Is it the top 12% of the wealthiest people?
the millionaire and billionaires?
the people who know how to make money , then implement the ideas it take to make them want for almost nothing,
and
who more often then not, are enabling 6 or 8 dozen co-workers or employees to
enjoy a healthy ,happy and productive life experience?

or

is it the poorest of the poor , who, for one reason or four, do not make a wage, become dependent on the state and feds and charities.
then more often than not become a burden to the hard working middle class?

Anyone who has the courage enough to try.

Compared to most of the rest of the planet?

Pretty much everyone in America.

Even our American "poorest" live better than many of the rest of the world.

I will say this, they don't have indoor plumbing, electricity, cable/satellite TV and parking lots for the residents automobiles in the housing provided to the poorest in most other places on earth.

since dividing by zero is something that approaches infinity, those who benefit the most right now are those who produce nothing (the zero part) and collect welfare and other benefits (the top part of the fraction).

(sorry to be a party pooper)

The individual. Because anyone can become whatever they want regardless of who their parents are/were. The individual just has to want it.

Politicians, of course.

Our poor have MORE luxuries than most wealthy in a lot of other countries.

Case in point. I lived in Belize in 2005 for 6 months. I was considered wealthy by their standards and considering I made the highest wage in the entire country, which wasn't a whole lot by US standards, $48k a year USD and cash. Only 60% of the citizens had electricity where they lived, only 20% had hot water, and only 2% air conditioning (and being near the equator it's hotter than hell there).

I had ALL of the creature comforts. BUT, every Sunday from 1-5 or 6pm the power would go off every Sunday, and some other time during the week for about the same period of time. I had a whole house generator with instant start. BUT, when the power went out, you'd have no cable TV or Internet. How many Americans would put up with that? In my 6 months time there, the phone company went on strike for 2 weeks (no phone, no internet, and no credit card use anywhere).

Another time the water company went on strike for 2 weeks, so no water anywhere in the country for 2 weeks from 9-5pm.....it SUCKED.

How many of our welfare babies are used to that type of stuff?????? They'd be burning down the ghetto if either of those things happened.

Grocery stores SUCKED too, and had about the same items as some large convenient stores here. Once a month the owner I worked for would fly one of his 2 king air 90's to Cancun, for us to go grocery shopping at Costco for the month.

Within the theories of "The Liberal Narrative" the goal of "Equality" sounds very noble and good....until you realize that it means "EQUALLY poverty stricken and dependent upon a nanny-state".

In your example the dependent lose since their growth and progress is stunted by dependency.

quote:

Originally posted by dusty3030:
I will say this, they don't have indoor plumbing, electricity, cable/satellite TV and parking lots for the residents automobiles in the housing provided to the poorest in most other places on earth.

Don't forget government-provided cell phones. In some cases, 30 per person!

I think you can make the argument that the millionaires and billionaires only exist because of the system of freedom/capitalism we have here that has allowed them to succeed.

The poor can be poor anywhere. They might not be as well fed, dressed, housed etc but still.

searching Belize

quote:

Originally posted by Scurvy:
I think you can make the argument that the millionaires and billionaires only exist because of the system of freedom/capitalism we have here that has allowed them to succeed.

Interesting fact: China has more billionaires than the US. I realize they have a lot more people so per capita I bet we have more.

But still - you wouldn't think there would be ANY billionaires in China being that it is a communist 'people's paradise'.

At least in the US - there is freedom of OPPORTUNITY that does not exist anywhere else in equal measure.

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quote:

Originally posted by Sig209:

quote:

Originally posted by Scurvy:
I think you can make the argument that the millionaires and billionaires only exist because of the system of freedom/capitalism we have here that has allowed them to succeed.

Interesting fact: China has more billionaires than the US. I realize they have a lot more people so per capita I bet we have more.

But still - you wouldn't think there would be ANY billionaires in China being that it is a communist 'people's paradise'.

At least in the US - there is freedom of OPPORTUNITY that does not exist anywhere else in equal measure.

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Just like any corrupt government, it's all about relationships (guanxi/关系).

All Americans benefit from being American citizens.
Its a starting point, all else is what you make of it.

Billionaires are well-off everywhere.

Where else are the poor overweight?

With regard to who benefits, has anyone evaluated the welfare culture? The 4rd & 4th generation welfare recipients that pay no taxes, have everything given to them, and exist mostly of how many kids they can have to increase their monthly income. Especially those that are fully capable of working but simply choose the easy life and subsidize that with scams, cons, and thievery.

How about them, or is that not politically correct? Best look at those who busted their butts and made a dollar as ones who truly benefit.

How about those that don't? How about the hard working Americans that are doing every thing they can to make it, but just get a series of bad breaks. Working two jobs and still struggle to make ends meet.