Wealth in America

This data visualization video really does make you wonder.  If 400 people have more wealth combined than the 200 million other people in the United States, and I believe they do, then are we headed for trouble?

I suppose if you look at the developing world you can see incredible differences in income living side by side.  In a lot of those countries you don’t wear your Rolex to the party, if you own one, you put it on when you get there.  And you don’t stop at red lights at night because that is asking someone to take your car.  I can’t really see that kind of environment in the US. We’re already much more used to “no go” areas in our cities then Europeans are and we haven’t had unlivable levels of crime.  And the idea of the middle class still is strong even if both parents need to work to maintain it.

It is probably more the classic angst of the middle class that always wonders, “wow, the upper class is really, really loaded.”

Of course in the US Warren Buffet didn’t call himself upper class and made his fellow 747ers eat of paper plates in a backyard barbque.  So I suppose the proper way to say it in American is “wow, the upper middle class is really loaded.”

Best just to recognize if your boss has a huge paycheck you should thank them, it means there is lots of room to grow.