Poll: How many millionaires in the United States?

[riverflush]

I was reading an article about Michael Moore in the UK Guardian today and there was a brief passage from Moore's book "Dude, Where's My Country?" that got me thinking.

In it Moore says this:

[ QUOTE ]
"Listen, friends, you have to face the truth: you are never going to be rich. The chance of that happening is about one in a million.


Not only are you never going to be rich, but you are going to have to live the rest of your life busting your butt just to pay the cable bill and the music and art classes for your kid at the public school where they used to be free."


[/ QUOTE ]

So it got me to thinking...since Mr. Moore's attitude is to remove all hope of the American dream vis-a-vis our "corrupt, sick, backwards system"...I figured I'd run the numbers. You know, take a look at just how much we're getting screwed over here. By Moore's "one in a million" math, there should be around 300 or so millionaires in the U.S. The rest of us are left to scramble for peanuts, or bust our butts for that awesome public school that "used to be free." Apparently, our schools are "free" - hmm, I guess taxes don't count. Well maybe Moore primarily rents and therefore doesn't understand property taxes, uhh, well I'll give him a pass. I'll take him at his word that government-provided services are "free" for now.

Since many of you guys obviously know me and what angle I come from, the answer here is going to be pretty obvious in the end...but I figured I should just let us all guess first.

Info, answers, and stats forthcoming...

[ThaSaltCracka]

LOL, I guess I am the first to reply....

[ QUOTE ]
Apparently, our schools are "free" - hmm, I guess taxes don't count. Well maybe Moore primarily rents and therefore doesn't understand property taxes, uhh, well I'll give him a pass. I'll take him at his word that government-provided services are "free" for now.

[/ QUOTE ] I think you are being to literal.

[tolbiny]

"By Moore's "one in a million" math, there should be around 300 or so millionaires in the U.S."

Micheal moore said that those reading his book are not going to be rich, implying that they are not already. So you have to discount anyone who was not born a millionaire=- only count those who are already in the work force and will become millionaires.

EDIT: Also- everything a person says does not have to be taken literally. One in a million is a fairly common expression.

[Cyrus]

You have put up a humongous post while you could have probably stated your point more succintly. What is your point? That the more millionnaires there are in the US economy, the "better" the US economy is?

In that case, you have to define "better" first: "Better" for whom? For the millionnaires or for the rest the people? Or for "everybody"? (The last one would take some provin'!)

If that's your point, I would, instead, also use other measures and not just "number of millionnaires". I would also use GNP per capita -- but, again, that one, on its own, would be misleading. (Think Brunei, where the GNP per capita is huge but all the moolah goes to the Sultan. Since the moolah is huge, the average is up. That's the trouble with averages.)

You would have to use the median, more preferably, and then the GINI index which shows how the income generated in an economy is distributed within it. To the many or to the few? In both extreme cases, it is of course bad : Total equality is 1950s Albania - theoretically; total concentration in one man is, well, Brunei! But tilting extraorinarily towards the "few" as is the case, compararatively, in the US is, what, good for you?

The GINI index, one example of which is here, shows that in the US income has been concentrating on the upper echelons since 1967. And it's not a partisan issue, either (during Clinton's term, there was only a slight bump the other way).

[Jimbo]

I believe I agree with Cyrus. The more poor people the better!

Jimbo

[Zeno]

Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Listen, friends, you have to face the truth: you are never going to be rich. The chance of that happening is about one in a million.


Not only are you never going to be rich, but you are going to have to live the rest of your life busting your butt just to pay the cable bill and the music and art classes for your kid at the public school where they used to be free."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


'Never be rich'.....Then...'one in a million'.


You don't need cable - use that money to purchase books for your children. Spent less time watching TV and more time with your kids and the books. Read to them; help them with their education and development.

Moore's statement is full of idiocy and blather. What is ‘rich’? Money, I assume. Besides, why should I want to be 'rich' according to some arbitrary standards? And why should I care that some people are ‘rich’? Is my life to be driven by envy?

Michael Moore is a Moron. His entire vile body should be run through a meat grinder and turned into hotdogs. The negative effect of this further polluting the hotdog output would be offset by the positive gain of removing from public discourse the imbecilitic ramblings, puerile utterances, and blubbering propaganda media productions by this blowhard moron.


I'm glad you posted Moore's comments to illustrate just what a fool he is. The poll, though interesting, was uneccessary in my opinion.


-Zeno

[MMMMMM]

"Moore's statement is full of idiocy and blather. What is ‘rich’? Money, I assume. Besides, why should I want to be 'rich' according to some arbitrary standards? And why should I care that some people are ‘rich’? Is my life to be driven by envy?

Michael Moore is a Moron. His entire vile body should be run through a meat grinder and turned into hotdogs. The negative effect of this further polluting the hotdog output would be offset by the positive gain of removing from public discourse the imbecility ramblings, puerile utterances, and blubbering propaganda media productions by this blowhard moron."


Zeno, your points would be better made without such tone and vitriol. Hatred has destroyed many minds; please don't let it destroy yours.

[ACPlayer]

You are right MMMMMM.

Unfortunately political discourse has become one of vitriol and hatred. Perhaps starting with Willie Horton, dont you think?

I know that you know full well that when there is no meat, all you can do is fake the sizzle.

[Zeno]

[ QUOTE ]
Zeno, your points would be better made without such tone and vitriol. Hatred has destroyed many minds; please don't let it destroy yours.

[/ QUOTE ]


M,

Thanks for the reminder.

Now what was that about scorn? [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

I reserve the right for sarcaism as you reserve the right for scorn. And also for everyone else of course; it makes for more fun. Just ask Cyrus. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]


-Zeno

[MMMMMM]

"You are right MMMMMM."

Ah, finally ACPlayer has agreed with me on something. Truly, this is a day to treasure;-)


"Unfortunately political discourse has become one of vitriol and hatred. Perhaps starting with Willie Horton, dont you think?"

The name rings a bell but from where I do not know.


"I know that you know full well that when there is no meat, all you can do is fake the sizzle."

Yes...and that damned demagogue of class-warfare, Michael Moore, fakes the sizzle pretty well, wouldn't you agree?