Income inequality is killing this country, the poor got the shaft, Vikram Pandit: Wall Street Bandit, please for the love of God make it stop, why no one is talking about Climate Change, Francois “The Socialist With The Mostalist” Hollande vs. Angela “Respect Mah Austeritah” Merkel, Romney breaks the lie speed record, a GOP Senator makes sense, random acts of supervillany, and everything you need to know about A123 Systems.
Welcome to the Daily Sausage.
We talk about income inequality a lot here, because it’s one of those issues that affects every one of us, save those of us with extreme amounts of wealth, which may actually be nobody.
From an IMF report:
“Some dismiss inequality and focus instead on overall growth — arguing, in effect, that a rising tide lifts all boats,” a commentary by fund economists said. “When a handful of yachts become ocean liners while the rest remain lowly canoes, something is seriously amiss.”
Right now, the top 1% of households hold a larger overall share of wealth than the bottom 90%. Moreover, as has been discussed before, 40% of the country’s overall wealth is held by one tenth of one percent of its citizens, while 50% of its citizens control one percent of its wealth.
The poor, overall, have taken the brunt of the recession on the jaw. Their wealth has been wiped out while the top percentage has taken a slight dip.
So, why did I lead with this article today? Because after three debates not one single candidate for President or Vice-President has addressed the fact that a handful of ultra-wealthy individuals have benefitted enormously, whether intentionally or unintentionally, due to the tremendous human suffering endured by the rest of the country, and what they’re going to do about it.
That’s absurd. That’s unconscionable. Have you, Vikram Pandit and the board at Citigroup, at long last no shame?
So, you’ll have to excuse me when I echo Jon Stewart’s sentiment: “Please, for the love of God, make it stop.”
One issue that is conspicuously absent from the campaign trail is Climate Change. Why? It should be a clear winner for the Dems, as the GOP is content to stick their heads in the ground and go LA LA LA LA LA LA WHY IS MY ASS HOT.
Could it be that Obama’s chief advisor, David Axelrod, has spiked it? If so, shame on you, David.
In European news, France’s Actual Socialist President (note: not to be confused with America’s Not At All Socialist President) Francois Hollande is taking on German Prime Minister Angela “Austerity Now And Forever (How Very German)” Merkel. Personally, I think Germany needs to throw the rest of the Euro-zone a bone, for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to starting two World Wars and German banks being mostly responsible for making bad loans to Greece, Spain, and Italy. Also, whenever Germany starts talking about what’s best for other countries, as a Jew I get nervous.
During last night’s debate, Romney set the world lie speed record, blasting through 31 lies in 41 minutes. I believe that pretty soon, Mitt Romney will be the only man alive to break the 1 lie per minute barrier, and go down as the most profligate liar in history.
Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn (R) has taken aim at American major league sports including the NFL, NHL, and PGA, for their tax-exempt status. Calling the NHL a “profit generating entity” may be a bit of a stretch, but surely we can tax the NFL and BCS?
Some guy decided to be a supervillain and dumped a bunch of iron in the Pacific Ocean, causing a massive plankton bloom which may reduce the levels of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere. Someone go see if Lex Luthor is busy.
And finally, you’re probably going to hear about A123 Systems in the very near future. Before you do, here’s what you need to know.
