The cause of Inequality, Sam will not like this hard truth.

[neddy]

These are not welfare cheats, these are people with jobs.

Inequality can be social, economic and democratic, but at its heart it is about the exercise of power, who has it and who doesn't, writes Tim Dunlop.

• The 6 heirs to the Walmart retail fortune in the US have a net worth greater than the bottom 40 per cent of the US population.
  
• One of their Walmart stores recently ran a charity drive asking customers to donate food in order to help ... their store's employees. Yes, they were begging their customers for food to help their staff.

Clearly, when big, successful businesses are paying such low wages that they find it necessary to ask for donations of food from customers in order to help out their employees, we have crossed the line between good economic management and social pathology

A society that allows a situation like this to exist is plain and simple sick, and showing the advanced signs of democratic decay.

Such decay doesn't just happen in a vacuum: this sort of growing inequality - and it is a worldwide phenomenon in developed countries, including Australia - happens because politicians make choices.

And the choices they make are what they are because those making them are more influenced by the rich and powerful than they are by the rank and file.

This in turn happens because the institutions that allow all of us to have a say in policy - everything from political parties to sections of the media - are no longer representative of the broader public but have become captives of powerful special interests.

It is not just a case of direct economic policies lowering taxes on the wealthy and redistributing national wealth upwards - though that happens in spades.

Something more insidious is at work. The very tools we use to assert ourselves as citizens against these special interests are themselves attacked and undermined.

In the US, not only does corporate money corrupt the legislative process, but there are concerted efforts to rig the game before anyone actually gets to Congress. This is done by gerrymandering congressional districts and by enforcing voter identification laws aimed at discouraging disadvantaged groups from voting at all.

More ... http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-...political-problem-not-an-economic-one/5122022

 

[Leongsam]

That's a load of bull. There's nothing preventing any of the employees of Walmart from starting a retail chain and beating their former bosses at their own game.

 

[neddy]

There's nothing preventing any of the employees of Walmart from starting a retail chain and beating their former bosses at their own game.

Are you sure?
Obviously, you have not seen the odds stacked against the little guys.

Even in Australia, the last brick and mortar retail chain, Masters, have difficulties surviving in a cut-throat enivronment. Even with the best effort from the $loaded backers.

 

[enterprise2]

Are you sure?
Obviously, you have not seen the odds stacked against the little guys.

Even in Australia, the last brick and mortar retail chain, Masters, have difficulties surviving in a cut-throat enivronment. Even with the best effort from the $loaded backers.

In any society, in any grouping, there is a bell curve where we have people of different abilities, from top to bottom. Sam's logic is that the people at the bottom are slackers. Well, if society is made up of 'supermen or superwomen' there will still be the group at the bottom...so are these supermen and superwomen ..slackers???

 

[Leongsam]

Are you sure?
Obviously, you have not seen the odds stacked against the little guys.

Even in Australia, the last brick and mortar retail chain, Masters, have difficulties surviving in a cut-throat enivronment. Even with the best effort from the $loaded backers.

Nobody said success is easy but you have to give it a go instead of sitting back and whinging about how unfair life is.

Life was never fair in the past, it is not fair now and it won't be in the future regardless of what sort of political system is in place.

 

[gingerlyn]

Society is not made up by slackers because I believe everybody has dignity and they want to work hard and success in their lives. Government being the guardian of society shall not enrich himself and push these marginalized people further from the society.

 

[Leongsam]

In any society, in any grouping, there is a bell curve where we have people of different abilities, from top to bottom. Sam's logic is that the people at the bottom are slackers. Well, if society is made up of 'supermen or superwomen' there will still be the group at the bottom...so are these supermen and superwomen ..slackers???

The bell curve is part and parcel of the laws of nature. You can't change it so there's no point fighting it.

As an individual, all you can do is try to move yourself to the right of the x axis. If you don't try, you're always going to be stuck in the bottom 20%

If you fail, at least you can starve to death knowing you gave it your best shot.

 

[Leongsam]

Society is not made up by slackers because I believe everybody has dignity and they want to work hard and success in their lives. Government being the guardian of society shall not enrich himself and push these marginalized people further from the society.

A few want to work hard and make a success of their lives. The majority want an easy life and free money. Just look at queues at the Toto booths. The time spent queuing could be far better spent on productive pursuits that build wealth.

 

[nutbush]

i dun want to be hero...:o

If you fail, at least you can starve to death knowing you gave it your best shot.

 

[gingerlyn]

please dont say this because they are poor and that is only a small capital that they have to satisfy human risk take behaviour. The rich can take risk by betting on UOB share (which is more than 20k a lot) and the poor only have 20 dollars to take risk by betting at toto.

A few want to work hard and make a success of their lives. The majority want an easy life and free money. Just look at queues at the Toto booths. The time spent queuing could be far better spent on productive pursuits that build wealth.

 

[Leongsam]

please dont say this because they are poor and that is only a small capital that they have to satisfy human risk take behaviour. The rich can take risk by betting on UOB share (which is more than 20k a lot) and the poor only have 20 dollars to take risk by betting at toto.

Many millionaires and billionaires have started with only $20 in their pockets.

Google the stories of Oprah Winfrey and Richard Branson.

 

[gingerlyn]

Please be fair bro sam.
please have less extreme form of comparison.

Many millionaires and billionaires have started with only $20 in their pockets.

 

[Leongsam]

Please be fair bro sam.
please have less extreme form of comparison.

I already told you to forget about "fair". Nothing is fair in this world. Some people are born without arms or legs, some are blind at birth. Is that fair? Of course it isn't but nature often deals a cruel hand. You have to learn to live with it.

People complain about Walmart but Sam Walton had to milk cows during the great depression in order to make ends meet.

There is no system on earth that will ever make life "fair" for everyone. If you want to be successful, you have to make it happen.

 

[gingerlyn]

That is called Karma and the best and notable example is Lee YiPeng.
This poor boy born with albino illness and intellectual challeged is the result of the sins that were committed by his parents and his grandparents and he pays for the price of their sins.

in the next cycle, Lee Kuan Yew and his wife and his sons will pay for the price and they may be born without anal.

I already told you to forget about "fair". Nothing is fair in this world. Some people are born without arms or legs, some are blind at birth. Is that fair? Of course it isn't but nature often deals a cruel hand. You have to learn to live with it.

 

[nutbush]

no doubt about it, but one thing you must know that pap's cronies are simply jealous fucks! in this time and day, even if you have decent amount of money, especially, in sinkie land, which can scale you to be a successful entrpreneur, you have to kow tow to the men in white and their cronies first, if not, you are on your way to fail.

Many millionaires and billionaires have started with only $20 in their pockets.

Google the stories of Oprah Winfrey and Richard Branson.

 

[singveld]

fair to some people is getting an handout from the rich. Basically asking the gov to rob the rich and distribute to the poor. Despite not working for it, they want a free meal, free ride, and that is fair in their world.

 

[nutbush]

you are naive, everybody is doing it. i have rather bad experience with some arseholes with certain authority, they think they are given the right to mess up pple's lives just because they feel jealous. i stick to my proposition that these jealous fucks must be thrown into jail to avoid further damage to sinkie land.

fair to some people is getting an handout from the rich. Basically asking the gov to rob the rich and distribute to the poor. Despite not working for it, they want a free meal, free ride, and that is fair in their world.

 

[soIsee]

Are you sure?
Obviously, you have not seen the odds stacked against the little guys.

Even in Australia, the last brick and mortar retail chain, Masters, have difficulties surviving in a cut-throat enivronment. Even with the best effort from the $loaded backers.

Odds stacked against the little guys?

Everything you do have odds stacked against you.
Gambling, going for an operation, driving or walking on the roads etc etc

If you have a LOSER mentality coupled with a balless attittude then don't come and start a thread about what you cannot do.

 

[neddy]

Nobody said success is easy but you have to give it a go instead of sitting back and whinging about how unfair life is.

Life was never fair in the past, it is not fair now and it won't be in the future regardless of what sort of political system is in place.

I am not looking at unfairness, which is not a bad word.

Not everyone is lucky or talented enough to catch the eyes of the power-brokers.

Many people made the mistakes of obeying the laws or depending on their own efforts and try to get ahead.

My experience tells me that is important to break rules/laws, steal ideas and network with open-minded old money to get ahead.

Political donation is a good way to get what I want, esp in Aust. And NZ.

Let.s not forget what Steve jobs stole from Xerox, and Bill gates from Steve Jobs.

But should hardworking law-abiding people with a lack talent in playing political games deserve to live in poverty?

How about slackers who use their smarts to take advantages of the system?

China people are known to give themselves a go - producing fake products and substituting ingredients. Look! Life is unfair, so take a chance. Even if you need to run before you walk.
But what is it like to live in a 'fake' society? No integrity!



There are people who choose to highlight the unfairness imposed on the lower income groups - because we have reached a stage of imbalance that is destroying modern civilization.

This unfairness is not a bad word but one that describe the lack of dignity of human lives in the 21st century.

 

[neddy]

Odds stacked against the little guys?

Everything you do have odds stacked against you.
Gambling, going for an operation, driving or walking on the roads etc etc

If you have a LOSER mentality coupled with a balless attittude then don't come and start a thread about what you cannot do.

Do you like to live in a society that people have balls to create fake products, imitation goods and not keeping integrity of living.

Laws are not fair, because they favor certain people, like the losers who expect certainties in life.

I will encourage more foreigners in Singapore. If you do not like it, can leave Singapore.