A new report from Oxfam called “Working for the Few” casts some light on wealth inequality and the change over time. Around half of the world’s wealth belongs to 1% of the people…and if you look at the 85 richest people, you find they own more than half of the rest of the people on this rock. The share of income globally going to the richest one percent has been increasing since 1980, as well, which this graphic shows. I suppose everyone has their own opinions on whether or not this is good, but the basic concern is that as wealth becomes more and more concentrated like this, governments and corporations will gravitate towards serving that minority. Get the full report at Oxfam, or read more over at BoingBoing.
Wealth Distribution in the US
Very nicely made video with some simple charts illustrating the distribution of wealth in the US. It’s pretty shocking…and worth a quick watch. It’s important to know the facts about the world around you, to help you make educated decisions. The gist of this video is that the majority of people surveyed do NOT know the truth about this issue (chances are, you don’t either…even I was surprised).
(via Fast Company)