Extreme Income/Wealth Gap... 400 own as much as bottom half!

The top 1% took in 23.5% of all of the country’s income in 2007... in 1979 they only took in 8.9%. The top 1% owns more than 90% of us combined.
"In 2007 (latest year for which figures are available from the Federal Reserve), the richest 1% of U.S. households owned 33.8% of the nation’s private wealth. That’s more than the combined wealth of the bottom 90 percent.

400 people have as much wealth as half of our population. The combined net worth of the Forbes 400 wealthiest Americans in 2007: $1.5 trillion. The combined net worth of the poorest 50% of American households: $1.6 trillion.
The top 1% also own 50.9% of all stocks, bonds, and mutual fund assets. The top 10% own 90.3%.

Income inequality is actually greater in the United States than it is in Egypt. Politicians here have close financial ties to big corporations, both personally and through their campaigns. Corporate lawbreakers often do go unpunished. Poverty and unemployment statistics for US minorities are surprisingly similar to Egypt's.

The chief harm done by men of swollen fortune to the community is the effect that their success sets up a false standard, and serves as a bad example to the rest of us.

Boys (and gals) & Their Toys

Societies that are more equal do better... great inequality harms us physically as well as spiritually, and the these harmful effects show up across society.

Nine Pictures of the Extreme Income/Wealth Gap