[Morpheus]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jboogy', 'T')wilight is correct once again . This other stuff is so convoluted it really would be wacky trying to implement it . But the bigger problem with it is motive . Without a middle class your left with a bunch of poor people , how do you continue to syphon money from a world where 99% of the world has no more money?The elites like the current revenue stream their receiving . No middle = no money for cable TV , or internet , new cars , new houses , new clothes , if you have no vehicle you don't buy gas, or 60 inch LCD TV's , or cellphones , etc. Plus they run a serious risk of being killed by the rabble if the rabble gets really hungry and pissed , why chance it ? Free or supercheap house-servants? I ain't buying it.

Oilybird , I want to give your breasts a deep tissue massage with warm natural oils.

[jboogy]

I'm well aquainted with wealth distribution pie-charts Morph , biggest income gap since the depression , recent movement into negative savings rate on average , etc. ,all true . The middle is being squeezed , no doubt about it . I think where we differ is wether or not it's a concerted , conspiratorial effort by the PTB , or just a by-product of their short-sighted greed . If you look at one of the main factors for the recent economic volatility (bad mortgages) you see the wealthy taking a hit along with the homeowners , banks going under , mortgage brokers looking for new jobs , hedge funds losing billions on bad paper. The people who enabled it by lending to anyone are suffering right along with the borrower. Designed or accidental?I for one have a hard time seeing these guys willingly cutting their own throats. Short term greed and fear of missing the gravy train . Now everybody pays.

[jboogy]

I should add that the wealthy absolutely want to skim ALL the disposable income . That's how they get wealthy . There's probably a lot of them that would gladly see 100 people declare bankruptcy if it meant they got a little richer. If however you ask them if they would want there to be no middle class , just 1% fabulously wealthy and 99% in abject poverty , the smart ones would say no , that's not what I want and it's not what they should want . Large masses of ARMED starving people living in tarpaper shacks historically leads to impromptu neck-tie parties. Again though Morph , this doesn't mean it's not gonna happen , the evidence is persuasive that the rich money guys will steal everything that isn't bolted down , too blind to see all the people standing around them with no chairs and tired legs .