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Yes if I understand your point, I agree with it, it feels like regular folks are all getting closer in pay gap. But the gap to the wealthy is accelerating. It

by ssss11 3y ago

Yes if I understand your point, I agree with it, it feels like regular folks are all getting closer in pay gap. But the gap to the wealthy is accelerating. It certainly feels like it is by design. However with more wealth you have more flexibility, more time, more resources (e.g. smart accountants). I can’t help but feel that it’s just inevitable.. when the economy is bad the wealthy win, and when the economy is good the wealthy also win. Over time the gap gets large. Surely this has been the case as long as civilised societies have existed, I wonder if there’s much research on this.

mdiesel 3y ago
Yes, a very interesting one that analysed house sizes over time in ancient civilisations to show the smallest houses got slightly bigger as civilisation develops but the big houses become mansions and then palaces. This isn't the study I was thinking of but is a similar idea and explanation of the method: https://phys.org/news/2021-03-ancient-maya-houses-wealth-inequality.html https://phys.org/news/2021-03-ancient-maya-houses-wealth-ine...
jgilias 3y ago
It has always existed only in part. As in, wealth begets wealth. So, like you say once you’re wealthy you have more opportunities for more wealth. However, it’s even worse than that now. The system where continuous debasement of currencies has been normalized is less than a century old. In the old days a King would debase the currency and hope nobody notices. Today it’s common knowledge, yet people keep acting as if a dollar/euro today is the same thing as one tomorrow. In general, it’s not that things are getting more expensive, or one’s investments are paying off. It’s mostly just that the currencies we use as units of account are continuously losing value.
valval 3y ago
What exactly is "the wealthy"? Business owners? Entrepreneurs? Politicians?
- c22 3y ago
  People with a lot of assets.
WD40forRust42 3y ago
[dead]

by ssss11 3y ago

mdiesel 3y ago

Yes, a very interesting one that analysed house sizes over time in ancient civilisations to show the smallest houses got slightly bigger as civilisation develops but the big houses become mansions and then palaces. This isn't the study I was thinking of but is a similar idea and explanation of the method: https://phys.org/news/2021-03-ancient-maya-houses-wealth-inequality.html https://phys.org/news/2021-03-ancient-maya-houses-wealth-ine...

jgilias 3y ago

It has always existed only in part. As in, wealth begets wealth. So, like you say once you’re wealthy you have more opportunities for more wealth. However, it’s even worse than that now. The system where continuous debasement of currencies has been normalized is less than a century old. In the old days a King would debase the currency and hope nobody notices. Today it’s common knowledge, yet people keep acting as if a dollar/euro today is the same thing as one tomorrow. In general, it’s not that things are getting more expensive, or one’s investments are paying off. It’s mostly just that the currencies we use as units of account are continuously losing value.

valval 3y ago

What exactly is "the wealthy"? Business owners? Entrepreneurs? Politicians?

c22 3y ago
People with a lot of assets.

WD40forRust42 3y ago

[dead]