[ExI] The Great Gatsby Curve

[John Clark]

On Fri, Mar 1, 2019 at 1:34 PM <spike at rainier66.com> wrote:



>
> *“Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not
> as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed
> millionaires.”― Ronald Wright, A Short History of Progress
> <https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/321797>*
>
Ideally one should not be optimistic or pessimistic about the opportunities
your society provides and should not over inflate or under inflate your
abilities but see things as they actually are.

*> Another take on it is this.  In America, it doesn’t hurt all that much
> to be poor.  There are plenty of ways poor people can still have adequate
> food, shelter and clothing.  It isn’t top shelf, but it is generally
> available to the non-stoned poor.*


The safety net in the USA sucks compared with other industrialized nations,
from 20001 to 2014 the richest have gained about 5 years in life expectancy
while the poor have gained nothing and now live over a dozen years less
than the rich:

Life Expectancy Versus Wealth
<https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.washingtonpost.com%2Fwp-apps%2Fimrs.php%3Fsrc%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fimg.washingtonpost.com%2Fblogs%2Fwonkblog%2Ffiles%2F2015%2F09%2F2300-19-800x583.jpg%26w%3D1484&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fnews%2Fwonk%2Fwp%2F2015%2F09%2F18%2Fthe-government-is-spending-more-to-help-rich-seniors-than-poor-ones%2F&docid=OjWLiJZD4hbE6M&tbnid=KHg3oAG_g3KcFM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwjh3K_NzOHgAhUSWqwKHVEwAcYQMwhIKAgwCA..i&w=1484&h=1081&bih=863&biw=1707&q=wealth%20USA%20%22life%20expectancy%22&ved=0ahUKEwjh3K_NzOHgAhUSWqwKHVEwAcYQMwhIKAgwCA&iact=mrc&uact=8>


> > *the super rich billionehhhs can’t really have that different a life
> from the ordinary Joe Millionehhhs. Beyond a certain point, their
> lifestyles aren’t all that different.  Another order of magnitude doesn’t
> make that much difference.*


WORLD’S 15 MOST EXPENSIVE LUXURY YACHTS
<http://www.beautifullife.info/automotive-design/worlds-top-10-most-expensive-luxury-yachts/>

I was particularly interested in the yacht "History Supreme", it's only 100
feet long, and that'ssmall compared with another super luxury yacht the 536
foot long 1.5 billion dollar "Eclipse",  but the "History Supreme" cost 3
times as much, 4.5 billion dollars, because it has 220,462 pounds of Gold
and Platinum decorating it and one wall of the master bedroom consists of a
giant meteorite and it has a 45 million dollar empty wine bottle in the bar
and a statue made of Tyrannosaurus Rex bones in the dining room.

I don't want to be within a hundred miles of that obscenity when the
revolution hits, I don't want the pitchfork wielding mob to think I had
anything to do with it.

John K Clark
>
>
>
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