Steve Slatin on tue 28 aug 12
Margaret --=3D0A=3D0AActually, it is =3DA0unusually high at the moment.=3DA=
0 Willia=3D
mson and Lindert wrote=3D0Athe following, in :"Long Term Trends in American=
W=3D
ealth Inequality"=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0"The inequality of American wealthholding i=
s not =3D
an eternal constant. While=3D0Athe colonial era was one of relative egalita=
ri=3D
anism and stable wealth distribution, =3D0Ait was followed by an episode of=
s=3D
teeply rising wealth concentration =3D0Alasting for more than a century. By=
t=3D
he early twentieth century, =3D0Awealth concentration had become as great i=
n =3D
the United States as in =3D0AFrance or Prussia, though still less pronounce=
d =3D
than in the United Kingdom, =3D0Ato judge from some tentative comparisons o=
f =3D
probate returns. This =3D0Aepisodic rise in wealth concentration seems to h=
av=3D
e occurred primarily =3D0Ain the antebellum period, with the most dramatic =
sh=3D
ift towards concentration =3D0Aapparently centered on the second quarter of=
t=3D
he nineteenth century, =3D0Aa period when wage gaps and skill premia were r=
is=3D
ing, and profit =3D0Ashares increasing."=3D0A=3DA0=3D0ASomewhere (I can't p=
ut my fi=3D
nger on it now) I have a reference to economic=3D0Aconditions at the time o=
f =3D
independence, positing that Geo. Washington's=3D0Aannual income was on the =
or=3D
der of a hundred times that of an unskilled manual=3D0Alaborer.=3DA0 (Washi=
ngto=3D
n was conceded to be the wealthiest man of his generation=3D0Ain the US.)=
=3D0A=3D
=3DA0=3D0ACurrently, the average CEO income for Fortune 500 corporations is=
som=3D
ething=3D0Alike $12.9 million per year.=3DA0 This compares with a minimum w=
age =3D
income of=3D0A$25,080 for a 2080 hour work year -- more than 500 times high=
er=3D
.=3DA0 (And the=3D0Awealthiest Americans today are not invariably employed,=
nor=3D
are the =3D0A=3DA0=3D0AAnd, yes, there was a spike at around the point of =
the st=3D
ock market bubble=3D0Aof the late 1920's where wealth concentration was abo=
ut=3D
like it is today.=3DA0 And=3D0Athere is the other issue of comparing wealt=
h co=3D
ncentrations with income levels,=3D0Aespecially given the success of the ex=
tr=3D
emely wealthy in creating multi-=3D0Agenerational transfers of wealth and s=
o =3D
on.=3DA0 It's a thorny issue, and a =3D0Avery difficult one to accurately e=
valu=3D
ate, but the gap is unusually large at=3D0Apresent by any measure.=3DA0 =3D=
0A=3DA0=3D
=3D0AWhat is entirely unarguable is the accuracy of your comment -- the gap=
i=3D
s=3D0Aa whole lot bigger than it was in the '50's through the '70's.=3D0A=
=3D0ASte=3D
ve Slatin -- =3D0A=3D0A=3D0AN48.0886450=3D0AW123.1420482=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A____=
______________=3D
______________=3D0A=3D0A=3D0AI don't think anyone means to say that the gap=
betwe=3D
en rich and poor is=3D0Agreater than it has ever been....but it's a whole l=
ot=3D
bigger than it was=3D0Afrom the 1950's through the 1970's when many of us =
we=3D
re growing up and=3D0Aentering the work force.=3DA0 And there's an interest=
ing =3D
discussion/debate=3D0Aamong economists about whether a narrower gap correla=
te=3D
s with a better=3D0Aoverall economy.=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0
Lili Krakowski on tue 28 aug 12
The discussion of "perfection" is so interesting because everyone has =3D
been talking about personal vision and values, and the voice and =3D
language that express them.
(Goes without saying I agree that James' wife is right. Don't care =3D
what the blessed woman says! James: Lissen up! She is right!)
Of course, as well --drat!--James is entitled to say what he wants to =3D
say, and if he is not satisfied with
how he said it, then to shut that "expression" down. As a writer, what =3D
I love most about my computer is that I can write and rewrite and =3D
rewrite once more--a dozen time more!--and look, Ma, no wasted paper!
We all bring to the table--or showroom, as it were--a lifetime of =3D
experience, impressions, opinions, preferences, biases. And what makes =
=3D
the handmade so precious is exactly that individuality.
=3D20
Your work is not like mine. Mine is not like Mel's, or Dannon's, or =3D
Vince's, or Snail's, or Elizabeth's. And unless we value the =3D
individuality of the work, there is no reason not to buy and use the =3D
anonymous, "faceless" mass-produced ware.
What --to me-- is the essence of the American Dream is its width...the =3D
tremendous broadness of tolerated individuality. I live in New York's =3D
Burnt Over District...which has seen countless wonderful variations on =3D
the theme of "Perfection". Many of those visions certainly are not =3D
mine...as mine certainly are not theirs...But the directions into which =3D
people move, and the ideas they implement--all for "the sake of Heaven" =3D
just is humbling and amazing. It also makes one think about =3D
mass-culture--the Tsunamis of technological "advances" that are =3D
redesigning and restructuring our entire society. And we ain't seen =3D
nothing yet!.
As to the observation that the spread between rich and poor is greater =3D
than ever. Regardless of how we feel about these differences, and to =3D
what we attribute them, the statement is historically inaccurate. From =3D
Colonial times on there has been a huge spread...The plantation owners =3D
of the South in contrast to the immigrants and/or transported prisoners, =
=3D
the pioneers on the Westward Journey in contrast to the upper echelons =3D
of Boston and New York society. Plus ca change etc.
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
Margaret Flaherty on tue 28 aug 12
I don't think anyone means to say that the gap between rich and poor is
greater than it has ever been....but it's a whole lot bigger than it was
from the 1950's through the 1970's when many of us were growing up and
entering the work force. And there's an interesting discussion/debate
among economists about whether a narrower gap correlates with a better
overall economy.
On Tue, Aug 28, 2012 at 3:14 AM, Lili Krakowski wr=
ote:
> The discussion of "perfection" is so interesting because everyone has bee=
n
> talking about personal vision and values, and the voice and language tha=
t
> express them.
>
> (Goes without saying I agree that James' wife is right. Don't care what
> the blessed woman says! James: Lissen up! She is right!)
>
> Of course, as well --drat!--James is entitled to say what he wants to say=
,
> and if he is not satisfied with
> how he said it, then to shut that "expression" down. As a writer, what I
> love most about my computer is that I can write and rewrite and rewrite
> once more--a dozen time more!--and look, Ma, no wasted paper!
>
> We all bring to the table--or showroom, as it were--a lifetime of
> experience, impressions, opinions, preferences, biases. And what makes
> the handmade so precious is exactly that individuality.
>
> Your work is not like mine. Mine is not like Mel's, or Dannon's, or
> Vince's, or Snail's, or Elizabeth's. And unless we value the
> individuality of the work, there is no reason not to buy and use the
> anonymous, "faceless" mass-produced ware.
>
> What --to me-- is the essence of the American Dream is its width...the
> tremendous broadness of tolerated individuality. I live in New York's
> Burnt Over District...which has seen countless wonderful variations on th=
e
> theme of "Perfection". Many of those visions certainly are not mine...as
> mine certainly are not theirs...But the directions into which people move=
,
> and the ideas they implement--all for "the sake of Heaven" just is humbli=
ng
> and amazing. It also makes one think about mass-culture--the Tsunamis of
> technological "advances" that are redesigning and restructuring our entir=
e
> society. And we ain't seen nothing yet!.
>
> As to the observation that the spread between rich and poor is greater
> than ever. Regardless of how we feel about these differences, and to wha=
t
> we attribute them, the statement is historically inaccurate. From Coloni=
al
> times on there has been a huge spread...The plantation owners of the Sou=
th
> in contrast to the immigrants and/or transported prisoners, the pioneers
> on the Westward Journey in contrast to the upper echelons of Boston and N=
ew
> York society. Plus ca change etc.
>
>
>
>
> Lili Krakowski
> Be of good courage
>
--
http://www.margaretflaherty.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/maggieware
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