<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">On Thu, Jan 5, 2017 at 8:48 PM, spike </span><span dir="ltr" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><<a href="mailto:spike66@att.net" target="_blank">spike66@att.net</a>></span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"> wrote:</span><br></div><div class="gmail_extra"><div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150WordSection1"><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"><u></u><u></u></p><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex"><font size="4">><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">> </div>… India's richest man and the fifth richest in the world spent 1.5 Billion dollars in his new house;<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"> </div>and he decided to tear down an orphanage<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"> </div>in Mumbai and build it there, right in the middle of one of the worst slums in India's poorest city…</font></blockquote><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"></p><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"><font size="4">></font></div>Indeed. OK so who built the house?</div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div> <span style="font-size:large">His name is</span><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"> </div><span style="font-size:large">Mukesh Ambani</span><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"> </div><span style="font-size:large">and he calls his ostentatious piece of shit "Antilia". Estimates of its cost that I've seen range </span><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">from</div><span style="font-size:large"> 1 to 2 Billion dollars</span><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">.</div></div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://all-that-is-interesting.com/antilia-the-worlds-most-extravagant-house" target="_blank">http://all-that-is-<wbr>interesting.com/antilia-the-<wbr>worlds-most-extravagant-house</a> </div></div><div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antilia_(building)" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<wbr>Antilia_(building)</a><br></div><div class="gmail_quote"><div><br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150WordSection1"><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"> <u></u><u></u></p><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"><u></u><u></u></p><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"></p><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">> </div>Before I would buy into the scenario that the locals resent the new neighbor, I would need to talk to them. <p></p></div></div></blockquote><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4">I don't know about you but I really don't need additional information before I can conclude that such a flagrant display of wealth inequality might engender envy and resentment from people next door who live like this:</font></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><a href="http://static.thousandwonders.net/Mumbai.original.3368.jpg" target="_blank">http://static.thousandwonders.<wbr>net/Mumbai.original.3368.jpg</a><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4">Or this:</font></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><a href="http://newshour-tc.pbs.org/newshour/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/india_slum.jpg" target="_blank">http://newshour-tc.pbs.org/<wbr>newshour/wp-content/uploads/<wbr>2015/02/india_slum.jpg</a><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"> </span></div></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br></span></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150WordSection1"><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"></p><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">> </div>I speculate that the rich guy didn’t actually slay the orphans, but rather arranged for an alternative facility, perhaps in a safer neighborhood.<p></p></div></div></blockquote><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150WordSection1"><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"></p><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"></div><font size="4"><div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline">The</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"> </div>orphanage<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"> </div>sold the land to an organization that promised to build a school for the poor on it, but they broke that promise almost immediately and resold it to Ambani<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"> to build his 400,000 square foot cottage on it; as far as I know he never gave the orphans a dime although I don't think he slayed any of them.</div></font></div></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150WordSection1"><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"><u></u><u></u></p><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex"><font size="4">><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">> </div>…That very stupid man will probably end up getting his head chopped off someday because it's just a fact that astronomical differences in wealth causes resentment; I think that's the cause of the odd behavior of the electorate in both Europe and the USA in 2016…</font></blockquote><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"></p><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">> </div>Hmmmm, well John, that scenario is a bit strained. </div></div></blockquote><div> </div><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"><font size="4">When I extrapolate from history I don't find it one bit strained. In fact I think the probability such a gargantuan wealth gap can continue to widen and even accelerate indefinitely without a violent eruption is negligible. </font></div><font size="4"> </font></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150WordSection1"><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"> </p><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">> </div>If we view the Brexit and the recent presidential election as proletariat revolt, then that puts your favorite party in opposition to the proletariat. <p></p></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div><div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline"><font size="4"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">My favorite political party is the Libertarian Party, or rather it was before their disgraceful behavior in 2018. </font></font><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"> </font></div> </div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150WordSection1"><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"> </p><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">> </div>It means deplorable masses rose up and expressed their resentment of wealth inequality by voting for a billionaire.<p></p></div></div></blockquote><font size="4">I never said American voters were smart<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"> </div>but in all fairness to them the billionaire in question didn't get a majority of <div class="gmail_default" style="display:inline">their</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"> </div>votes or even a plurality<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"> of them or even come close to doing so. N</div>o <div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"></div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">president<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"> </div></font>in American history has lost by so much and still won. </font></div><div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150WordSection1"><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"><u></u><u></u></p><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"><u></u></p><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"><u></u></p><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"></p><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">> </div>That notion appears to assume that wealth itself is limited. Wealth is unlimited. <p></p></div></div></blockquote><div><font size="4"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">It's true that wealth is potentially unlimited but inequality is unlimited too. The USA today contains far more wealth than it did in 1999, but most people have less of it now than they did then, although a few people have much much more. And this wealth gap isn't just limited to America, it's happening in every country in the world even in places you might not expect like Scandinavia. Such a universal trend can only come from advances in technology and those advances are not going to stop, so if the acceleration of the widening of the wealth gap is to be stopped or at least slowed down other means will be needed. If somebody knows of a way other than government action or violent revolution I'd like to hear about it. </div> </font></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150WordSection1"><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"> </p><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">> </div>Wealth generates wealth. That’s one of the most endearing qualities of wealth.<p></p></div></div></blockquote><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4">Yes, wealth causes wealth, and that exponential process causes the wealth gap. They say your first billion is the hardest to make but if they get rid of the inheritance tax then you don't even need to do that, all you need to do is choose your parents carefully. </font></div></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150WordSection1"><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"></p><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">> </div>The internet alone has generated more wealth in our adult lifetimes than anything. <p></p></div></div></blockquote><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"><font size="4">The internet has generated wealth but not jobs. </font></div><font size="4"> <div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">Walmart has 2,300,000 employees but it's chief competitor, Amazon, needs only a tenth that many, just 230,000. And both Sears and Macy's also employ a lot of people but both have suffered from competing with Amazon and it wouldn't surprise me if they both go out of business in the next year or two. Other successful Internet companies make lots of wealth but need even fewer jobs, Apple is the most valuable company on the planet but it only has 66,000 employees, Google has 57,000, Facebook has 15,700, and Twitter only 3,900. </div></font></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150WordSection1"><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"><u></u><u></u></p><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"><u></u><u></u></p><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"></p><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">> </div>Consider just one tiny corner of the internet: Khan Academy. There is a great example of wealth just lying there for anyone to take it up. It’s free, it’s excellent, it is a terrific educational resource. Anyone can get to it. <p></p></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div><font size="4"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">I can't argue with that, </div>Khan Academy<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"> is great, the guy just has a knack for making things clear.</div></font></div><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"><font size="4"><br></font></div></div><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline"><font size="4">John K Clark</font></div></div><div><br></div><div> </div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150WordSection1"><span class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><p class="gmail-m_-8273522315083479944gmail-m_-5661300259295143150MsoPlainText"><u></u></p></font></span></div></div>
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