It’s Time to Build a Society that Benefits Everyone - Not Just the Privileged Few!
8 Men Have the Same Wealth as 50% of the Worlds Population!
100% of SBD earned from this post will be Donated to a Charity, Group or Cause that is Working to Resolve World Poverty.
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- Since 2015, the richest 1% has owned more wealth than the rest of the planet combined.
- Eight (8) men, have the same wealth as the poorest half (50%) of the human beings on the planet which is 3.6 billion people.
- Over the next 20 years, 500 people will bequeath $2.1 trillion to their heirs – a sum larger than the GDP of India, a country of 1.3 billion people.
- The incomes of the poorest 10% of the worlds population increased by less than $3 a year between 1988 and 2011 (or $69 a year in 23 years), while the incomes of the richest 1% increased 182 times as much.
- A FTSE-100 CEO earns as much in a year as 10,000 people working in a garment factory in Bangladesh.
- In the US, research by economist Thomas Piketty shows that over the last 30 years the growth in the incomes of the bottom 50% has been zero, whereas incomes of the top 1% has grown 300%.
- In Vietnam, the country’s richest man earns more in a day than the poorest person earns in 11 years.
- Over the past 25 years, the top 1% have earned more income than the bottom 50% combined.
- 1 in 9 people go to bed hungry every single night.
Research shows that 75% of extreme poverty could be eliminated right now, using existing resources, by simply increasing taxation and cutting down on military and other regressive spending.
Who Are These 8 Men?
The world’s 8 richest people in order are:
- Bill Gates - American founder of Microsoft (net worth $75 billion)
- Amancio Ortega - Spanish founder of Inditex which owns the Zara fashion chain (net worth $67 billion)
- Warren Buffett - American CEO and largest shareholder in Berkshire Hathaway (net worth $60.8 billion)
- Carlos Slim Helu - Mexican owner of Grupo Carso (net worth: $50 billion)
- Jeff Bezos - American founder, chairman and chief executive of Amazon (net worth: $45.2 billion)
- Mark Zuckerberg - American chairman, chief executive officer, and co-founder of Facebook (net worth $44.6 billion)
- Larry Ellison - American co-founder and CEO of Oracle (net worth $43.6 billion)
- Michael Bloomberg - American founder, owner and CEO of Bloomberg LP (net worth: $40 billion)
These 8 Men have More Wealth than 3.6 Billion People!
The 2012 World Economic Forum identified rising economic inequality as a major threat to social stability. In 2015, the World Bank stated that its goal was to end poverty by 2030 via shared prosperity.
Does anyone seriously believe that the World Bank is committed to ending poverty - or that it will achieve its stated goal in the next 13 years?
Notice how the World Economic Forum seems to be focused on the social stability aspect i.e. keeping society/people under control. If the World Economic Forum (and World Bank) had a humane bone in its corporate body it would be using strong veribage to state that economic equality is a major threat to civilazation, humanity, lives, people, children, nations, health, morality etc etc - and it would already be taking strong action, and making serious inroads into fixing the problems that they themselves, and their ilk created - and we would all be reminded of it daily (non-stop) in the mainstream media. Their rhetoric is nothing more than doublespeak!
Since these shallow and corrupt organizations uttered those statements the gap between the rich, and every other human-being on the planet has widened.
As I was researching this post my heart hurt as the tragic reality of greed, economic inequality and poverty began to really sink in - in a very deep and meaningful way - that is a humbling and beautiful experience that I hope you have already, or will experience at some stage in your lifetime.
As a child my parents always told me that there were many people much less fortunate than me. It must have sunk in (to some degree). I willingly volunteered for the World Vision 40 hour famine, and I spent a few weekends every year door-knocking the neighborhood as I collected seemingly large sums of money for various charities during my formative years - but the next day, or 40 hours later my life returned to normal, and the poor that were so important to me the day before quickly became a distant memory - until next year of course.
In my own mind, I felt that I had done my little bit to end world poverty for the year and I moved on and felt justified in doing so. I'd done more (I tried to convince myself) than many of my contemporaries had done that year (as the competitive juices kicked), and I was at peace with myself and the world for a little while longer.
I have travelled and/or lived in approximately 70 countries, including India, and while I have seen poverty up close many times in my life. The penny finally dropped for me as I was researching and writing this post, and digesting these damning statistics.
I hope that your heart has also been deeply touched and that you will take a moment to reflect on how fortunate you are, and spare a thought, and say a prayer for the billions of people in the world today that aren't anywhere near as fortunate as you are.
As bad as you think that things are in your world right now - there is always someone else doing it tougher - we often forget that reality!
I am donating 100% of SBD proceeds that are generated by this post because too many people are already profiting from the blood, sweat and tears of the poor and needy - including myself.
We are buying, wearing and consuming goods that are manufactured by forced (slave) labor more often than we realize, and we don't even think twice about it or question where the goods originated from.
The International Labour Organization estimates that 21 million people (almost the entire population of Australia) are forced laborers, generating an estimated $150 billion in profits every year for greedy corporations and I am quite certain that they are under-estimating these numbers.
My hope is that every Steemian will read this post, digest it, upvote it and spread it (both online and offline) with the people that they know and come into contact with. We cannot keep sweeping this under the carpet!
I intend to delve deeper into the reasons behind economic inequality and poverty in future posts, as well as offering solutions. I still have quite a bit of research to do on this topic as it is a new area of research for me - so please share what you know with me (and everyone else) in the comments section below and let's work together and try to fix this mess. If you don't step up - who will?
The world’s 10 largest corporations generate more revenue than the governments of 180 countries combined!
There are only 194 countries in the world!
Please Consider Matching Me Dollar for Dollar, or Helping Out in Other Ways!
I will share who I donated the money to so as to keep it open and transparent. If you know of any honest and trustworthy organizations that won't devour most of the donation in expenses please let me know in the comments below.
Love, Peace & Truth
@steemtruth
Related Post: Charles Feeney - The Billionaire That Secretly Gave Away His Entire $8 Billion Fortune Away in 34 Years – True Story
Source: Oxfam - An Economy for the 99%
Great post. I look forward to the follow up discussing the causes and what needs to change. #endthefed
Good on you Jason and thank you for the encouragement. Ending the Fed is a huge part of the solution.
So agreed steemtruth, upvoted and following you, would you please follow me! Thank you!
I'm following you sister
There is a guy on here who has a name very similar to yours saying that the founders were Socialist and advocated for a central bank..LOL I thought it was you at first but I'm so glad to see it wasn't. because I liked your articles. This kid probably thinks we need a cashless society with negative interest rates for the "common good" too. How do even debate such nonsense? Had our founders all advocated for a central bank they would have allowed one to be set up and Andrew Jackson's campaign slogan would have been We need Banks! Not NO BANKS!
One of the main reasons for the war was because England wanted to keep the colonies under the control of the Bank of England. I'm glad that you realized it wasn't me :)
do you think as automation takes hold of production that perhaps universal basic income could rectify some of these issues?
When automation becomes ubiquitous the elites won't have the need or desire for billions of people. I think that they will be viewed as expendable unfortunately.
that actually makes sense, it seems more likely the "elites" would seek some way to rid the planet of a good majority of the population once automation takes full hold. lets hope not.
Just RESTEEMED I am 100% on board I would make this. Hope you crush it!!
Thank you Isaac!
Wow, great statement ..and I hope Steemtruth crushes it to, great comment here isasc.rodebush upvoted and following you! Please follow me, I am so new at Steemit, but I'm going to be great! Thank you!
here is my little voting power to make your effort a success
Thank you - your vote matters.
This problem bothers me a lot. I can't help but feel we are missing so many opportunities to discover new things and solve many of the worlds problems because the wealth is being funneled in this way.
There is an enormous lost opportunity cost here from so many people being in poverty and it is an ethical issue. I'm just wondering how many more Einstein like people would have now if everyone was giving the resources needed to realize their full potential. (Proper nutrition and education is essential for childhood development)
It is clear that we are being trodden on and mocked. It is true that we are missing out on so many opportunities. You mentioned nutrition and they give us GMO. You mention education and they give us indoctrination. They lie to us, all of the time and when they tell us the truth they disguise it as fiction!
Have you heard of Georgism? It seems like the Land Value Tax, while it wouldn't solve the problem entirely, would begin to put to distribution system on a fairer scale. Right now, we tax labor and consumption which impact the least the most; whereas, capital and land rent get off easier.
I haven't heard of it before. Please tell me more and post a link from a good source if you can. Thank you for contributing!
Here are two good links off the top of my head:
http://henrygeorge.org/bob/understanding-economics-site-map/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_value_tax
The best book on the subject is Henry George's Progress and Poverty. Here is a link to a PDF version:
https://mises.org/sites/default/files/Progress%20and%20Poverty_3.pdf
Thank you. I've bookmarked and will read them shortly.
Just a few years ago i read it was 85 people that controlled 50% of the wealth, but now its down to 8. You have my vote.
Thanks @jonas91 - things are moving quickly and your comment clearly tells us the direction that it is heading in.
@steemtruth, I dont know if its the truth, but my father told me that more and more of the super rich are seeing the problem of distribution in the word, and how wrong it it.
I am sure that more of them are seeing it but I don't see many of them doing anything major to fix it.
For all his faults Charles Feeney possibly did more than all of them combined and he lived to see it.
Billionaire Secretly Gives Away His Entire $8 Billion Fortune Away in 34 Years – True Story!
Maybe one day, I hope so
Agreed! this has been going on for far too long
@steemtruth good work upvoted and following you i also write story for society to think over.you can check it out here.
https://steemit.com/story/@diverse-thinker/100-words-one-story
I read your short 100 word story and so should everyone else. You said it perfectly. Upvoted and following you.
@steemtruth thats really encouraging i will come up with moe stories to bring positive change . If you feel like you can resteem it thanks again i am honoured
Your short story hit the nail on the head. If you don't mind, and if you approve. I will re-write it, post it, link back to your post and give you credit for it - how does that sound?
@steemtruth i am happy if you do so :) i will keep on writing these messages should be spread to world .
@steemtruth you are allowed to write this story and provide the link and connect to my story
your message was perfect and I will try to help you spread it.
@steemtruth i have new story have a look
\https://steemit.com/story/@diverse-thinker/100-words-1-story
If you're looking for a good organization to donate to, I think you can't get much better than Kiva. They are a micro loan company that gives out, from the perspective of many, these tiny loans. However, to the individuals who the money is loaned to the equivalent of $25 as a start up loan can be a complete game changer.
They have a reproducable model, and one that is self sustaining to some degree because most people pay back the loan they are given. Plus, unlike a normal NGO, the person who needs help is not given assistance effectively chosen by the NGO itself. Rather individuals are given money directly and trusted to use the money responsibly.
It turns out almost everyone does their best to do just that. It rates well at charity navigator and you can rest assured even a small donation has a high likelyhood of permanently changing an individuals life.
I've heard about these programs and that most people fully re-pay their loan but I've never delved deep. I surely will now. Micro-loans is an excellent suggestion. Thank you @dber.
We Can't Make the Greedy bastards have a Heart, BUT we CAN boycott their Businesses and Services as much as Possible! That is the ONLY voice we really Have! I already don't shop at Wal Mart, don't eat McDonald's( or any Fast Food!), won't go to Starbucks, etc..Not that my decisions impact them much financially, but it is my Personal crusade! IF I am Ever wealthy enough to take care of myself without worry every day, I will give away nearly every dollar to someone who needs it more than I!!
Great suggestion. I try to avoid the conglomerates also, it's a work in progress weeding them out of my life. I'm with you. I'm going to give practically everything that i have away. With a bit more hard work, time and a bit of luck I'm hoping to be well cashed up in a few years. Then I'll go to 3rd world countries and start using it to help others.
Instead of just giving wealth away, I think one idea that would be great is if someone can right a Steemit application that lets us "bank" our money with a cryptocurrency bank (maybe with Bitcoins) that loans out funds to start co-ops in poorer countries. Small businesses, co-ops, credit unions, etc... It could promise a fair return to help the least fortunate build their own futures. Also, it would begin to build a banking alternative to current banking system which is built on keeping most the population in chains.
Great concept - a lot of work is required to pul it off but I love your thinking and direction. I will add it to my solutions post and credit you for drawing my attention to it.
Awesome - thank you!
Its Just a Dream for Me..I doubt I ever have enough to not worry..