Are the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer?
831975
Some years ago when I was still in the RAF and earning serious money (now it would be in excess of £60k) I was turned down for a credit card that gave 0.5% of everything I spent to an RAF charity.  It was issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland and I could never work out why.\n\nNever mind - "he that has richness of character is rich beyond the dreams of avarice".
1049064
The world is also becoming costlier !\n:-))
156422
Yes, for people to be considered wealthy there must be people poorer than them or we would all be equal which would redefine wealthy.
22096
There really is no Black or White answer to this question.  Even though, I am sure there are many "rich" people in the world who are nice, I've seen many more who are not so much.  In my experience, money has a tendency to change people, even when that person has the best intentions at heart.  Although I would love to have more money, I would never wish to be "rich", only comfortable enough to be able to support myself, with no loose ends.  I may be going agains the grain, here with my answer, but I think I lean more towards "poor".  Those who are poor, or live from paycheck to paycheck, tend to appreciate the small things as we all should.  "Poor" people do not care about having extravagant houses or 5 cars, one for each day of the week; they are content with a roof over their family's head, a meal for each night, and an old dependable clunker to get around in.
885234
you have a great point. you could consider anyone in the middle class(which is disappearing) a slave b/c the national cost of living is exceeding the value of our printed money. everyone knows that the middle/lower class works for the upper class to get rich, history hasn't changed that and i don't think anything will.
992410
Only poor people who won't ever pull themselves out of the gutter think that money just magically follows certain people around. Everyone is after money, not certain people, it's just that only certain people know how to get it.
1163086
History shows when you destroy the middle class the economy and state will fall as well.  This is why the roman empire fell.  There can not be black and white meaning poor and rich.  Look at the depression.
767569
That is simple the more people working. The more people making a living and as they gain seniority at work they make more money. Thus they escape poverty.
875781
Yes I think he is (agree with you!).\n\nHis concept is the "poor" will be helped because, the larger population will bear the large pie of the 2% increase.\n\nThe "poor"...well... 2% of nothing is not much..."it helps them".\n\nThe majority will pay the 2%, and the Govt. gains the extra and will pass that onto the "poor".\n\nBetter read the small print!
1018971
The poor don't know what they are missing and the rich run out of things to do they get bored, lonely and unhappy.\n\n\nMyself....give me money and I will show you how freakin happy I can be!
320295
It's not forgotten in fact it's one of the riches countries....There is just a huge gap between the poor and the rich. The rich are extremely rich and the poor are extremely poor. They don't have a true middle class.
35642
It doesn't bring the same problems but both do bring problems- if you're poor, you hit up rich relatives for money...if you're rich, you have poor relatives hitting you up for money.
1039038
I think a lot of people are questioning that right now, as it certainly seems to be headed that way!  The rich getting richer, poor (and now middle class) getting poorer.  Big corporations and developers have lots of $$$ to throw at politicians to ensure that middle-class, as we know it, will be eliminated.  Scary thought, but happening RIGHT NOW!
309659
Essentially it is because we are spending more.  We have become an expendible society.  Cars break we buy new a button breaks we buy a new shirt.  We do not make our own clothes now, we barely make our own food things cost more oil cost more, experience costs more.  The middle class has to try to keep up with the other middle class then in a recession it makes them poor and others rich depending on investments.  The goverments tax system also does not support the middle class only the lower income and the high end with exemptions.   There for our government, society, and economy do not support the middle class this has been this way for decades catch the phrase "rich get richer poor get poorer"  as well as the man shipping all our jobs overseas is laughing at the middle class all the way to the bank.  I hope to see our society actually vote a working middle class person in to office of several levels to turn arround the laws and tax breaks to help out the middle class.  I wait for that day.
1145618
Studies have shown that people just increase their spending when they have more money so they usually deal with the same kinds of problems less affluent people deal with.
775017
The technical definition is the middle 50% of the spectrum of wealth.  the poorist 25% of the population and the wealthiest 25% of the population are not considered middle-class.  Average household income is usually between $30,000 and $80,000 per year (depending on location-New York & LA are more expensive than Sioux Falls, SD).
440219
Sure, America is rich, but the money is not distributed evenly. There is a small number of Americans that possesses a large percentage of the money that the nation currently has...