIAA is attacking children.
Well, RIAA, congrats. You've just succeeded in educating the masses as to what is at stake. You are ruining peoples life over songs I can hear for free over the radio.
Idiots.