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I don't believe for a second that a global consortium can centrally direct the world economy (for the better). But how exactly is the "state of the world [...]

I don't believe for a second that a global consortium can centrally direct the world economy (for the better). But how exactly is the "state of the world [...] getting markedly worse"? Exhibit A: https://twitter.com/ianbremmer/status/689829766569050112 https://twitter.com/ianbremmer/status/689829766569050112

cpfohl 11y ago
I came to make the exact same comment. Globally inequality and poverty are dropping rapidly, we live on the safest planet in history...can't cite it, but it wouldn't be hard to find the stats.
- sp332 11y ago
  Inequality has been increasing over time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficient#World_income_Gini_index_since_1800s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficient#World_income_... Especially recently in the US https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_inequality_in_the_United_States#2009.E2.80.93present https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_inequality_in_the_Unite... and Europe http://www.reuters.com/article/us-oecd-inequality-interview-idUSKCN0S126S20151007 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-oecd-inequality-interview-...
golergka 11y ago
It's getting worse for 1st world middle class — and for exactly the same reasons it gets better for 3rd world countries: everybody is competing on the same field now. Every time I see stories about how "economy is bad", turns out it's about a US blue-collar worker, who suddenly realizes that he can no longer afford american dream of a big nice house with two cars and three bathrooms. But then I remember that at the same time, 10 guys* in China an India, doing the same job, can properly feed and clothe their families now, and suddenly I don't feel so bad about the american guy anymore. ___ * I thought that I should write "and girls", but then I remembered that these countries still often have "traditional", patriarchal gender roles, unfortunately.
- iofj 11y ago
  So everyone gets to look forward to average yearly pay of $1480 or equivalent while the world equalizes... granted it'll go up a bit while the US one goes down ... let's be kind and say it'll be $2000 (ie. about 3000% inflation in the US discounting payrises). And these are PPP dollars. So while they'll probably buy more in terms of food, house prices, ipad prices, ... will stay the same (granted, some bubbles will probably get popped, but a house costing $200-300k should not change). Decent clothing ? T-shirts and jeans, and washing them once a month, tops, perhaps. I for one strongly doubt that the middle class will accept this. War, civil war or the other kind, seems far more likely. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_average_wage https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_average_w... PPP dollars : one takes the income of someone, follows them as they buy food, housing, .... Then you look up the prices of the same items in the US and that's the resulting figure.

cpfohl 11y ago

I came to make the exact same comment. Globally inequality and poverty are dropping rapidly, we live on the safest planet in history...can't cite it, but it wouldn't be hard to find the stats.

sp332 11y ago
Inequality has been increasing over time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficient#World_income_Gini_index_since_1800s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficient#World_income_... Especially recently in the US https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_inequality_in_the_United_States#2009.E2.80.93present https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_inequality_in_the_Unite... and Europe http://www.reuters.com/article/us-oecd-inequality-interview-idUSKCN0S126S20151007 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-oecd-inequality-interview-...

golergka 11y ago

It's getting worse for 1st world middle class — and for exactly the same reasons it gets better for 3rd world countries: everybody is competing on the same field now. Every time I see stories about how "economy is bad", turns out it's about a US blue-collar worker, who suddenly realizes that he can no longer afford american dream of a big nice house with two cars and three bathrooms. But then I remember that at the same time, 10 guys* in China an India, doing the same job, can properly feed and clothe their families now, and suddenly I don't feel so bad about the american guy anymore. ___ * I thought that I should write "and girls", but then I remembered that these countries still often have "traditional", patriarchal gender roles, unfortunately.

iofj 11y ago
So everyone gets to look forward to average yearly pay of $1480 or equivalent while the world equalizes... granted it'll go up a bit while the US one goes down ... let's be kind and say it'll be $2000 (ie. about 3000% inflation in the US discounting payrises). And these are PPP dollars. So while they'll probably buy more in terms of food, house prices, ipad prices, ... will stay the same (granted, some bubbles will probably get popped, but a house costing $200-300k should not change). Decent clothing ? T-shirts and jeans, and washing them once a month, tops, perhaps. I for one strongly doubt that the middle class will accept this. War, civil war or the other kind, seems far more likely. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_average_wage https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_average_w... PPP dollars : one takes the income of someone, follows them as they buy food, housing, .... Then you look up the prices of the same items in the US and that's the resulting figure.