In the last few decades, those in the higher brackets have had larger increases in salary than the people in the lower brackets.
If we didn’t live in an inflationary system, I would not care. Or… I wouldn’t care as much.
The problem is that it appears in the graph that everyone went UP, but they did not. The people at the bottom went DOWN.
That, is the trick of an inflationary system, and why things are run that way.
And really… why should the top brackets not only make more, but increase at a faster rate than the lower brackets. It is not like this graph shows the top bracket got more of an increase measure in currency, it shows they went up by more of a percentage of their income.
Even in the graph on the right, the rich received MORE money than the poor did, even though they received less of a percentage increase. So even in the 40s - 70s, the rich increased more than the poor did, but at least the percentage increases were close.
Now, the rich are increasing at a higher percentage than the poor. Where exactly do we end this? People in the US cannot even make ends meet working at minimum wage - so they get government assistance/welfare to help. Then what happens? People look down on them, they have lower self esteem… people start to get desperate, maybe try to steal or do something illegal to get ahead…
So we push people down until they can’t survive, because of course, our inflationary system is always ensuring that the cost of living will go up. The only option people have is to get on welfare, which most do not want.
Why doesn’t the government just get rid of welfare or at least get really strict on it?
And this is exactly why capitalism will devour itself. Just imagine a world 100 or maybe even 50 years from now. Most people will have enough resources only to survive. Will they be stupid enough to shut up and die? Or they will revolt, creating wars?
I was once homeless. I am a recovering heroin addict. One day I met a woman, fell in love, and found a reason to succeed. I worked hard, impressed my boss, got promoted, and inflated my value to the company which in turn inflated my paycheck. I never asked for a dime from Uncle Sam. I still believe this is land of opportunity and you can make it on your own, with the right motivation.
As far as eliminating welfare goes, I bet if voting rights were temporarily restricted for welfare recipients we wouldn’t have politicians falling all over themselves to be the one who can have the honor of giving away my hard earned money. This practice isn’t new. Just for fun look up the Roman practice of Patronage. Vote for me and I will protect you… Elect me and I will feed you…
No thanks. I’ll vote for the guy that will get out of my way.
If there is one thing that is pretty easy to say, especially being in the middle class, is that the Bush administration has done almost nothing for people that arent in the the UPs club. Anyone making less than 100k a year has gotten poorer and everyone making more than 100K has gotten richer. It is an endless cycle. If you want this to change you will need to vote deomocrat in the fall, or prepare for much of the same (go Hillary!).
This chart is neither sad nor great…as such it doesnt allow any qualitative conclusion….you have to put it in context to other charts first like for example the inflation, the living costs and such…THEN you can tell if it sucks or not.
Shane said that “The problem is that it appears in the graph that everyone went UP, but they did not. The people at the bottom went DOWN.” and in combination with the charts I already mentioned (and with what he also said in his previoous post) it makes sense but his original remark that the chart speaks for itself is wrong.
Tom, I think you are over analyzing. The main problem is that the rich people gained more than the poor. I don’t see how any other chart or information would change this.
As for the lower bracket going down - I know this because I live it. Statistics are misleading, sometimes you just know things. The lower bracket in the US is poorer than they were 30 years ago.
This is completely disgusting. Sometimes i’m wondering why i am still going through all those studies tu put myself into debts for the rest of my life just to be able to execise my passion. I feel like i’m giving my wrists to the handcuffs of a system of slavery. When i see charts like that it give me the creeps.
Once again, this shows the growing disparity between the “have’s” and the “have not’s”. If it’s one thing Bush’s politics have done, it’s polarized our economic classes and left the middle class really holding the bag–the one with the big gaping hole in the bottom.
The time frames are, I am pretty sure, from US government statistics. When I was looking up inflation rates for the past 100 years, I remember a lot of them breaking time into segments, and 1974 being some break point for some reason.
Also I am 99% sure there was no big drop in 1974, just when you average it out over 30+ years, it looks that way.
If this rate continue in future I this American citizen will become poor very soon
The chart speaks for itself? Hmm…could you please enlighten me with your interpretation? (this is no sarcasm btw)
So, is it that we’re not being paid more by our employers, or is it that we aren’t saving and investing? I wonder…
In the last few decades, those in the higher brackets have had larger increases in salary than the people in the lower brackets.
If we didn’t live in an inflationary system, I would not care. Or… I wouldn’t care as much.
The problem is that it appears in the graph that everyone went UP, but they did not. The people at the bottom went DOWN.
That, is the trick of an inflationary system, and why things are run that way.
And really… why should the top brackets not only make more, but increase at a faster rate than the lower brackets. It is not like this graph shows the top bracket got more of an increase measure in currency, it shows they went up by more of a percentage of their income.
Even in the graph on the right, the rich received MORE money than the poor did, even though they received less of a percentage increase. So even in the 40s - 70s, the rich increased more than the poor did, but at least the percentage increases were close.
Now, the rich are increasing at a higher percentage than the poor. Where exactly do we end this? People in the US cannot even make ends meet working at minimum wage - so they get government assistance/welfare to help. Then what happens? People look down on them, they have lower self esteem… people start to get desperate, maybe try to steal or do something illegal to get ahead…
So we push people down until they can’t survive, because of course, our inflationary system is always ensuring that the cost of living will go up. The only option people have is to get on welfare, which most do not want.
Why doesn’t the government just get rid of welfare or at least get really strict on it?
Because then people would revolt, in my opinion.
And this is exactly why capitalism will devour itself. Just imagine a world 100 or maybe even 50 years from now. Most people will have enough resources only to survive. Will they be stupid enough to shut up and die? Or they will revolt, creating wars?
I was once homeless. I am a recovering heroin addict. One day I met a woman, fell in love, and found a reason to succeed. I worked hard, impressed my boss, got promoted, and inflated my value to the company which in turn inflated my paycheck. I never asked for a dime from Uncle Sam. I still believe this is land of opportunity and you can make it on your own, with the right motivation.
As far as eliminating welfare goes, I bet if voting rights were temporarily restricted for welfare recipients we wouldn’t have politicians falling all over themselves to be the one who can have the honor of giving away my hard earned money. This practice isn’t new. Just for fun look up the Roman practice of Patronage. Vote for me and I will protect you… Elect me and I will feed you…
No thanks. I’ll vote for the guy that will get out of my way.
If there is one thing that is pretty easy to say, especially being in the middle class, is that the Bush administration has done almost nothing for people that arent in the the UPs club. Anyone making less than 100k a year has gotten poorer and everyone making more than 100K has gotten richer. It is an endless cycle. If you want this to change you will need to vote deomocrat in the fall, or prepare for much of the same (go Hillary!).
~Brett
Yikes.. The chart does say it all!
Pay your taxes [or] take control of things by getting involved into public administration.
Don’t think this is a sadness chart, this show a dramatically grow in U.S Income, why would you say it’s sad?
This chart is neither sad nor great…as such it doesnt allow any qualitative conclusion….you have to put it in context to other charts first like for example the inflation, the living costs and such…THEN you can tell if it sucks or not.
Shane said that “The problem is that it appears in the graph that everyone went UP, but they did not. The people at the bottom went DOWN.” and in combination with the charts I already mentioned (and with what he also said in his previoous post) it makes sense but his original remark that the chart speaks for itself is wrong.
Tom, I think you are over analyzing. The main problem is that the rich people gained more than the poor. I don’t see how any other chart or information would change this.
As for the lower bracket going down - I know this because I live it. Statistics are misleading, sometimes you just know things. The lower bracket in the US is poorer than they were 30 years ago.
This is completely disgusting. Sometimes i’m wondering why i am still going through all those studies tu put myself into debts for the rest of my life just to be able to execise my passion. I feel like i’m giving my wrists to the handcuffs of a system of slavery. When i see charts like that it give me the creeps.
The really sad part is if you compare a chart of housing prices next to the chart of income then you will really see how bad things are.
Once again, this shows the growing disparity between the “have’s” and the “have not’s”. If it’s one thing Bush’s politics have done, it’s polarized our economic classes and left the middle class really holding the bag–the one with the big gaping hole in the bottom.
sleepaid you make a good point, i dont understand how people dont notice this.
I’m curious about what happened in 1974 to be honest.
The time frames are, I am pretty sure, from US government statistics. When I was looking up inflation rates for the past 100 years, I remember a lot of them breaking time into segments, and 1974 being some break point for some reason.
Also I am 99% sure there was no big drop in 1974, just when you average it out over 30+ years, it looks that way.