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I couldn't find any firm numbers on "the 2nd 1%", so I'd probably have to get my hands on some data to calculate it. That makes sense though. 1%, 9% and 90% may

I couldn't find any firm numbers on "the 2nd 1%", so I'd probably have to get my hands on some data to calculate it. That makes sense though. 1%, 9% and 90% may be a reasonable approximation of upper, middle, and lower classes. And I think your point about the interests of the 9% being more aligned with the 1% than the 90% is an important one. Which is part of the author's point as well, that the 9% are really benefiting from the system in a way that those at the bottom aren't. And I myself am an example of exactly this. I plug myself in those calculators and think "how much would I have to make to be in the 1%?" rather than "this is unfair, how do we lift more people up?"

wetpaws 8y ago
People are wired to think of a wealth as a zero sum game. If tomorrow everybody's income will increase by 10%, people will pay much less attention at their income getting bigger, but the fact that this increase is smaller in absolute value that someone's else. Which would naturally feel to them as if they were robbed of this extra somehow.
AnimalMuppet 8y ago
> 1%, 9% and 90% may be a reasonable approximation of upper, middle, and lower classes. It's reasonable to define 90% of the country as "lower class"? Sorry, no, I can't buy that definition. The top of the bottom 90% are upper middle class at least by any reasonable definition.