# Income inequality in America: the viral video **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 4, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/income-inequality-in-america-the-viral-video/651965 "2013-03-04T03:02:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![CannyDan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cannydan/32/548_2.png) [@CannyDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CannyDan)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/income-inequality-in-america-the-viral-video/651965/161 "2013-03-08T03:22:21Z")
Algher, the snakes and squirrels aren’t the only ones. The USA and USSR didn’t invent the ‘arms race’ you know. There are tons of biological examples, like plants and their specific pollinators, especially orchids, or parasites and their hosts. It seems that all of our civil regulations exist in the same kind of dynamic balance between regulation and those trying to avoid it. Look at the mortgage/banking industry and the crash of 2008. There will never be one single, static system that remains fair, equitable, and effective. But the system can evolve just as those trying to beat it evolve. As for the wealthy not all being horrible bastards committed to the destruction of the rest of the human race by deliberately increasing the wealth disparity, I never suggested as much. The rich are just people, their lives are busy, even harried, sometimes difficult. They are only trying to muddle through, just as are the other 95%. Or the 47%. I don’t think they – or most of them, anyway – actively believe they should have more even at the expense of others. They believe, in all sincerity, that opportunity exists for others just as it did for them. The reality of growing up in a one parent household, in grinding poverty, without education or role models, is something they can perhaps think about, but cannot actually relate to. Why, they had it hard too! Dad worked late almost every night, and even when we went to Vail for a month as kids, we couldn’t order lobster _every_ night for dinner. And we had to choose between Harvard and Yale. So if we could make it through that adversity, so can anyone! Bootstraps! As for using their power (= money) to influence the system to protect their wealth, heck, it would be silly to think that someone in that position would _not_. Just look at today’s politics, and all the advertising dollars devoted to convincing people (the 95%) to vote against their own self interests. Don’t tax the rich, the iconic job creators! Sure you’re getting screwed now, but don’t you want to hope that someday you will get tinkled on? Err, I mean trickled down to? The wealth gap is increasing, and at an ever faster pace. This suggests to me that the scheme to influence the system is working. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/income-inequality-in-america-the-viral-video/651965/162 "2013-03-08T06:45:59Z")
> [@CannyDan](#): > > Algher, the snakes and squirrels aren’t the only ones. The USA and USSR didn’t invent the ‘arms race’ you know. There are tons of biological examples, like plants and their specific pollinators, especially orchids, or parasites and their hosts. It seems that all of our civil regulations exist in the same kind of dynamic balance between regulation and those trying to avoid it. Look at the mortgage/banking industry and the crash of 2008. There will never be one single, static system that remains fair, equitable, and effective. But the system can evolve just as those trying to beat it evolve. > > As for the wealthy not all being horrible bastards committed to the destruction of the rest of the human race by deliberately increasing the wealth disparity, I never suggested as much. The rich are just people, their lives are busy, even harried, sometimes difficult. They are only trying to muddle through, just as are the other 95%. Or the 47%. I don’t think they – or most of them, anyway – actively believe they should have more even at the expense of others. They believe, in all sincerity, that opportunity exists for others just as it did for them. The reality of growing up in a one parent household, in grinding poverty, without education or role models, is something they can perhaps think about, but cannot actually relate to. Why, they had it hard too! Dad worked late almost every night, and even when we went to Vail for a month as kids, we couldn’t order lobster _every_ night for dinner. And we had to choose between Harvard and Yale. So if we could make it through that adversity, so can anyone! Bootstraps! > > As for using their power (= money) to influence the system to protect their wealth, heck, it would be silly to think that someone in that position would _not_. Just look at today’s politics, and all the advertising dollars devoted to convincing people (the 95%) to vote against their own self interests. Don’t tax the rich, the iconic job creators! Sure you’re getting screwed now, but don’t you want to hope that someday you will get tinkled on? Err, I mean trickled down to? The wealth gap is increasing, and at an ever faster pace. This suggests to me that the scheme to influence the system is working. Didn’t mean to accuse you of such - more of a statement to some in the thread - my apologies. Love the bio examples - honestly cool stuff. ---
**Author:** ![CannyDan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cannydan/32/548_2.png) [@CannyDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CannyDan)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/income-inequality-in-america-the-viral-video/651965/163 "2013-03-08T14:21:14Z")
> [@Algher](#): > > Didn’t mean to accuse you of such - more of a statement to some in the thread - my apologies. > > Love the bio examples - honestly cool stuff. No apology needed, I recognize that we are both speaking to each other while simultaneously speaking to the wider audience. And yes, biology is \*filled \*with cool stuff :). ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/income-inequality-in-america-the-viral-video/651965/164 "2013-03-08T16:30:03Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > Let’s see–people say breathing is good, so having oxygen forced down your throat at 10,000 psi must be better, right? > Eating is good, so eating 30,000 calories a day must be better, right? > Sleeping is good, so being in a coma must be better, right? > > If you can spot why those are stupid arguments, congratulations, and stop making them. Minimum wage is not a new concept, it’s not even a US-centric concept; there is decades of hugely competent and independent research into the impact of setting MW against different percentages of the male mean wage. A very large chunk of the developed world knows how this works, which is why it receives support from across the political class in numerous societies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/income-inequality-in-america-the-viral-video/651965.md?page=8)