[americandream]

The top 1% have no interest whatsoever in upsetting the applecart that is globalising capitalism. Not gonna happen...it is way too much fun being rich. They co-operate behind the scenes and it is all mostly make believe. A wage earner, middle or working class, is just a grunt. So they aren't going to do much, saving the planet included.

Trump comes along and he wants to shake things up a bit as you do from time to time. It is about time. The Establishment has gotten too complacent and it gets messy. So we kinda live in hope that he will sort out the Muslims...all that headchopping shenanigans is a pain, especially if you want to get a plane to Dubai for a cocktail, darling. Plus the world is being overrun by a load of hairy looking refugees who should really be engaged in shopping, borrowing and working.

So we look to Trump to at least shake up things a bit so that we can carry on with the globalisation project.

[Plantagenet]

Follow the money-----The top 1% is strongly backing Hillary. She's got more CEO and superpac money then all the other Ds and Rs combined

[americandream]

Follow the money-----The top 1% is strongly backing Hillary. She's got more CEO and superpac money then all the other Ds and Rs combined

t

Nah. The 1% that really matter want the world run with minimal drama. When they look out their windows, they want to see a field of grazing contented consumers. It is a toss up between Trump and Clinton. He has his uses as he might, just might rid us of the tiresome Muslim cry baby. She...who knows, she may do a hubby and trigger a bubble PLUS sort out the Muslims tho I dont think so. We shall see.

[onlooker]

That is actually quite true the Elites like BAU. The problem is the planet looks like it is not going to cooperate much longer with BAU. Whether from resource shortages, life support systems malfunctions, AGW etc. Oh and the BAU only even benefited a minority population on this planet. So lets not be cheerleaders for 1% er policies, they look like they are going to doom everyone including those 1% ers. Oh and to clarify I think your really talking about the 000.1%, they are the ones who have really benefited by BAU.

[hvacman]

How close are YOU to the top 1%?

http://money.cnn.com/calculator/pf/income-rank/

The top 1% is $400K in annual household income. A lot of my clients are in that range - successful local small business owners. Most of them are NOT flying to Dubai for cocktails. They are NOT playing Wall St. financial games with derivatives. Their homes do NOT have gilded walls with cherubs. Mostly, they live in middle-class-looking homes below their means, as they tend to be a tight-fisted bunch who prefer to avoid debt if it isn't working for them at their business or is a relatively-safe investment with a good ROI. We don't talk politics much. My general instinct is they trend towards Republican, but more in the libertarian vein than the confused mess-of-a-candidate Trump or liberal-leaning Hillary. A significant percentage of them have installed PV systems at their homes. Did I mention they actually are pretty smart with their money? Funny thing about being in the 1%. They're smart. They're also tax-savvy, get the PV tax credits, get the long-term safe ROI of the minimal utility bills. They tend to be as interested in energy efficiency as the rest of us, but actually have the cash to do something about it in their own lives.

Here's a link to a book about the REAL 1% - "The Millionaire Next Door". This is the 1% I'm familiar with.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Millionaire-Next-Door-Surprising/dp/1589795474

[dohboi]

Shouldn't we be thinking globally?

"To make it into the richest 1 percent globally, all you need is an income of around $34,000"

http://foreignpolicy.com/2012/02/27/wer ... 1-percent/

The fact is that it is the top .0001% that has really left the rest, even the 'merely rich' millionaires and such, in the dust in the last few years.

[JV153]

When they look out their windows, they want to see a field of grazing contented consumers.

Your sleuthing abilities are increasing. However, the mass murder in the Middle East has sent swarms of people into Europe, and a few of them aren't too healthy.

[americandream]

When they look out their windows, they want to see a field of grazing contented consumers.

Your sleuthing abilities are increasing. However, the mass murder in the Middle East has sent swarms of people into Europe, and a few of them aren't too healthy.

The bloodletting in the GOP should be telling you something. Its a little lateral, thought wise...the exercise ie. The mandarin class in the US (the politicians) invariably tend to ride on the coattails of the capitalist class who are sending them a loud message in Trump. We do not like the way you have been handling the ME. Hence the fear and trembling in said mandarin class, especially Ryan who has been something of an architect on policy.

The long and short...the murder is going to get worse as we put back the Islamic genie (pun intended) let out by these incompetent mandarins. We cannot tolerate a throwback feudal empire obstructing the spread of capital, not at this juncture. This year will also prove to be extremely volatile on the markets...a sort of mixed bag as pressure is brought on Islam to reform.

This is for Dohboi:

On the climate front, I am sort of optimistic...in the midst of all this kerfuffle, liberal globalist capitalists (who are also nudging the old nationalist guard out of the way) will increasingly be louder on the climate front, emboldened as they are by the destruction of the incompetent mandarin class...in a few words. there is an disconnect between government, capitalists and the people and it is all a bit of a mess at the moment. Interesting times. last night was a very weird night in the realms of objective price...complete mayhem. Unsettling to say the least.

[ralfy]

Also,

http://www.globalrichlist.com/

[americandream]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/busin ... 07236.html

As one rises into the ranks of these people ones focus of course is on holding on, making more and keeping it in the family. Allied to that is the need for global stability so as one can fly off to distant parts to party. There is a great consternation amongst the wealthy at these mandarins of ours who seem to be doing rather stupid things in places such as the ME. Hence the phenomenon of Trump. The fact that you have a lot of unemployed and sellers of labour driving the guys popularity of course also represents concerns in the working and middle classes at their own woes of job insecurity.

The ranks of the wealthy are constantly under onslaught as well...from crook, hustlers, better innovators dah dy dah dy dah. As the Buddha said, it be impermanent.

[americandream]

Glad to see you.re back AD. Read the thread above AD. One of the readers comments sums it up

What the rich need to worry about is people like me. There are a lot of us.

Interesting times ahead.

Gas

A few of the critters on here were following me around goading me into getting banned (perhaps trying to hustle my trading style out of me??? who knows.....lmfao!!!! All the insults in the world wont get one squidgy bit of it out of me. In any case it is so fukking complicated, its like learning to ride a bike) and I let slip once on the rants and boom, I got the boot for a few days. I been busy since but this ole place is just another I pop into on the web to drop a few nuggets so I thought wtf!!

Now that remark of yours...that is material dialecticism...right there...just there. The masses rising up.....when they have been through the nationalists, nazis, islamists, jebus freaks, social democrats...when they have been fukked left, right and sideways...when the prospect of making the big time recedes into a nullity...when they are beyond being ripped off, then and only then will they act in a way that gives them relief. But for the time being everyone wants to join the 1% and they are hardly to blame...its a great life. But you are seeing the first inklings of this in the US with the GOP being disembowelled of its mandarin class as the capitalist class take the levers and boot them out of office. That has yet to happen in blighty and is long overdue with Cameron protecting the Saudis even as Britain is overrun by snackbars from all across allahland. The Tories need to be held accountable for (historically going back to empire days) courting the House of Saud to the point where it jeapordises the very fabric of British society.

[vtsnowedin]

The widget says I'm a one percenter on a world income basis. Doesn't feel that way to me and just shows how many people in the world endure extreme poverty. Interesting to use the wealth vs. income side and see that others have gained more net worth then I have so I'm at 3.5 percent. That is partly due to having worked most of my working years at much lower wages then what I'm presently pulling in.

[onlooker]

I think what is useful in describing the 1% , meaning those of us in rich countries is the whole way of life and infrastructure that surrounds us and makes our lives a bit better than the poor in poor countries. Good Sanitation, running water, adequate shelter, basic necessities consumer goods. Also the fact that the ratio of our income relative to the cost of basic necessities is better than many people around the world who struggle to live on 1 or 2 dollars per day. Now having said that, increasingly over time inflation and stagnant wages have eroded purchasing power and debt has been oppressive for many households. Thus at present we in rich countries basically are getting by without having to much extra income for pure luxurious or entertainment. Yet our "getting by" as I stated is better than the getting by of the poor around the world.

[americandream]

I think what is useful in describing the 1% , meaning those of us in rich countries is the whole way of life and infrastructure that surrounds us and makes our lives a bit better than the poor in poor countries. Good Sanitation, running water, adequate shelter, basic necessities consumer goods. Also the fact that the ratio of our income relative to the cost of basic necessities is better than many people around the world who struggle to live on 1 or 2 dollars per day. Now having said that, increasingly over time inflation and stagnant wages have eroded purchasing power and debt has been oppressive for many households. Thus at present we in rich countries basically are getting by without having to much extra income for pure luxurious or entertainment. Yet our "getting by" as I stated is better than the getting by of the poor around the world.

Well, thats a difficult one as the term covers those who do not live by selling their labour but are the owners of passive surplus. So strictly speaking, it covers capitalists, gangsters, feudalists...anyone who meets that definition as an owner of passive surplus. To make sense, it has to as these are the people who constantly seek to consolidate that surplus away from those who live by the sale of that surplus and invariably is why you get these yawning chasms or attempts to impose them.

That said, a new breed of one percenters is coming into view, more enlightened, philanthrophic, quite social democratic and ultimately dependent on a global consumer class for their services and products.

[americandream]

Money will decide, as usual, the top 1% control us all.

Gas

Correction:

As usual the top 1% whom most of us would like to join and thus look up to (as a consequence of social relations) control us.

That will remain so as long as we remain profoundly accultarised to think and act so. It is the guarantee this elite bank on to pursue the policies they do, with the indifference they do. Trump has bizarrely simply illustrated this in the fear they are instilling in the mandarin class for overstepping the mark. Rermember, the political class are the managers, albeit well paid managers on the status quo.

[americandream]

As a little sidenote. The UK is one of two nodes in the global circuit of capital. Thus membership of the EU was always going to be at best, symbolic. The system cannot have the powerful reserve that is Sterling subsumed into a largely mercantilist continent. The UK is quite advanced as a capitalist state...the Germans for example are not even remotely close...although given the interrelated nature of capitalism, every corner of this globe has a capitalist presence....with all pointing to London or NY

[Outcast_Searcher]

How close are YOU to the top 1%?

http://money.cnn.com/calculator/pf/income-rank/

The top 1% is $400K in annual household income. A lot of my clients are in that range - successful local small business owners. Most of them are NOT flying to Dubai for cocktails.

...


Did I mention they actually are pretty smart with their money? Funny thing about being in the 1%. They're smart. They're also tax-savvy...

Here's a link to a book about the REAL 1% - "The Millionaire Next Door". This is the 1% I'm familiar with.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Millionaire-Next-Door-Surprising/dp/1589795474

hvacman, I totally agree. This book is very good, IMO. I've given copies to lots of my friends who showed some proclivity/acumen toward responsibly earning, saving, and investing for their future.

Some points from the book, per my memory:

They're largely talking about self made millionaires with frequently very middle class values as far as lifestyle. They're NOT interviewing and discussing the top .0001% billionaire hedge fund managers who fly to Dubai constantly.

It turns out that frugality is a KEY element for many of these folks. If a guy has a chain of stores and makes a good income and his wife or he spend it all away on nonsense -- a big income and low net worth isn't much good if the big income goes away.

It also turns out that first generation immigrants are statistically much more likely to become self made millionaires than folks who are not. Many of these folks know what poverty is and are motivated to grow their wealth instead of show off with it.

Getting good solid financial advice from an accountant and a lawyer for tax and estate planning is often considered money well spent, vs. say, super-fast cars, super big houses, etc. They tend to love buying good used cars to save on the initial depreciation.

One of the most important and obvious themes is that DOING SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE to earn/save/invest one's way to solid financial status is essential. And they're not talking about living under your bed in abject poverty. They ARE talking about putting away a meaningful percentage of one's income every month, investing it productively, and leaving the investment income alone and letting it multiply.

There are lots of examples, lots of interviews, and lots of charts. The interviewees are kept anonymous, but the names and information reflect themes. Like the two very high income doctors called Dr. North and Dr. South who are polar opposites in terms of lifestyle, saving, investing, and consequently, net worth and feeling financially secure.

(Hint, complaining that all rich people are evil, stole their wealth, manipulate everything, are the elite, etc. won't help get you to financial success. It also probably won't help change the lives of the portion of wealthy folks who are actually like these stereotypes -- but if you feel complaining to politicians and each other will change that, good luck with that).

[evilgenius]

Money will decide, as usual, the top 1% control us all.

Gas

Correction:

As usual the top 1% whom most of us would like to join and thus look up to (as a consequence of social relations) control us.

That will remain so as long as we remain profoundly accultarised to think and act so. It is the guarantee this elite bank on to pursue the policies they do, with the indifference they do. Trump has bizarrely simply illustrated this in the fear they are instilling in the mandarin class for overstepping the mark. Rermember, the political class are the managers, albeit well paid managers on the status quo.

I'd say the politicians and the civil servants, who are largely the calcified remains of whatever the political wave was at the time of their hiring, are the managers. The politicians cannot do it on their own. Otherwise, yeah, this world is full of people who not only don't realize that they personally live better than any monarch from a few hundred years ago, but that they are also fairly bankrupt when it comes to the creativity to do something with that wealth. Keep staring at those screens people.

Incidentally, I think that one of the major crises of our times is mismanagement. Either our world has become too complex to identify where our problems truly lie, within the day to day, or agendas have derailed our ability to see. It doesn't really matter what the cause is, though. I would like to see big data transition from identifying people's shopping habits to figuring out where the bottlenecks within our society lie, but there isn't much money in that.