The Real Truth About The Distribution of Wealth in America

March 4, 2013 by Joe Martino. 41 Comments.

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This is an awesome info graphic demonstrating the truth about the distribution of wealth in America. If you are a visual person, this is a great tool to explain the reality of the financial situation in the US. Change is needed here!

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About the author

Joe Martino

I created CE 5 years ago and have been heavily at it since. I love inspiring others to find joy and make changes in their lives. Hands down the only other thing I am this passionate about is baseball.

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old soldier
April 25, 2014 at 2:45 pm

I am in the one percent.Really . I made it myself.I am 84 years old and I go to work every day.I served my country as a Infantryman in Korea.I worked my way through college parking cars and serving tables My newest car is 13 years old I have never been in jail I employ people and pay them well.I give to charity . Through my federal and state taxes I work January,February, March,April and part of May for the common good .For your food stamps,for your health care,for your housing, and your Navy and Army. And yet you hate me. SO SMOKE YOUR DOPE AND WHINE ABOUT FAIRNESS WHILE THE SMART PEOPLE WILL GO OUT THERE. AND GET THE WEALTH THEY DESIRE..

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Torbjoern Eriksen
January 19, 2014 at 8:22 am

It is not wealth that bothers me, we who are content , and happy know that the super rich and thefinancial whis kids in major cities are actually rationalizing their own happiness. The main concern is that their madness and addictions to money and power is ruining our planet.

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SirJohn Myths
July 14, 2013 at 2:07 pm

JUST..be mindful that the. ..darling global bankster corporate emporium can’t find enough laundries to wash the filthy ill gotten drug non taxable 46 trillion $€£..slush monies circling the globe….looking to fix itself homes and hidey holes.like..stupid..governments …which rsole corporations…have been buying up anyhow….get a grip on it steeple sheeple people before they blow you….

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audge fergus
June 26, 2013 at 10:20 am

amazing to watch,,, though i felt quite sick when you got to the think it is, ideal bit,,, because i knew what was coming,,, thankyou,,, i shall be sharing

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realist
May 23, 2013 at 12:31 pm

Here’s a good example of rape and pillage for money. It deals with oil and the uber rich. And Americans will be asked to enforce another scam business contract, in lives and taxes to big business. It just adds to the lack of velocity of currency in the marketplaces.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.idt.net%2Fabout%2Fpress%2Fstory.aspx%3Fid%3D41777&h=eAQG2Y_kB

IDT Corporation – Press Releases
http://www.idt.net

Genie Energy Corporation (Genie Energy), a division of IDT Corporation (NYSE: ID…See More.

Monday at 6:08pm
Israel has granted oil exploration rights inside Syria, in the occupied Golan Heights, to Genie Energy.

Genie Energy press release:

Major shareholders of Genie Energy – which also has interests in shale gas in the United States and shale oil in Israel – include Rupert Murdoch George Soros and of course the Big Man, New World Order Himself, Lord Jacob Rothschild.

Claude Pupkin, CEO of Genie Oil and Gas, commented, “Genie’s success will ultimately depend, in part, on access to the expertise of the oil and gas industry and to the financial markets. Jacob Rothschild and Rupert Murdoch are extremely well regarded by and connected to leaders in these sectors. Their guidance and participation will prove invaluable.”

“I am grateful to Howard Jonas and IDT for the opportunity to invest in this important initiative,” Lord Rothschild said. “Rupert Murdoch’s extraordinary achievements speak for themselves and we are very pleased he has agreed to be our partner. Genie Energy is making good technological progress to tap the world’s substantial oil shale deposits which could transform the future prospects of Israel, the Middle East and our allies around the world.”

For Israel to seek to exploit mineral reserves in the occupied Golan Heights is plainly illegal in international law. Japan was successfully sued by Singapore before the International Court of Justice for exploitation of Singapore’s oil resources during the second world war. The argument has been made in international law that an occupying power is entitled to operate oil wells which were previously functioning and operated by the sovereign power, in whose position the occupying power now stands. But there is absolutely no disagreement in the authorities and case law that the drilling of new wells – let alone fracking – by an occupying power is illegal.

Israel tried to make the same move twenty years ago but was forced to back down after a strong reaction from the Syrian government, which gained diplomatic support from the United States. Israel is now seeking to take advantage of the weakened Syrian state; this move perhaps casts a new light on recent Israeli bombings in Syria.

In a rational world, the involvement of Rothschild and Murdoch in this international criminal activity would show them not to be fit and proper persons to hold major commercial interests elsewhere, and action would be taken.

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Talon lee
May 23, 2013 at 11:36 am

America is pretty Greedy… 1% causes tyranny.

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Bill Sherman
April 28, 2013 at 4:41 pm

Can I get an ‘Amen’?? (BTW…..I’m not in the wealthy 1%)

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Dave
April 21, 2013 at 11:50 am

It’s crazy how peoples opinions on here SPEAK as if they were there. “Yeah the 1% were inherited, they generated it illegally” WERE YOU THERE? DID YOU WALK SIDE BY SIDE WITH THAT PERSON TO SEE THEM GENERATE IT ILLEGALLY? It’s very sad to read what my neighbors wrote. Yes, I said neighbor, because we live here in the U.S. Uplift people, we’re not in a crab bucket. Progress from your actions so that your family can eat, sleep, breathe the way you prepared them for. I was brought to this blog/site from a friend who thought it was interesting. I’m more interested in the comments.

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- ESE
  May 23, 2013 at 1:26 pm
  
  I tried to post a link of a current example of the uber rich taking full advantage of the American people. It would not take here. It is a perfect example of the 1% illegally tasking from the rest of the world in illegal oil contracts in Israel. Google Genie Energy press release. They players are from long, well known, families of inherited wealth. I believe, next, those same individuals will use the American military to enforce these contracts. It just lines the pockets of the arms dealers and possibly Blackwater. These people will increase the US debt, ultimately by extracting your tax dollars for funding. We can’t stop these types of actions and the perpetrators know this. A continued form of corporate welfare that average American cannot stop. At some point Dave, we have to address these actions. It’s illegal and immoral, all in the name of record profits. I want to share your positivity, but this is reality. Too few people have too much money causing a shortage in the velocity of money in the economy. Plain speak, they can’t spend the money they have, and neither can their offspring. Too few crumbs for the rest of the people. It doesn’t mean one doesn’t have a chance for wealth here, it just makes it very much more unlikely.
  
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Dave
April 21, 2013 at 11:40 am

Hard work pays off. BUT, I do believe that once you achieve that level of wealth you set your goals to, GIVING BACK OR PAYING FORWARD is what I would do. Who knows, that 1% might have 10,000 employees, giving them a piece of the pie. Don’t hate if that’s true. Because that’s 10,000 folks with a job. But, if I developed a company, with education and determination, and I became wealthy, well yeah, mos def i’m going to give back to the community. We can’t always go off of what we read, we just need to do what we were made to do.

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ylove
April 17, 2013 at 5:47 pm

Hi Joe, thanks for sharing this information.
My answer is this:

“Money As Dept” by Paul Grignon
YouTube Video in three parts.

Link to PART 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pBIEvKctSs

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terriann
April 9, 2013 at 4:26 pm

this is unbelievable. It hurts to watch. Im a Canadian, but it cant be that different here.

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Jose Gutierrez
March 27, 2013 at 12:21 am

You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink. — A trite statement directed at those who won’t face facts presented in the visual or otherwise wrestle with their interpretation, or otherwise research to validate. For them, the best motto is, “When in doubt repeat” … like a parrot.

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Jason Shouldice
March 22, 2013 at 12:32 am

Unfortunately ya’ll are retarded and wouldn’t understand basic economics if it slapped you in the face.

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Monica L
March 22, 2013 at 12:25 am

There once was this mixed race kid with a very “ethnic” name who was raised by a single mother. Because he made a CHOICE to create the life he wanted to live, he worked hard, graduated high school, college and law school and became a lawyer….but that wasn’t enough. He ran for senate and got elected but that wasn’t enough either. He ran for President of the United states and got elected. His name as you may have guessed is Barak Obama. Now I can say that I did not vote for Obama (and I still would not vote for him) but I certainly can appreciate his drive and dedication to reach his goal. The lesson here is that he had a CHOICE. True, some have it easier in their quest to “be all that we can be” because of the socio-economic status of their parents but please, don’t blame the 1% for all the troubles of our country. If it is your choice to work for minimum wage, more power to you. If you feel that you don’t have a choice, then take a lesson from the president that you most likely elected. He can tell you in no uncertain terms that “Yes, You Can!” By the way, I was a single, American-born hispanic parent with no help from baby daddy. We figured it out and so can the rest of the 99%! Oh and about that 99%… Based on Mr. Martino’s calculations, I am at poverty level. I can tell you that I am most definitely NOT at poverty level nor do I feel that way. In fact I feel quite blessed. So why in Gods good name is he trying to make me believe that I am poor??? I know, I know….journalism. I have a great idea Mr. Martino. How about you come up with a viable solution. Now THAT would be a story worth reading. I have spent waaaay too much time on this but I value all rebuttals.

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- NouRdine Mazali
  March 22, 2013 at 7:27 pm
  
  Well said Monica,
  
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tmajor7
March 21, 2013 at 6:27 pm

I’m going to have to come back to this. I’m too disgusted with the perceptions of some of the good people commenting!!!!!!

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bob
March 13, 2013 at 7:19 pm

The 1% do not eat GM food.
In many other countries, reknowned scientists, medical trade organizations and government officials are detailing the known health hazards and potential health hazards from genetically- manipulated food ingredients. For example, in the last several months, a top UK Scientist has warned about potential hazards from genetically-manipulated foods, the British Medical Association (BMA) has called for a ban on genetically-manipulated foods and the French President and German Chancellor listed genetically-manipulated foods under “Global Threats” at a recent summit meeting. Top scientists in Asia and other parts of the world are speaking out as well. This has caused many manufacturers and grocery stores chains all around the world (outside of North America) to ban genetically-manipulated food ingredients. In order to keep up with news from around the world, please read through the following compilation of news articles:

http://www.ethicalinvesting.com/monsanto/news/

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David Hereaux
March 12, 2013 at 11:48 pm

Allot of that 1% stole it from the hard workers and the government. They blew up the towers in New York to cover it all up. Americans are idiots and can be made to believe anything the 1%, that are in control of it’s government, wants to tell them. NOBODY deserves as much as they make, for ANY reason. They are evil scumbags that live in houses that cost as much as small towns. There are people suffering because these scumbags would rather drive a car that costs more than all the houses on an average city block. They got that money from some poor bastards hard work. They are out for power now, because they have EVERYTHING money can buy. We are the stepping stones and I’m sick of evil people stepping on the little guy to get ahead. It’s OUT family members they are killing in their fake wars. It’s our family members that are working in factories for little pay so they can live in mansions. This needs to stop, but it won’t because the American people, aren’t people. They are sheeple and they are being herded in whatever direction they are told. A New World Order is at hand and we are going to have even less soon.

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- crapper_poet
  March 24, 2013 at 6:16 pm
  
  “When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living in society, they create for themselves, in the course of time, a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.”
  
  Frederic Bastiat, “The Law” (1850)
  
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Gordon hinds
March 12, 2013 at 11:12 pm

It’s not sustainable…

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Chi
March 11, 2013 at 8:54 pm

Focusing on gaining wealth? Certainly. No argument there..
AM slamming those at the top, who over-do, and do so at the expense of the world at large.
They have not just profited well; they have raped, pillaged, and committed atrocities to do so. It’s their ethics & lack of foresight I question.
They focused & got wealthy at EVERYONE’s [including themselves] expense!
They failed, or deliberately ignored, damages done long-term or big-picture, by the products/practices they chose to perpetrate on the world markets, while profiteering all the way.
EVERY time the richest jack up their incomes relative to the lower echelons of population;
every time the richest take a yet-larger % share of the overall wealth, EVERY time that happens, we go through another Depression.
Just look at history!
Unless & until the top 1% STOPS pigging at corporate troughs at the expense of the bottom 50% just eking by, & at the expense of the entire world, that wealth is lost to helping balance, sustain & power the overall economy.
It starts looking, increasingly [& considering many other factors implemented madly by the same corporate profiteers] like those at the top have planned a fixed timeline for mass-die-off of world’s populations.
SOoooo…when does that timeline plan to implement Soylent Green to feed the starving masses, & allowing them to die off in a miserable state of inhumane neglect?

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Frankie Diaz
March 11, 2013 at 8:24 pm

Nice to know many of my siblings-in-thought are commenting. (Just so you know, I’m one of those on the LEFT side of the “chart”.)

“Fair.” What is “fair”? Definition 7 says, “Being in accordance with relative merit or significance.” Derivation: [Middle English, from Old English fæger, lovely, pleasant.]
There’s another word there: Relative, “2. Considered in comparison with something else; Derivation: [Middle English, from Old French relatif, from Late Latin reltvus, from Latin reltus, past participle of referre, to relate]”

So, fair. Do you mean it is “fair” to take from someone else’s property because “they have more?” Compared to whom? If to me, I don’t mind. Oh, so my opinion doesn’t matter because it is my opinion?

If someone earned it or got it through inheritance, mazel tov! I am glad for their good fortune and proud of their efforts! If it was through fraud and embezzlement, find the evidence which proves it and present it to the victims; let THEM handle. If it was through the State, well, let’s talk about a Tar-and-Feather party; minions of the State deserve no less.

Please keep the word “fair” to yourself when talking of public opinions. Unless we’re talking Kardashians; They are “fair ladies,” indeed! Definition one.

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- crapper_poet
  March 24, 2013 at 6:14 pm
  
  As Frederic Bastiat so wisely opined: “When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living in society, they create for themselves, in the course of time, a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.”
  
  Evidence matters not, when shareholders pay your fines and you are forced to admit no wrongdoing. Whatsoever.
  
  Please wake up.
  
  Reply
Ralph Fucetola JD
March 8, 2013 at 11:10 am

Saw another graph that says 43% of the top 1% earners live in the ten counties around Washington, DC. So the problem isn’t private wealth; its crony corporatists sucking the govt teat… the reality is “tax-eating for the politically connected” and market crumbs for the rest of us.

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- Frankie Diaz
  March 11, 2013 at 8:27 pm
  
  Bravely said, Sir! Thank you!
  
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selvie roos
March 7, 2013 at 8:28 am

Many of the top 1% made sacrifices to get their wealth. They sacrificed hours of mindless television and soap opera watching, they sacrificed happy hour at the local pub, they sacrificed mindless shopping for unnecessary things, they sacrificed endless hours of grumbling, moaning and excuses. Instead they focussed on learning how to be wealthy, They studied wealth and went after it. They focussed on finding a product or service to offer and then focussed on offering that product and service to as many people as they can. I think that we can all do that with a bit of discipline.

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- Bob's Choice
  March 22, 2013 at 3:34 pm
  
  No, they didn’t. Most of them inherited it, a lot of them generated it illegally (the top arms/drug dealers) and only a tiny fraction actually earned it legitimately, like Bill Gates or Warren Buffet. Don’t be a fool to think that those men are the norm. They are not.
  
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  - Adam
    March 26, 2013 at 5:58 am
    
    Wanna bet, I sacrificed the last 6 years of my life to build a successful company while my friends partied every weekend. While they worked 40 hours a week I worked 80 hours+ and now I am successful and they are still working 40 hrs a week trying to make ends meet. They now criticize me and say it’s not fair and that I have it easy and I should share my wealth.
    
    Bob’s Choice is like many STUPID American’s that believe everything should be easy and everyone should get everything they want with having to do as little work as possible. Life is not fair and you have to work hard for what you want, Why should I have to pay MUCH MUCH higher taxes then people like Bob just because Bob is happy to sit on welfare and not work at all!!
    
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    - anthony
      April 9, 2013 at 1:35 am
      
      i’d bet my ass that your little 6 year old company hasn’t made you what is considered wealthy. you don’t know what wealthy is. you have no idea what a 1%er is worth and how they live.
      
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  - You B. Fools
    March 26, 2013 at 9:51 am
    
    And Bill Gates where would he be today if his mom had not been on the board of directors of IBM.
    
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  - Aymargeddon
    May 25, 2013 at 2:10 am
    
    Right on, Bob. They are also the class of people who have used their wealth and power to create a system of social programming via television, radio, magazines and newpapers to misinform and mal-educate the masses, and make them actually thankful to be drones, who build the mansions for the wealthy with their blood, sweat and tears. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of us are NOT temporarily set-back millionaires, as so many mindless cattle would suggest. The financial system and all the rules of the game are loaded in favor of the opulent, to keep power and wealth in their hands at all cost.
    
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- Olde Geek
  March 30, 2013 at 5:42 pm
  
  They sacrificed HONOR, INTEGRIETY, JUSTICE, and COMPASSION.
  
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- aaron
  April 17, 2013 at 9:17 pm
  
  Wow… a nation is only as wealthy as it’s people… you go ahead spend the rest of your life fighting the interest, to be free, or we can choose to live like we were ment to, sharing kindness between all people.. when we decide whether or not a person has food to eat.. that’s slavery..
  
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ptolar@gmail.com
March 6, 2013 at 11:13 am

Many of the top 1% have earned their wealth. If they can then others also have that freedom. Too many people are buying into the belief that the wealthy have an unfair advantage and are brain washed into believing they are being held back so they are creating lives based on their beliefs. We used to be taught that we
had the freedom to create financial freedom/abundance for our families and we did. Now they teach our children that things aren’t fair and that they “can’t” so they don’t.

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- crapper_poet
  March 24, 2013 at 6:11 pm
  
  You couldn’t be more incorrect.
  
  History proves you unabashedly, wholly, and unadulteratedly WRONG.
  
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waltinseattle
March 4, 2013 at 11:35 pm

Think how great the ol’ u.s. of america could be if we quit regulating and holding that 1% back. why we might all be like them. it could happen….it could…

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- Bob's Choice
  March 22, 2013 at 3:38 pm
  
  History, it would seem, disagrees with you. The period of greatest, widest prosperity in the US was the time of greatest regulation and highest taxes on the wealthiest percentages of the population. That is, unless you’re actually trying to suggest everyone can be a billionaire… in which case you’d be worthy only of immediate dismissal as a complete moron – but you’re not actually suggesting that.
  
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  - Celtsalish
    May 1, 2013 at 4:49 am
    
    Well said Bob…. agreed and agreed.
    
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- Olde Geek
  March 30, 2013 at 5:39 pm
  
  Nobody is holding the 1% back, the 1% is holding the rest of US back.
  
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- Curtis Gregory
  April 21, 2013 at 10:39 am
  
  Tell that to the people in Texas where the fertilizer plant exploded and took half the town with it . They didn’t “Self Regulate.”
  
  Reply

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