Income inequality will be the death of us.

[Big Head Tech]

EDIT: I noticed that i did not update my charts to figure college is PER YEAR not PER SEMESTER.  Those figures are per year.

 

Back when I was in college I had to do a project in economics about inflation.  3 years later in 2015 I revisited the subject.  The results I found has made me realized how poor the economy has scaled in 40 years.  In a perfect world this is how things should have scaled.

 

This is assuming everything scaled with inflation.  However, as you can see in 2015 where everything currently is, wages are 30-60% behind inflation while mostly everything is 50-800% ahead of inflation.  And here is the chart assuming the next 40 years are like the previous 40 years.  This basically means the top 1% will have 99% of the entire wealth while the bottom 99% is fighting a war over the remaining 1%.  

 

 

$0.60 of every dollar earned in 2015 went to the top 1%.  The average income per person in 2015 was $53,657 multiply that by the 322 million people we have and it's around 17 trillion (rounding down) Americans earned last year.  Let's take a look at something here.  According to: http://www.usgovernmentrevenue.com/fed_revenue_2015US , the government collected 1.9 trillion in income tax.  If 60% of earned income is taxed at 39.5% and lets assume the remaining 40% is taxed at 15% that means they should have collected 4+1 trillion dollars.  ROUGHLY of course.  That means 3.1 trillion dollars was hidden in offshore accounts, in shell company's, hidden donations and many other ways to hide money.

 

 

But my republican colleagues seem to think that abuse of welfare is costing us more money than anything else, so let's take a look at that shall we? 394 billion was allocated to welfare, of that 334 was for food stamps, housing and direct compensation.  The other 60 million was for workman's comp and unemployment.  Let's say 50% of people on welfare are able bodied people and should be working.  That would save us a grand total of $167 billion a year.

 

So while I fully agree we need to revamp welfare and social services, if you really think this is what is costing us so much money please wake up.  18 times more money is being abused by offshore accounts and shell companies than the "lazy" people on welfare.  Let's fix it all not just one thing.

 

 

But I want to dig deeper into some other issues.  According to: http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372 20.2 million Americans will attend college this year.  Let's just say each and every single one attends a public college.  Take that figure times it by the average cost of college per year of $16,000.  That is roughly 322 billion a year.  Roughly 10% of what the top 1% is cheating the country out of.  Solved that issue very easily.  But what the government should do is require a minimum GPA, and qualify grants based on house hold income.  Public colleges only, Private ones would still have their own costs.  Say if you're family makes under 100k, you get 100% tuition covered.  Up to $150k 80% covered, 200k 60% covered, 250k 50% cover, after that only 25% covered.  But in that price range parents are choosing private colleges most likely.


But let's take a look at healthcare as well.  These figures I do not have readily available so a bit is pure speculation.  But from what has been published, if a single entity controls costs of the entire industry, setting prices and fee's across the board, we could reduce the average cost of healthcare per family from about $11,000 a year to about $4,000 a year in a form of a tax.  But a local monopoly in my area called UPMC, take a look at their published information: http://www.upmc.com/media/NewsReleases/2015/Pages/upmc-continues-strong-financial-performance-first-nine-months-fiscal-year-2015.aspx

 

Now when you actually look at their income statement its quite a bit worse.  But this is a healthcare company that has a NONPROFIT status publishing a NET INCOME (Income after ALL expenses, dividends, investments and loan repayments) of 205 million for the FIRST quarter of 2015.  This is a NONPROFIT healthcare company.  Years ago they showed income in the billion dollar range before the government told them they need to start hiding more money or risk losing nonprofit.  To make matters worse, if you have bluecross, you are NO LONGER in network with UPMC, which in The PA, Ohio, WV area is the dominant system, but less than 10% have UPMC insurance.  I am quite sure every area has a very similar problem.  How can an industry that is in the business for the well being of others be more concerned with $$$ than the health of man kind.


To be fair, I do not think all Rich people are evil.  But when 60% of all investments are owned by the top 1%, social security is a joke of retirement and most of the 401k's are gone from the collapse we have no future.  We need to uncap social security so when we grow old we have retirements to rely on because 401k's are growing very little, pensions are completely gone and IRA's collapse every time a market shifts. Very few people with money are Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerburg who are investing their money into this world (mostly 3rd world stuff but still).  The problem is a vast majority of the top 1% are investing their money into politicians to make laws in the best interest of the top 1% not the remaining 99%.  Bernie Sanders, a candidate whom I align with the most (but not on everything), says the middle class is disappearing and I disagree.  There hasn't been a middle class since he took office in the 80's.  We have 3 types of people.  The poverty (bottom 10-20%), the poor (the 20-80%) and the rich/wealth the top 20%.  The ones in charge (those who invest money into politics) are causing the poor to wage war against the poverty.  People like Trump play on our fears against others, and those who make us believe that welfare abuse is the cause of our poor economy.  When they are causing 18 times more damage than the poverty are assuming 1 in 2 people on welfare are abusing it when the number is more like 1 in 60-70.


So let me explain who I am and what I am about.  I am 26 years old, engaged, just bought my first home, own 2 vehicles, have 2 college degrees, have a career of my own and pursing my masters.  I make a bit above the average income per person, I receive VERY cheap benefits, and my 401k is matched at 6% dollar for dollar.  I have perks that most American's do not have.  I have 2 2,000 dollar PC's one for me and my fiancee that we barely use 20% of it's capabilities of, except for video editing.  My parents and I made an agreement with college that if I spent time at community and declared a major that they would cover tuition.  My parents helped me buy my first car at 16 (matched dollar for dollar), and they gave me a few thousand towards my first house.  I am a privileged white middle class American kid who was lucky.  MOST of my friends and colleagues were not this lucky.  Over time I've began to understand this and I woke up a few years ago in college realizing how reality really was.  My numbers are not perfect, I exaggerated to prove a point but not in my favor, rather than against it.  But it opens your eyes does it not?

[lkarej]

#FeelTheBern

[mr.skyrim_pc]

#FeelTheBern

#No

[mr.skyrim_pc]

It bugs me when you start your paragraphs with but.

[Big Head Tech]

#FeelTheBern

 

 

#No

I am not here to try and convince anyone that Bernie is the only candidate.  That is my opinion.  My goal is to spread knowledge to have people wake up and realize how our country is being destroyed and make informed decisions.  Not spamming #Trump2016 because you're racist and think that the 0.00000007% of Muslims that are a part of Isis can be stopped by a mass genocide of an entire religion.

[lkarej]

#No

 

I would never vote for him tbh.

[Big Head Tech]

It bugs me when you start your paragraphs with but.

I just finished a 10 page paper so I got extremely lazy on the post not gonna lie.

[Mug]

Fingers crossed for Bernie tbh. I reckon he'll win if he gets democratic nomination.

[Big Head Tech]

I would never vote for him tbh.

Nor is this post telling you to do so.

[Big Head Tech]

Fingers crossed for Bernie tbh. I reckon he'll win if he gets democratic nomination.

I personally hope so, even though things like gun control we are not on the same page.  But he's had the same idea's and opinions since he took office in the 80's.  No one can buy him out and my Fiancee is a Navy Vet and he supports Vets more than anyone else.  He's introduced legislation over 20 times during his time as a senator to help with their benefits.

[lkarej]

Nor is this post telling you to do so.

 

I am just informing my good friend who replied to me.

 

Personally I would actually vote for Trump.

But I'm Canadian. So I'm already more cucked than you US guys.

[,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,]

Money is something that I need to live, but other than that it means nothing to me. I started my own projects from dirt, and now I have my dream job. I still can't afford college, and I have yet to graduate high school.The people that work best with money are the ones who started out with none. 

 

Those spreadsheets were really surprising! I don't think just one minister, or president will fix anything. Everyone has to work together.

[TopWargamer]

TL;DR plus Trump supporters be like

https://puu.sh/mzTYm/97be4b9def.webm

[Virtual01]

Welp, time to move to one of the utopian European countries I hear so much about.

[Fred Castellum]

However income mobility is different now compared to how it was before.

 

 

EDIT: Now lots of numbers are crunched here, but there are far more factors that come into play in the grand scheme of things. 

[lkarej]

Welp, time to move to one of the utopian European countries I hear so much about.

 

You know the ones with all the rape and issues with refugees.

Just stay away from the no-go zones :^)

 

 

This is going to turn into a flamewar so fast it's not even funny.

[Big Head Tech]

I am just informing my good friend who replied to me.

 

Personally I would actually vote for Trump.

But I'm Canadian. So I'm already more cucked than you US guys.

Trump scares me alot.  He's very under-educated on actual issues that matter, he's racist as can be.  And to be honest, he shows strong signs and is following the same trend Hitler followed during his rise to power.  I'll be honest, while Christianity was responsible for millions more deaths than Islam, I personally dislike the religion more than Christianity.  More so because it's become westernized and people understand to take most of its teachings with a grain of salt.  But advocating the labeling, tracking and banning of an entire race or religion of 1.3 billion people in the world does not sound like Hitler, idk what does.

[Weak1ings]

Income inequality is not bad or good, so long as the lowest class is increasing and not too low, as it is right now.

I hope Bernie wins his Primary, I won't say why though.

[Big Head Tech]

However income mobility is different now compared to how it was before.

 

I was going to share that video because of how shocking it is, but it has gotten so much worse that it's numbers have not relevance almost.

[Mug]

I personally hope so, even though things like gun control we are not on the same page. But he's had the same idea's and opinions since he took office in the 80's. No one can buy him out and my Fiancee is a Navy Vet and he supports Vets more than anyone else. He's introduced legislation over 20 times during his time as a senator to help with their benefits.

Never before have I seen so many people in America so enthused by a politician. I was in McDonald's after going night clubbing in Liverpool late last year and speaking to an American woman who was seeing Beatles exhibitions in the city and she persuaded me to donate to his campaign. I did in the end despite it not affecting me at all haha

[byalexandr]

Someone mentioned Trump, and honestly I think he's quite hilarious, but the one thing he does is bring out the things we NEED to see. A lot of candidates hide the truth because their investors are telling them to and they're afraid of losing their position. Trump doesn't give a fuck, he says what needs to be said and opens the eyes of a lot of people, whether they like or not (most do not, and the media reinforces that). That being said I think he is still quite dumb and quite funny, but eventually people will get over him and move on.

[Dobbsjr]

Interesting read. Understood only like 60% of it though. Economics were never my strong suit.

[Mug]

Someone mentioned Trump, and honestly I think he's quite hilarious, but the one thing he does is bring out the things we NEED to see. A lot of candidates hide the truth because their investors are telling them to and they're afraid of losing their position. Trump doesn't give a fuck, he says what needs to be said and opens the eyes of a lot of people, whether they like or not (most do not, and the media reinforces that). That being said I think he is still quite dumb and quite funny, but eventually people will get over him and move on.

What you're saying it there needs to be spending limits like in the UK elections?

[Big Head Tech]

Someone mentioned Trump, and honestly I think he's quite hilarious, but the one thing he does is bring out the things we NEED to see. A lot of candidates hide the truth because their investors are telling them to and they're afraid of losing their position. Trump doesn't give a fuck, he says what needs to be said and opens the eyes of a lot of people, whether they like or not (most do not, and the media reinforces that). That being said I think he is still quite dumb and quite funny, but eventually people will get over him and move on.

While he is open about his donors and is open about how he bought out politicians does not make him any better to be honest.  I feel as if he isn't taking the race seriously.  Like he spouts out racial stuff and wants to tag and track Muslims thinking people will not want to vote for him, but then the racist white population is coming out of hiding supporting him...

[lkarej]

Trump scares me alot.  He's very under-educated on actual issues that matter, he's racist as can be.  And to be honest, he shows strong signs and is following the same trend Hitler followed during his rise to power.  I'll be honest, while Christianity was responsible for millions more deaths than Islam, I personally dislike the religion more than Christianity.  More so because it's become westernized and people understand to take most of its teachings with a grain of salt.  But advocating the labeling, tracking and banning of an entire race or religion of 1.3 billion people in the world does not sound like Hitler, idk what does.

 

>inb4 muh crusades

 

I don't agree with him on everything. One of the main things being the tracking of Muslims.

I think he has decent ideas (except that one) but communicates them poorly to the public.

Someone mentioned Trump, and honestly I think he's quite hilarious, but the one thing he does is bring out the things we NEED to see. A lot of candidates hide the truth because their investors are telling them to and they're afraid of losing their position. Trump doesn't give a fuck, he says what needs to be said and opens the eyes of a lot of people, whether they like or not (most do not, and the media reinforces that). That being said I think he is still quite dumb and quite funny, but eventually people will get over him and move on.

This too.