They’re the biggest barrier to pretty much every political and economical issue we’ve got about now.
Just sharpening this pitchfork here, wondering when we’re gonna start eating the rich…
Be the change you want to see in the world or whatever
Sharpening a pitchfork? Man I’m to poor for that and have just been sharpening my teeth through my anxiety grinding.
People really do forget we are just animals with pretty good control.
TL;DR: eating one rich a day keeps climate change away.
Here’s the beautiful part, there can still be “rich” people. We just need to tighten the gap. Being rich should mean you can buy what you want right now and not have to save. Being poor should be that you have to save an extra paycheck to get what you want after food shelter and other luxuries are paid for. That’s it. Close the gap. How? By eating the rich. Boom!
1/day is below the system’s replacement rate, though.
There will still be inheritance, there will be the same unethical corporations in charge of everything consumers need and want.
Capitalism is the biggest barrier to stabilizing the climate. Shuffling the chairs around without adopting a different system isn’t going to save the ship. But private property is somehow more sacred than the planet itself.
So, the study theyre citing is pretty flawed. It starts with an assumption that emissions strictly correlate with income, it doesnt actually break down or analyze emissions sources. It just takes the total emissions of a country and divides that up by income. Its economic analysis. But that’s not how emissions work. A million dollar car isnt gonna emit 100 times more than a 10k car. The cows for their wagyu steaks arent producing more methane than cows ending up at Mcdonalds.
The wealthy absolutely emit more through flights and boats. Someone with a private jet is likely emitting hundreds of times more emissions than a regular person. But theres not that many private jets. Ban all private jets, but it wont even register on global emissions totals.
There’s a ton of academic research showing the correlation between income and emissions.
There are also a ton of actions which are necessary to get to zero emissions but not sufficient. Banning private jets is one.
No, the study’s methodology is fine. Although you’re correct to point out that the million-dollar car doesn’t pollute much more than the $10K car and the wagyu cow doesn’t fart more than the McDonald’s-destined cow, what you don’t realize is that it really is even the $10K car and the McDonalds cow that are the problem! We’re not just talking about billionaires here; we’re talking about the global 10%, which starts at surprisingly low income or net worth and includes most “middle-class” Americans!
You are part of the problem. I am part of the problem. It’s not just Bezos and shit who need to change; it’s us.
Mostly it is bigger houses, driving bigger cars, flying more to vacations and well buying more in general. We are talking about thte top 10% globally here. They are not crazy billionaires and most do not own private jets or boats.
Guillotines, you say?
YES WE FUCKING KNOW
I think it’s worth noting that being counted among the “rich people” (defined by the article as the world’s top 10% by income or wealth) starts at a number a lot lower than most Americans (or Westerners in general) might realize: $122,100/year measured by income, or $771,300 measured by net worth. (Source: World Inequality Report 2022, page 9.) In fact, even that second figure might be (vastly) overstated, because another paper I found claims that it only takes $138,346 net worth to be in the top 10%, and $1,146,685 gets you into the top 1%! (Source: Credit Suisse Research Institute Global Wealth Report 2022, page 22.)
In other words, a Hell of a lot of those global rich people are Americans who are deluding themselves to think they’re middle-class and not part of the problem. We’re not talking about just Musk and Bezos and shit; we’re talking about you and me. Literally, in fact: at least according to the Credit Suisse definition, I myself am one of the rich people @z3rOR0ne@lemmy.ml wants to eat!
A $122,100/year is well above the median income of any country. For the US median income is $46,625/year. So more then half of Americans are not part of the richest 10%. That is even more true for Europe, where incomes tend to be lower.
For the US median income is $46,625/year. So more then half of Americans are not part of the richest 10%
While true, $46,625 is still the top 32%. Which suggests that the average American will still have to make some lifestyle cuts. Even though they’re already exploited hard by their ruling class.
$30k, the entry level salary for US restaurant workers, is the 50% mark. So basically, every full-time working US adult is in the top 50% richest globally by income. Their exorbitant medical and student debts make that not feel anything like how being rich is portrayed, even if they are technically richer when measured by income alone.
You know things are fucked when most of the richest people in the world are struggling to put a roof over their head and pay for essentials.
Americans are cash rich but poor everything-else.
It’s worth noting that Americans also must spend that income in a similarly-inflated market, so it doesn’t much matter what their salary would be worth in, say, Uganda. I think any such comparison of global wealth runs into these sorts of issues.
Someone earning in the global top 10% may not be able to afford a house locally. Someone earning in the top 30% may not be able to afford rent and food at the same time in their locale. It makes the percentile meaningless.
Yep, this is after all adjustments using the United Nations SNA 2008. It’s not perfect, but it’s the closest we have for accounting for those differences.
A $122,100/year
The person you’re reacting to mentions net worth. Owning a total of 138k is like a quarter of a house here
A lot of people have debt on their home, if they own it. There are also a lot of Americans among the people with the lowest net worth in the world. That is mainly student debt and they do not live bad lifes, but the thing is that median net worth of adults in the US is still $93,271 according to the same study. So litterally half of Americans are not part of the global 10% in terms of net worth either.
litterally half of Americans are not part of the global 10% in terms of net worth either.
You do realize that saying “Somewhat over half aren’t”, means that a very large number of people ARE, right?
Absolutly, I am just trying to put some numbers to it.
I also think you overestimate how many western people are rich by this standard. For example, nobody I know would be part of the 10% here by that income, and I live in Norway.
And really, you really don’t need more than that to live a good and luxurious life. In fact I think you don’t even need to be anywhere close to that, even. Especially if you implement some actual rent controls, lower incomes are plenty fine.
I also think you overestimate how many western people are rich by this standard.
Still, many might be surprised at how many people they know or encounter who are rich by this standard. In a globally wealthy country, in the areas generally wealthy, you’re going to find “rich” people all over the place.
Well, maybe, I guess it isn’t really surprising to me. I certainly do think many in the upper middle class are consuming far beyond what is reasonable, from cars, to massive homes, to vacation homes, to just the sheer amount of stuff they buy and throw out. It’s unnecessary, and not needed for a good and still luxurious life.
This graph seems to suggest the average income for Norwegians is around US$110k. That’s pretty close to the global top 10% threshold of US$122k.
I’m unsure if that data is accurate, but if it is, I’m assuming you don’t live in a capital/major city where things tend to cost more and hence average jobs get paid slightly more? The contrast between city and rural salaries / cost of living is pretty stark where I am.
Kinda sounds like you’re rich. I’m definitely not.
Wanna help? I can probably make an amount of money that you barely sneeze at go absurdly far.
You mean my two massive SUVs I drive everywhere, energy inefficient McMansion, and 50,000 toys I buy my children is causing climate change!? But China!!
I too am one of the rich people 😓
I don’t believe I stuttered… Please slather yourself in a fine wine reduction and wait for me by a nice bottle of Chianti.
😳
If you’re on >$100k you’re middle class.
Just because you’ve spunked it all away on a giant mortgage and payments on a $70k car, you can always just downsize that away, move to a dump and live like a king.
King of the dump, but still a king.
Round them all up and throw them into the salt mines. Problem solved.
Mmm…delicious delicious rich…
EAT THE RICH!
No shit Sherlock
Edit: that’s directed to the writer not op.
I used to be a tradie. They absolutely are…
Many of them are doing stupid things like building massive concrete homes only 4 people live in, own MANY cars, and we even came across genuinely stupid nonsense like massive firepits in the middle of swimming pools (which aren’t there for warmth, and literally just burn petrol to look impressive).
https://platinumpools.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Shapiro00001-e1537458417223.jpg
Holy shit. If I fuck over the NPCs around me, I too could pretend to be a pharaoh!
and the economic.
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It’s not just them, governments are also a huge fucking problem on their own even without being puppet theaters for the rich.
And that’s why this planet is fucking done. Or at least, humanities time on it is soon at hand.
We deserve to be annihilated, earth deserves better
Well, not every person out there do questionable actions (just) to get rich.
I am also happy that we are getting more and more environment-helping services..
I as well as some other “insignificant” individuals still try to carry some light into the darkness, but it may be futile when compared to all the wrong-doings some people create…but I won’t give up, nevertheless. I’ll carry on, trying.
