Wall Street Protests

[Clodfobble]

To me, the most important question is, how many of the uber-rich today were also uber-rich 30 years ago? How many people who were uber-rich 30 years ago are forced to live (or have heirs who are forced to live) truly modest lifestyles today?

I'm not concerned so much with how much more rich the rich are than the rest of us, as I am with whether there is the genuine opportunity for upward mobility in our society, or whether one must already be above a certain income level before one can expect to become significantly richer.

[Lamplighter]

@Clod It's hard to talk about such things without including or being driven by cliches.

There probably always will be those such as the Gates, Jobs, Zuckerman's, and other unique entrepreneurs.
Cliche: "Country boy makes good"

But for the country and, thus, the majority of the non-wealthy, stability of employment may be the prime factor.
Cliche: "One paycheck from homeless"

But with stability most people (home owners and renters) can look forward in their own lives.
Cliche: "Things will be better for our children than they were for us"

Deflation of an economy works against both the wealthy and non-wealthy.
But inflation works better for the wealthy who can defer taxes,
pay off loans with cheaper $, and accomodate loss of disposible income.
Cliche: "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer"

Also, the wealthy benefit from the losses of the less-wealthy by accumulating
their assets at a reduced price, such as foreclosures of real estate, buy-outs of bankruptcies.
Cliche: "Let them eat cake"

To my mind, these are some reasons I believe "corporations do not die".
In the long run, I fear accumulation of assets by corporations and the wealthy,
will continue to the point that a huge part of our population are "renters"
and "franchisee's" and "employees" of larger and larger corporations.
Cliche: "There's only so much to go around"
.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

There probably always will be those such as the Gates, Jobs, Zuckerman's, and other unique entrepreneurs.
Cliche: "Country boy makes good"

Ah yes. Two kids with wealthy parents who sent them to exclusive private schools and then on to Harvard. And one middle class guy who went to public school and dropped out of college. I'll give you Jobs as an example of a self made man who came from the middle class.

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by glatt

Ah yes. Two kids with wealthy parents who sent them to exclusive private schools and then on to Harvard. And one middle class guy who went to public school and dropped out of college. I'll give you Jobs as an example of a self made man who came from the middle class.

Don't laugh, I could have cited Mitt Romney who said:

"I went off on my own," Romney said at the debate. "... What I have I earned. I worked hard, the American way."

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

I'm not concerned so much with how much more rich the rich are than the rest of us, as I am with whether there is the genuine opportunity for upward mobility in our society, or whether one must already be above a certain income level before one can expect to become significantly richer.

Who's responsibility is it that these opportunities occur?