85 wealthiest people richer than half of the worlds population - what are the consequences?

[Revoltingest]

I dunno. Trump probably would be right alongside the Koch brothers, the Mars family, Michael Dell, Bloomberg, and the entire Walton family. Warren Buffett might get away along with Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Karl Albrecht.
Depending on the cringe factor by and large, I guess.

Hmmm...well, if we're to persecute the uber-wealthy, I'll go after George Soros
& John Kerry. Death will be neither painless nor swift....I wield limericks.

 

[freethinker44]

They were vulnerable cuz they were leaders & very prominent lightning rods for wrath.
But the uber-wealthy are more mobile & anonymous. If any of them get it in the neck, a Donald Trump type would.

They're not anonymous at all. In fact their names are published in a convenient list for all the world to see freely on the internet every year.

 

[George-ananda]

Too big a social gulf will collapse into itself, if for no other reason because it makes effective communication to ease misgivings from both sides increasingly difficult. At some point - a point that in my opinion is now impossible to avoid reaching - the resentments and lack of trust will simply have to be expressed in some way, and it will not be pretty.

I don't know what this "it will not be pretty" is going to look like that you think is now "impossible to avoid reaching". Are you including major westernized countries? We have ballots not bullets to effect change and nobody has struck a chord for radical change that makes sense to more than little fringe pockets. All I see now in my country are large segments wanting change to the right and large segments wanting change to the left and hence congressional stalemate and little change (which is probably for the best in my opinion).

Do you really think all our thinkers and politicians are under the mind-control of the advertisements and pressure from these 85 richest people? I guess I just don't share your more pessimistic view of politics and religious/spiritual matters from our other conversations.

 

[Revoltingest]

They're not anonymous at all. In fact their names are published in a convenient list for all the world to see freely on the internet every year.

Tis not that they're unknown or unknowable, but rather that they largely escape the really
negative attention reserved for Russian Czar family members or effete French royalty.
Other than those of us who still use Windows 98, how many people really want to cut off
Bill Gates' head?

 

[LuisDantas]

I don't know what this "it will not be pretty" is going to look like that you think is now "impossible to avoid reaching".

Wealth, ultimately, is nothing more than convincing other people that you deserve privilege.

And in order to convince people one must have some degree of effective communication with them.

When the uber-wealthy are so far removed from the reality of those who make their wealth possible that they fail to even understand their basic needs, the whole system collapses, and some sort of angry rebellion will perhaps unavoidably follow.

That is what happened in Reha Palehvi(sp?) Iran, in Cuba, in Revolution France. And that is bound to happen again quite a few times still, since we seem to have such a hard time understanding and accepting that it shall happen.

Are you including major westernized countries?

Definitely.

We have ballots not bullets to effect change

And we have plenty of evidence that this is not nearly enough any longer.

and nobody has struck a chord for radical change that makes sense to more than little fringe pockets.

I wouldn't call the Tea Party and the GOP "fringe pockets", and maybe I should not disregard them even if I did.

You may not find things such as the attempt at denying an ellected president the lawfully attained mandate worrisome. I do.

All I see now in my country are large segments wanting change to the right and large segments wanting change to the left and hence congressional stalemate and little change (which is probably for the best in my opinion).

Growing unrest from all sides is hardly a good thing to have.

Do you really think all our thinkers and politicians are under the mind-control of the advertisements and pressure from these 85 richest people?

Nope.

Mostly I think they are, with very few and generally politically irrelevant exceptions, decadent fools that fail to see the harm they cause and encourage out of short-term convenience.

I guess I just don't share your more pessimistic view of politics and religious/spiritual matters from our other conversations.

Let's hope you are right. I won't bet on it, though.

Although I would hardly consider myself a pessimist when it comes to religion and spirituality. Do I strike you as being one?

 

[George-ananda]

..... even the run down, depressed suburbs of Northern England where 500 people apply for a single part time job on the checkouts in a supermarket?

Could it be current labor laws are contributing to the job shortage? Companies do need to reduce labor costs to stay competitive and you guys are not proposing communism.

How do the liberals propose creating more jobs in Northern England? I think an unpleasant fact of globalization for manufacturing areas in western countries will be a decline in their standard of living and a increasing standard of living in China, India, etc..

I live in the Detroit area and we were one of the first to see it; closed malls, abandoned and foreclosed houses, the historic bankruptcy of the city, etc..

 

[freethinker44]

Other than those of us who still use Windows 98, how many people really want to cut off
Bill Gates' head?

I don't think we're anywhere close to where we need to be for that. Coming for poverty, I can think of any number of people who hate Bill Gates. As long as the middle class is kept happy, I think he's safe.

 

[dgirl1986]

The first thing that springs to mine are people in those third world countries that are struggling. Not sure that has a direct effect though. Seems unfair nonetheless.

 

[George-ananda]

That is what happened in Reha Palehvi(sp?) Iran, in Cuba, in Revolution France. And that is bound to happen again quite a few times still, since we seem to have such a hard time understanding and accepting that it shall happen.

These were dictatorships. Clearly no examples of any western country with modern democratic institutions.

Growing unrest from all sides is hardly a good thing to have.

Heated debate is a sign of a healthy thinking populace with freedom of speech. Everyone is calling for change through ballots not bullets.

Let's hope you are right. I won't bet on it, though.

Although I would hardly consider myself a pessimist when it comes to religion and spirituality. Do I strike you as being one?

You see a universe that exists from unknown causes that is completely indifferent to the affairs of life. I see a universe that is God/Brahman and creation/emanation occurred as a positive act with a progressively blissful ending for all.

 

[LuisDantas]

And you think such a blissful creation would accept so much sorrow and pain?

If you say so. Myself, I think you are far more pessimist than I can manage to be in my worst days.

 

[George-ananda]

And you think such a blissful creation would accept so much sorrow and pain?

If you say so. Myself, I think you are far more pessimist than I can manage to be in my worst days.

Well, this thread was not intended to debate the so-called 'Problem of Evil' question for the umpteenth million time.

I'm only bothering with a cut-and-paste below this time.


Life is eternal but 'Problem of Evil' believers view things from the limited perspective that life begins at birth and ends at death.The natural illusion.

I look at life from the perspective that life is eternal and we are in the process of learning that. We live as individuals for eons and not one life. We all return to godhead in the end. If one could see one's life from separation from godhead through the eons to return to godhead then things make more sense. What we see as evil are very short temporary events in the grand scheme of things where each individual story ends in success; return to peace/bliss/awareness of godhead.

Plus Problem of Evil proponents look at good/bad events as happening randomly to people. Eastern thinkers believe a long series of cause/events (karma) causes things to be the way they are. Standard Problem of Evil proponents believe in this one life only so evil seems unfair and cruel in that limited perspective.

If all the dramas were removed, it would just be a static-state sameness. Nothing would propel us to question, advance and grow.

I also use the analogy of creation as some grand expansive multi-dimensional artwork. And human problem of evil proponents view from their little speck and dimensional perspective of the artwork and try to judge the entire artwork. Their view is too limited to be meaningful.

 

[George-ananda]

An in depth knowledge of politics has not exactly been your life long pursuit, has it, George?

Well, I trust my judgement above most. I don't buy into major conspiracy theories. The right-wing always thinks were under a left-wing conspiracy and the left always sees a right conspiracy; control of the media, control of politicians, blah-blah.

As a moderate I am the last bastion of sanity!

 

[illykitty]

Well, I trust my judgement above most. I don't buy into major conspiracy theories. The right-wing always thinks were under a left-wing conspiracy and the left always sees a right conspiracy; control of the media, control of politicians, blah-blah.

As a moderate I am the last bastion of sanity!

The problem is, there are things that aren't conspiracies and probably would make your skin crawl and/or just wonder how is this allowed?

I recommend to watch a documentary called The Century of the Self (there's a few episodes), you can find it free online. It was distributed by the BBC. It talks mainly about how Edward Bernays (nephew of Sigmund Freud) influenced the way corporations and governments have analysed, dealt with, and controlled people.

 

[Aquitaine]

The problem is, there are things that aren't conspiracies and probably would make your skin crawl and/or just wonder how is this allowed?

I recommend to watch a documentary called The Century of the Self (there's a few episodes), you can find it free online. It was distributed by the BBC. It talks mainly about how Edward Bernays (nephew of Sigmund Freud) influenced the way corporations and governments have analysed, dealt with, and controlled people.

The Century of The Self was indeed a great documentary series. It amazes me how much of a battle there is to control people's minds. Scary stuff.

 

[Northern Lights]

I don't know what this "it will not be pretty" is going to look like that you think is now "impossible to avoid reaching". Are you including major westernized countries? We have ballots not bullets to effect change and nobody has struck a chord for radical change that makes sense to more than little fringe pockets. All I see now in my country are large segments wanting change to the right and large segments wanting change to the left and hence congressional stalemate and little change (which is probably for the best in my opinion).

Do you really think all our thinkers and politicians are under the mind-control of the advertisements and pressure from these 85 richest people? I guess I just don't share your more pessimistic view of politics and religious/spiritual matters from our other conversations.

With respect, in your viewpoints I just see a fixed, American centric viewpoint on this matter. Ballots not bullets. Really? You think the murder rate in the US, is distinct from politics, or a system that creates the biggest wealth gap from the poorest to the richest, in the world? (Russia is catching up ).

You are assuming that the comfortable middle-America position as it is now, will always be that way. Like Luis, I am not so sure. Tipping points, especially where wealth distribution is concerned, have happened in history and have led to revolutions that have changed the entire shape and resemblance of nations.

 

[Knight of Albion]

Greed creates want. One man's riches is another man's poverty.

We should all learn to be satisfied with 'enough'...

 

[Sunstone]

As a moderate I am the last bastion of sanity!

In my experience, moderates these days are moderates out of instinct, rather than out of reason and evidence. That is, they are low-information voters who are ignorant of what's going on.

Almost as a consequence of their ignorance, they instinctively take what they perceive to be the middle road. The middle road in today's politics is to the right of Nixon and Eisenhower. Moreover, the left wing no longer exists as a force in politics, while the right wing is flirting with fascism.

But just try getting a moderate, low-information, "middle-of-the-road", ignorant voter to take two or three months, study the situation, and see for him or herself what's really going on.

 

[bobhikes]

It has been reported that the worlds 85 wealthiest people are richer than half of the worlds population combined - what are the consequences, if any, of this inequality?

source Davos warning: World's 85 richest people have as much as half the rest of us - Independent.ie

Eventually War. WW3 has always been prophetised and the last war and the worst.

The richest are in control of the governments
The governments are burdening the middle class with excessive taxes
The richest are not moderates and they are trying to impose there extreme views through government.

As always the moderates and poor will find a champion and try to overthrow the Governments and their wealthy supporters. Hopefully no chopping heads off this time.

The earliest projected by the prophets is 2030. I think before 2040. The youth is already getting restless.

 

[George-ananda]

The problem is, there are things that aren't conspiracies and probably would make your skin crawl and/or just wonder how is this allowed?

I recommend to watch a documentary called The Century of the Self (there's a few episodes), you can find it free online. It was distributed by the BBC. It talks mainly about how Edward Bernays (nephew of Sigmund Freud) influenced the way corporations and governments have analysed, dealt with, and controlled people.

Thank you and I should watch it. I just read a synopsis on Wikipedia. I love BBC mini-series and will check if it's on Netflix.

I am not under the delusion that businesses and political parties don't try to influence how people think for their gain; that's to be expected.

 

[George-ananda]

With respect, in your viewpoints I just see a fixed, American centric viewpoint on this matter.

LOL, this is a debate. You need me as I'm the only one to say the world is actually not at the point of meltdown and getting better (but never close to perfect). The past was always worse than today I believe. I just hear how the evil rich are causing so much suffering that a proletarian revolt is on our doorsteps. I'm just waiting to hear positive ideas from these revolutionaries, like how they would create more jobs in Northern England. It's easier to condemn than propose thought-out change.

Ballots not bullets. Really? You think the murder rate in the US, is distinct from politics,

Pretty much distinct.

or a system that creates the biggest wealth gap from the poorest to the richest, in the world? (Russia is catching up ).

We would all like to see the truly poor raised up. I don't think you can point to a time in the past when things were better. If you can present a better plan, I'll support it.

You are assuming that the comfortable middle-America position as it is now, will always be that way. Like Luis, I am not so sure. Tipping points, especially where wealth distribution is concerned, have happened in history and have led to revolutions that have changed the entire shape and resemblance of nations.

We are no where close to a tipping point. And a revolution to what, SPECIFICALLY??