3 minutes ago, Snow Leopard said:

I work for a large multi-national company involved in the oil and gas industry. I used to be a staunch free market capitalist, I have since changed my mind. My company made consistently over 5Bn US$ per year for 8+ years up until the crash a few years ago. We had 65,000 global employees in 2015. Today it's at 30,000. Now i am not saying that all the jobs could have been saved but a lot of people got parachutes, a lot of people didnt. The company should have stuck by its employees more.   

I used to be a staunch free market capitalist too - but that has changed over time.  After many years in the real world, I've seen so many situations such as you describe, and worse.  My dad's own company, a stable electricity generation firm, was taken over, raided really, for its well-funded pension scheme.  The CEO got multi-millions for making the deal.  My dad who worked there for years and his colleagues got - f*** all, really, and they (all those laid off) were forced  to sign agreements not to sue in order to get the peanut "pension" that was handed to them.   Although I still generally believe that government should not get in the way of legitimate businesses, I no longer believe in a total hands-off approach.  And I can see the multinationals are a big problem now.

5 minutes ago, steve73 said:

Global average wealth is around $1000 per person (in assets).  Global average annual income is a similar figure.

Now how many of you posting here would be prepared to share any wealth or income you have over these figures to those less well off...? 

I'm far from 'well off', but am financially, relatively comfortable.

 

Can't speak for others obviously, but always look for reasons to tip the obviously lowest paid.  I also pay my cleaner far more than other Westerners as, even though she's a lousy cleaner ????, she's a lovely, kind lady and I always want to help the genuinely poor and deserving.

 

There's a guy that comes here on a bicycle every now and again to fish (I live close to the sea).  I would dearly love to help him out, but can't think of any way to do so that wouldn't be obvious 

13 minutes ago, Snow Leopard said:

I work for a large multi-national company involved in the oil and gas industry. I used to be a staunch free market capitalist, I have since changed my mind. My company made consistently over 5Bn US$ per year for 8+ years up until the crash a few years ago. We had 65,000 global employees in 2015. Today it's at 30,000. Now i am not saying that all the jobs could have been saved but a lot of people got parachutes, a lot of people didnt. The company should have stuck by its employees more.   

That's my experience too .

 

Those at the very top are given generous 'payouts' - whilst those lower down in the chain receive nothing of the sort...

Thank you for researching and posting this. 

 

Scary to think what could happen if the 99% ever really realized and decided to do something about it.

 

Communism and Socialism have been shown not to work. Corruption, human greed of elitist in control, and the inability for government bureaucracy to plan and manage an economy and interfere with market forces etc.

 

Capitalism works but is heavily skewed towards benefiting those who are at the top with high wealth.

 

Given the effects of climate change, that would probably happen but is being accelerated by humano behavior, and the desire of the wealthy to keep wealthy, ensure their families' progression, and keep control, does anyone have a better solution than Capitalism?

 

I've read various academics who predict the fall of capitalism but none who suggest what a replacement could be. Any ideas?

11 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

Communism and Socialism have been shown not to work.

Really, by who and when?

Difficult to prove anything when America will declare war on you the instant you announce/reveal your new policy.

13 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

Capitalism works but is heavily skewed towards benefiting those who are at the top with high wealth.

Capitalism was fine before Globalism.

what is the problem? income inequality is feature of capitalism not problem. problem is envy comunists and socialists who just panic and do their dirty things. 

4 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

Reminds me of the song 'Sixteen tons, and deeper in debt', that my dad used to sing every now and again.

 

But I doubt you will ever understand this.

no  need  to  get  in  debt in  the  first place, that  songs  very  old, many  end  up in  debt as  they "must  have  the  latest"

4 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

I'm far from 'well off', but am financially, relatively comfortable.

 

Can't speak for others obviously, but always look for reasons to tip the obviously lowest paid.  I also pay my cleaner far more than other Westerners as, even though she's a lousy cleaner ????, she's a lovely, kind lady and I always want to help the genuinely poor and deserving.

 

There's a guy that comes here on a bicycle every now and again to fish (I live close to the sea).  I would dearly love to help him out, but can't think of any way to do so that wouldn't be obvious 

why not leave  suitcase  full of  money outside for him................ive tried  helping people here,  just makes them lazier............but i doubt you'd  understand that????

12 hours ago, george11 said:

Looking at the top four counties, that are not very democratic. Corruption is the most likely reasons why there is wide inequality.  

Yep.  That table is just a good reflection of the level of corruption in each country.

 

And note carefully that the level of corruption has increased over the last 4 years in Thailand.

 

Why's that I wonder/

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Capitalism was fine before Globalism.

Globalism was around way before capitalism.

Generally, the richer people I know are not compassionate about sharing. They don't need so much money, but more important to them , they don't want to give it to any one or have others have more. I think there is an issue with some people not having the guilty emotion gene too.

 

it appears that the western countries that have obscenely rich are in decline compared to other obscenely rich countries.

You cannot take it beyond the grave.

With climate change, the migration of displaced persons, poverty caused by corrupt dictators.... There will be a revolution.

And may the filthy  suffer