Take Action Against Global Inequality
Favelas and skyscrapers in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
If you are reading this article, then you have electricity, a PC, an internet connection.
Being on Steemit, favourable odds are that you come from a wealthy country, you are investing in one or more cryptocurrencies, you are literate and with a good level of education.
In other words, you are part of the 26,7% of the global population that controls the 97,6% of the world wealth.
Source: Credit Suisse Research Institute, Global Wealth Report 2016
Are we fully aware of our place in the world? Can we be considered as a privileged minority of the global population? If so, how can we give a concrete answer to the responsibilities embedded with our position? Abandoning any philosophical or existentialist perspective and embracing a concrete social-economical point of view, I am going to let some recent and reliable statistics talk per se. I am a visual learner and I will indulge in quite a bunch of charts, they have been selected and coupled together in an effort to give a decent overall view. If you want to obtain a wider picture, you may take a look to inequality.org, a very clear website who keeps track of news and data on inequality worldwide.
Let's focus on the United States, a country holding the 46% of world millionaires:
Source: Credit Suisse Research Institute, Global Wealth Report 2015
Source of both: Credit Suisse, Global Wealth Databook, 2015
The two bar charts show a clear contrast between the distribution of the overall wealth between economical categories in U.S., compared to other significant countries. Passing now from a static to a dynamic representation of wealth's distribution:
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
On one hand, after taking inflation into account, in almost four decades U.S. most wealthy elites enjoyed a lofty +35,5% increase in their weekly wage. On the other hand, middle class workers saw only a +9,19%. Finally, lower class workers weekly wages shrinked by a -4,11%.
Source: Institute for Policy Studies and America's Unions AFL-CIO
Adopting a business-production perspective, how in the world the value someone is capable to create can possibly result in a 347 times higher wage than that of another worker? A partial reply may be offered by considering the lock-in of CEOs wages to parameters related to the attainment of specific goals and an incremental percentage of the revenue/profit; this, however, still doesn't answer to the ever increasing trend of inequality shown in 36 years of data.
My two cents
Straight to the point: inequality keeps increasing at every level. Between countries and within countries, starting from the namely wealthiest one.
Being aware is not enough. Something is not right in our capitalistic economic model and empty consumer lifestyle, we need to create a change till we can.
Something is not clicking when, in an internet era of sharing economy, of full accessibility of data and information, of technological progresses, increment of productivity, augmented reality, we just get poorer. Why in these times, where we should be just enjoy a distributed wealth, we instead are loosing ground on the entire front, not only the economical one but the one related to the expression of our freedom and rights?
Is this hyperbolic technological progress we enjoyed in the last four decades just meant to give birth to trendy toys we can play with (our many devices), in an subtle progressive trade-off with our highest human values?
Take action
I am really no-one to tell you what to do, I think that everyone has to find its own way to contribute and fight for a more equal world.
Being blogging here, my mind goes to this powerful and evolving tool called Steemit.
Here we all are given the possibility (and responsability?) to create true value through our upvotes: let's use this power for the good. I wonder how much money could we raise if all the community could focus on voting for organisations fighting for human rights and freedom.
I saw posts here raising real good money with honestly silly arguments (sorry if I sound judgemental, hope you get my point), why then not focusing in raising funds for people and organisations in real need?
Call me naive, but I feel that this network has the potential of changing what we don't like of this society and our upvote is not just an expression of our enjoyment for an article but, instead, has the potential to become an important weapon against the establishment and global inequality.
Being a minnow, I don't think that I'm going to raise much through this post, however I will donate the SBD I get to Oxfam America. From their website:
Oxfam is a global organization working to end the injustice of poverty. We help people build better futures for themselves, hold the powerful accountable, and save lives in disasters. Our mission is to tackle the root causes of poverty and create lasting solutions.
Hope you enjoyed my article!
Please resteem, follow and upvote. One million thanks to you all from @f3nix (still looking for the banana fish).
Excellent post @f3nix ....Raised many thoughts
There has always been inequality since we decided some 50,000 years ago that we wanted leaders. Once you accept that leaders are a normal part of your culture then it is inevitable that some form of elite class will form. Kings, Popes, Politicians, land owners and now CEOs.
Intentions dictate our actions. America was entirely built on the premise of greed. From the day it was discovered peoples from all over the world flocked to it in search of their fortunes. Im sure most had honest intentions but were soon met or encountered ruthless individuals and to survive they had to become of a similar nature or be trodden on. It is such that America was built and so it is of no surprise we see the result being a huge difference in wealth distribution. In theory the masses could vote to change this but they never do. The truth is they are stuck in a system that they do not know how to change or are even sure they want it changed,
None of us have a choice to be born or not. We have no choice of who are parents are or their status in life. Nor in which country we are born in. And so we grow and learn all these things and suddenly here we are. Am I a prince or a pauper? Am I intelligent or stupid? Am I a good looking or ugly? Am I tall or small? Am I black or white? and so on.
A person born to a rich family is no more to blame than a person born to a poor family. All we can do is male the most of who we are and where we are.
I can not change the world but I can help the old lady change the light bulb in her lamp because it is to high for her to reach it. I can not save the world but I can save the boy next door from running in front of a bus when his ball rolls out into the main road. We have a right to our lives. We have a right to be happy and to not feel guilty for being born in a land that is not poor or destitute. Along the way some things might penetrate our hearts and we feel so strongly that we might protest or organise a fund raising campaign. A neighbour of mine is a builder and went to Africa and and made 6 toilets in a village that had no sanitation. He did what his conscience told him and I am sure he made a small difference in the world. But that is him, it was his choice,
All of us have our choices too. The choice to do something or to do nothing. Doing nothing does not make a person evil, simply that they chose to do nothing. I might be that one day when that person needs help that it was noticed this person did nothing and no help will be offered to them.
I feel your heart and concerns in between the well thought out lines of your posit and I understand where you are coming from.
There are huge injustices in this world not the least the fact that the rich are getting richer and the poor getting poorer. But we are all to blame and all victims at the same time. We are to blame for allowing it to happen in our blind ignorance and denial. And we are all victims because those we put our trust in to do the right thing betrayed us. The banks, the politicians and the medical industry, all tasked with the job of having responsibility, totally stabbed us in the back.
But now people are becoming aware, They are waking up. And new technologies will help in spreading the word. But most of all, the intention is changing. And it seems our intention is to try a make the world a better place. With intention comes new action and it will come from those who are in better and ,ore positions to make the changes needed. Dont be surprised if powerful people begin to appear wielding new ideas that will go some way to change the world. Steemit is just one of these new ideas that we know of.
If we at least help the person next to us, that alone is a big thing.
Keep blogging.
Following you now.
Dear friend, reading your post makes me urge to precise that I didn't mean to be judgemental. I'm sorry if I seemed so, I was aware of this possible reading and I tried to further work on my message in the direction of not pointing the finger against anyone. If my words gave another impression, maybe this is due to the fact that I feel this with struggle. I understand what you mean, we are moulded by the environmental conditioning around us, but we are free too. I am a strong believer in our free will and the capability we all have to start a path for knowledge and compassion. I forgot to tell you that I own IOTA as you. I am excited of what we are going to witness and I strongly believe in the cypherpunk and crypto movement.. efficient decentralisation is the key of a new dawn.
One last tought .. I believe that together with one's economical/social influence and possibilities comes proportionately the responsibility of making this world a better place. This is what I believe and apply for myself. In the end if we want to fight this global powers and establishment we need to mainly fight the inertia of individual choices much more than people being "evil". In this I agree completely with you, and I won't tag anyone like that. What's wrong most of the time is the result of mechanical and even banal over-structures and behaviours (see Hanna Arendt, the banality of evil..a very important book i'm thinking to). I hope this made sense, take care! (sorry but I don't even have time to breath today :-P)
Do not concern yourself my good fellow. I do not judge you nor form an opinion of you other than it is plainly clear that you are an honourable human being.
A rare thing these days.
You genuinely care for the world and as such you carry a burden.
A burden I once shared until I realised it is simply impossible and can only be achieved in tiny increments with millions who wish the for same.
We can not help others unless we ourselves are internally content otherwise we are merely crying in the dark in our anguish at the vast injustices in this present life.
For a long long time I felt the world was lost. But the world changed when an unknown person pinned a white paper to the wall of a developers meeting calling his paper "Bitcoin another way". Ironically in a somewhat similar way to Martin Luther hundreds of years ago which also set forth an unstoppable revolution with the opening and freeing the minds of millions.
You're right, I think that we can be our own greatest ally as much as our biggest enemy. You also made me think of how it's difficult to escape from the mind cage that we are capable to build around ourselves with our own hands.
I think that your simile with Martin Luther is simply brilliant.. same social disrupting value. Thanks once again for your valuable contribution!
We are all in this life together my friend. Sharing is the key to happiness.
My old teacher at school once said; "I am not going to teach you anything. Instead I am going to share my knowledge with you. For when we share, I also grow" : )
It was a lesson I never forgot.
I love your discussion and the wisdom you gained in your life.
Very true and wise words. Trying to change the whole world is a burden, but changing each other's lives (one person at a time) is like the continuous ripple made by throwing a pebble. It keeps growing until it reaches the outer borders of the lake.
Thank you for this interesting discussion and hope to see more informative and engaging people like you around.
So kind of you to give positive feedback : )
I find your words rather heart warming and I thank you for them.
Appreciated @theleapingkoala
Dear @arthuradamson,
It gives me the pleasure to give positive feedback to people in general, let alone a person I feel connected with on the level of humanity love.
Thank you for being who you are and for your reply :)
Dear @f3nix,
Thank you very much for sharing these info and your thoughts with us. It is very beautiful to see people caring for others in the society and not just for themselves.
Indeed, if we all put our hands together, we will be a strong force that will change the world to better. Unfortunately though, most of those who are in power reached it mainly by being self-centered and so, they will fight nail and tooth to keep the status quo which serves their interests
Not trying to be dark, as I believe there is hope as long as we keep doing what we believe in and help each other. One good deed at a time. One day, the tsunami of good will come to engulf the old and bring the new.
I can see we are near. People are dividing and fighting. People are attacking each others. Governments are playing dirty. But at the end, there are still many people like you @f3nix and @arthuradamson, who will continue supporting others regardless of how different they are. Like the rabbit and turtle in the children's story. Slow but steady efforts will win the race.
Well said my dear friend @f3nix :D
My dear friend, thank you by heart for your kind words and for being my guest here in this post ;) I think that it was fair to just let the charts talk.. sometimes they are worth one thousand words. I like your idea of a tsunami..it makes a lot of sense IMO because the mass is like a wave that takes shape slowly but inexorably! If we look back I can't really say that the times we are living are worse than others, in some way we can say that slavery and oppression just takes other shapes from an era to another..however I share with you and @arthuradamson the idea of not having to be affected or overwhelmed. We need to change through our positive and creative energies! Unfortunately..recently I witnessed many abuses by rich people over humble ones, it was discouraging but at least I'm proud that I found the way to dissent and just leave the system in which I found myself sending them all to fuck-off...me and my family are still recovering after this experience but it's going way better :-)
Dear @f3nix
I am sorry to hear about your experience. But I am glad you and your family are recovering and most importantly that you feel proud of yourself for doing the right thing.
I am proud of you as well and wish more people will follow your footsteps and courage.
Hugs <3
I just thought about my grandfather and did the same he would have done...hahah. Even if your choices are not easy sometimes...at least I can sleep tranquil at night, I don't know for other ;-)
I just read your last article..I'm so impressed by your courage. It's not easy to become independent as you did, considering your background. Kudos to you Doc!
Thank you very much for your sweet and encouraging words.
My dear @f3nix, courage comes in different forms but its the same in quality.
Despite the differences in our situations, you have shown as much courage as I have. Your choices to sleep tranquil at night are amazing. Kudos to you as well and to your grandfather who gave you a good role model to follow :D
I would call this more than a post a call to action. Thank you @f3nix for your insight..i liked the charts as much as your final thoughts. I think that it's very easy to feel overwhelmed by our daily worries without forgetting that they are so small in comparison to what many people have to tackle in this world. For what I can do here I resteemed, upvoted and following!
Many thanks my friend! Im glad to know that you enjoyed my post..If you feel curious, I really recommend you to check those websites I quoted in the article.
Most of these stats I am familiar with, as social and economic inequality is a passionate subject for me, but geez I can't get over nearly 60 million Americans with $50m worth or more?? No wonder there are still people to buy the crazy expensive things as if it was no big deal. I see people getting poorer and becoming homeless or constantly just barely avoiding it (me), and wonder, who can biy these houses/toys/cars/etc. ? Apparently, 1/6 of the country, and many more who are still millionaires but less so. F**k. You always think of it as a tiny % of millionaires but that is NOT a tiny percentage. That's why we haven't had our guillotine moment. Wow.
Dear @phoenixwren, I think that we have to take the statistic to a global level to envisage a guillottine moment (in a figurative way). Capitalistic globalisation is collapsing, are we going to be able to switch to a more sustainable model? Thanks for your contribution, followed u :-)
Kudos to you, @f3nix! Socio-economic inequality in the world is a topic to which I'm very sensitive. Upvoting and resteeming is mandatory.
Thank you Marco! And my warmest welcome to Steemit.. if you start being curious here, I think you will like this place for it's potential of becoming a great weapon against the establishment. I like the "mandatory" :-P
Resteemed your article. This article was resteemed because you are part of the New Steemians project. You can learn more about it here: https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@gaman/new-steemians-project-launch
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