Category Archives: 99%

The Case for Bernie?

Posted on February 23, 2020 by Michael Froomkin

Bernie Sanders is not my #1 choice for the Democratic nomination — I think Elizabeth Warren would be a much better President — but stories like this one really make the case for the abolition of billionaires.  (For the record: I’m not against billionaires per se, just for real progressive wealth taxes.)

Posted in 99% | 3 Comments

Watch Out for Hurricane Sheldon

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Michael Froomkin

AOC teams up with the Intercept, Naomi Klein, and illustrator Molly Crabapple to imagine a happy future in which the Green New Deal helps save the planet.  Well, most of the planet.  Pity about Miami.  (See video at 6:02.)

Posted in 99%, Weather With a Name | Leave a comment

Terrific Pie Charts

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Michael Froomkin

These pie charts come from the Washington Post Wonkblog. First there’s one symbolizing what US survey respondents said they though would be the ideal distribution of wealth:

But in fact we in the US have this distribution:

Or, if you want to show just how skewed things are, you could represent it like this:

Of course the GOP tax plan being rammed through Congress will just make all this worse.

Myself, I think Herbert Stein’s law applies here (“Trends that can’t continue, won’t.”). Sooner or later there will be a reaction, or more accurately a counter-reaction.  If we are lucky, it will be systemic and electoral and we’ll get a progressive government. If we are less fortunate, and we just get just Third Way types or more gridlock, there’s a risk the counter-reaction will be more revolutionary and more violent. (And I don’t mean that the top .1% will get pie in the face.)

Posted in 99%, Econ & Money | 1 Comment

Campaigning Is Poetry

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Michael Froomkin

Visual poetry in this case.

Posted in 2016 Election, 99% | Leave a comment

Legitimation Crisis?

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Michael Froomkin

Looks like a duck…

Posted in 99%, Politics: US | 1 Comment

We Are Getting Owned

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Michael Froomkin

According to Oxfam’s Working for the Few: Political capture and economic inequality, 85 of the world’s richest people own the same amount of wealth as the bottom half of the world’s population.

Expand the focus to the richest 1%, and Oxfam reports they have about $110 trillion in wealth (46% of the total) which is 65 times the $1.7 trillion (about 0.7% of the total) held by the bottom half of the population.

Makes you feel that “The Owner” is not just a Neal Asher dystopian fantasy.

Posted in 99%, Econ & Money | 3 Comments