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There's no peaceful way out of this dilemma - the ultra-rich have the money to corrupt the politicians. They get to write the rules that make them even richer.

by Tepix 5y ago

There's no peaceful way out of this dilemma - the ultra-rich have the money to corrupt the politicians. They get to write the rules that make them even richer. Meanwhile, democracy's mechanisms are no longer working.

zarkov99 5y ago
1% isn't ultra rich.
- consp 5y ago
  For most people in the world the 1% in the US are the ultra rich. And for the other 99% of the US population they might just as well be.
  - criley2 5y ago
    This isn't a fair or useful way to see things. Just because "American minimum wage is a fortune in India" or something doesn't mean someone making minimum wage in America isn't dirt poor. We all have our costs of living, and how "rich" we are is relative to where we live.
- mkr-hn 5y ago
  $700k/year and $7,000k/year are the same thing to someone who occasionally has to decide which essential bill to incur a reinstatement penalty over.
- ac29 5y ago
  According to the IRS, the annual income of the top 1% starts at $516,714 and averages $1,625,221: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5398.pdf https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5398.pdf I think certainly most of the bottom 90% would consider an annual income well in excess of $1M/year to be "ultra rich".
akudha 5y ago
It is depressing to see how cheap it is to corrupt the politicians. A few thousand here and a few thousand there - thats all it takes. Maybe we should crowd source funds to counteract the bribes from the rich!
- ajsnigrutin 5y ago
  We were joking here in the balkans, that Trump was a really good corruption fighter, because he has so much money, a few thousands here and there mean literally nothing to him. The bribes.. i mean the donations for trump would be a lot higher than those for Hillary.
- stjo 5y ago
  Yes, effectively turn it into a plutocracy, where laws are decided by how much you can pay for them. I'm sure this is the type of fight the poor want to get into.
Freskis 5y ago
You are probably in the global 1%. What is your solution? You speak of violence. Will you give away all your savings and possessions to an impoverished Chinese or Indian peasant?
- Tepix 5y ago
  Sadly, i don't have a solution. I'm just saying if things are going to change eventually it probably won't happen quietly.
- Ginden 5y ago
  > Will you give away all your savings and possessions to an impoverished Chinese or Indian peasant? No, not like that! Only people richer than me should be taxed, because I'm poor and they are uber rich.

by Tepix 5y ago

zarkov99 5y ago

1% isn't ultra rich.

consp 5y ago
For most people in the world the 1% in the US are the ultra rich. And for the other 99% of the US population they might just as well be.
- criley2 5y ago
  This isn't a fair or useful way to see things. Just because "American minimum wage is a fortune in India" or something doesn't mean someone making minimum wage in America isn't dirt poor. We all have our costs of living, and how "rich" we are is relative to where we live.
mkr-hn 5y ago
$700k/year and $7,000k/year are the same thing to someone who occasionally has to decide which essential bill to incur a reinstatement penalty over.
ac29 5y ago
According to the IRS, the annual income of the top 1% starts at $516,714 and averages $1,625,221: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5398.pdf https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5398.pdf I think certainly most of the bottom 90% would consider an annual income well in excess of $1M/year to be "ultra rich".

akudha 5y ago

It is depressing to see how cheap it is to corrupt the politicians. A few thousand here and a few thousand there - thats all it takes. Maybe we should crowd source funds to counteract the bribes from the rich!

ajsnigrutin 5y ago
We were joking here in the balkans, that Trump was a really good corruption fighter, because he has so much money, a few thousands here and there mean literally nothing to him. The bribes.. i mean the donations for trump would be a lot higher than those for Hillary.
stjo 5y ago
Yes, effectively turn it into a plutocracy, where laws are decided by how much you can pay for them. I'm sure this is the type of fight the poor want to get into.

Freskis 5y ago

You are probably in the global 1%. What is your solution? You speak of violence. Will you give away all your savings and possessions to an impoverished Chinese or Indian peasant?

Tepix 5y ago
Sadly, i don't have a solution. I'm just saying if things are going to change eventually it probably won't happen quietly.
Ginden 5y ago
> Will you give away all your savings and possessions to an impoverished Chinese or Indian peasant? No, not like that! Only people richer than me should be taxed, because I'm poor and they are uber rich.