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85 vs. 3.5 Billion
plat0nic
Member Posts: 301
So I just read an article that stated that the richest 85 people int he world have the same amount of wealth as the poorest 3.5 Billion. What are we gonna do about that?
Main Game: Eldevin (Plat0nic)
2nd Game: Path of Exile (Platonic Hate)
Comments
Currently playing: Eldevin Online as a Deadly Assassin
Lol. You think the top 85 people are all from the U.S??? Think again bud. The 85 richest people in the WORLD have the same amount of money as the bottom 3.5 billion people in the world. That's half the worlds population. If there ever was an unsustainable model in a world with finite resources, that would be it.
Main Game: Eldevin (Plat0nic)
2nd Game: Path of Exile (Platonic Hate)
Well... when we talk about wealth on a global scale, the "poor" aren't anyone in North America or Europe, even the poorest of us is "rich" on that scale. Also wealth isn't just money (per say); wealth what is created when people take raw material from nature and make stuff.
The 3.5 Billion live in poverty because they live in places where (currently) the people are only surviving by a thread, not making anything of value that can be traded. They're living in huts instead of building nice houses, living off the land for their own needs not building farms. Making make-shift tools for their own use, not building factories.
Also their lack of infrastructure (roads, bridges, airports, sea ports) makes it hard or even impossible to go from just surviving to actually thriving. Without infrastructure the people cannot produce very much and even if they did produce enough to sell, they can't reach very many people who want to trade goods. For wealth to exist goods and services have to flow between people. (Think of everything in your house that you don't know how to make, think of the stuff in your house that no one in your town knows how to make, it reaches your house due to your country's infrastructure)
Often there is a struggle going on in those countries over the few resources available which is what is preventing the infrastructure from being improved, or even destroying the infrastructure. This cycle feeds on itself.
The main problem for trying to help them, is that the resources and money we send over to them usually gets funneled into the struggle over the few resources / or maintaining one party's current control of those resource. NOT put into the infrastructure that will make resources plentiful for everyone in that country.
I did not take your statement seriously, because you are not seriously looking at any type of issue. Instead you are saying look how wealthy this man is, we must do something. Personally I could care less how many dollars a single person has. Its about making a living on your own. If you want simple facts Adam Smith was right. They live in poverty because they have not embraced capitalism. If you simply take from one man to double the remaining people's wealth you are really just gonna be left with another poor person. Its not as if a couple paper bills are gonna magically make things produced in these countries so they can rise economically. This has to be a long effort by the people to embrace industry.
I think one thing you can take away from history is that when we try to take money from one man in order to address poverty we have never once brought people out of poverty. Its because money does not solve poverty. It is simply the measure of poverty.
What can we do about it?
Who cares, it's always been this way.
Until we reach some sort of utopia where money becomes obsolete, nothing will change.
O_o o_O
And until we start trying to create that utopia, nothing will change. Just because it's always been "that way" (and its getting far far worse) doesn't mean its right.
Main Game: Eldevin (Plat0nic)
2nd Game: Path of Exile (Platonic Hate)
A couple thoughts on both these comments. It's impossible to create a utopia on this planet because human nature prevents it. History has demonstrated that amply. And also, money cannot become obsolete in this world either. Resources are limited and therefore must be assigned a value. But more importantly, wealth cannot be created without work being done; and without the possiblity of enrichment, work would never get done.
I think technology is the key to achieving a utopia. But it's well into the realms of science fiction.
O_o o_O
Main Game: Eldevin (Plat0nic)
2nd Game: Path of Exile (Platonic Hate)