[ExI] I see pitchforks.

[John Clark]

On Mon, Jul 8, 2019 at 11:26 AM <spike at rainier66.com> wrote:

*> I see plenty of countries in which that disparity is way greater than it
> is in the USA, and they seem to be living with it.  *


Due to technological advancements accelerating income inequality is a
worldwide problem but the rate of increase is most dramatic in the USA. The
US income inequality is greater than that in India or ANY country in Asia
or ANY country in Europe, the only countries where it's higher are in
Africa and South America where they tend to have revolutions every other
day.

And the USA also does poorly on economic mobility, Canada has twice as much
and Denmark three times, in the USA if you're born poor you'll probably die
poor.

 John K Clark





>
>
>
> *From:* extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org> *On Behalf
> Of *Dylan Distasio
> *Sent:* Monday, July 8, 2019 7:05 AM
> *To:* ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
> *Subject:* Re: [ExI] I see pitchforks.
>
>
>
> Spike-
>
>
>
> >…Putting aside the fact that I'm not in favor of a wealth tax, so we
> agree…
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>
> On to John’s point: does wealth disparity result in revolution?  I see
> plenty of countries in which that disparity is way greater than it is in
> the USA, and they seem to be living with it.  I don’t own a luxury yacht,
> but I have not a trace of animosity against those who do.  On the contrary:
> I am entertained by the resulting silliness.  For example…
>
>
>
> In Monterey CA, nice harbor, lots of really rich people live around there,
> your classic Sandersian billionehhhs, the Monopoly guy moved there after
> his copyright from the Parker Brothers game expired.  Places to park a boat
> are a limited resource, and the waiting list is longer than ordinary humans
> are likely to live (even the cartoon Monopoly guy would die before a slip
> came open), but any ordinary billionehhh can buy a boat already parked in a
> slip.  Plenty of the boats currently parked in the most desirable harbor
> are just place-holders for speculators gambling on buying a canoe for a
> couple hundred thousand bucks, betting that a year from now, someone will
> pay her a quarter of million for that canoe (and the slip.)
>
>
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> The locals dislike this of course: they think they should get a cut of
> those billions, and they don’t like looking down at the harbor and seeing
> half of the slips with luxury yachts and some of them occupied by ugly old
> canoes and rowboats.  They can’t get a slip for their boats.  Coastline is
> a limited resource.
>
>
>
> But here’s a fun one: if one could build an artificial harbor, one could
> sell those parking spots for hundreds of thousands each.  Well OK, how hard
> would it be to build an artificial harbor?  And whodathunk?  As technology
> improves, the cost of building a luxury yacht goes down, while the cost of
> a parking spot for it goes up.  Extrapolate on that notion: over time,
> stuff gets ever cheaper, but a place to put all your stuff gets more
> expensive.
>
>
>
> Oh what a fun world we live in.
>
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>
> spike
>
>
>
>
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