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Old 10-25-2007, 02:45 AM   #71
KLHJ2
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: DC Metro Area
Age: 47
Posts: 5,829
Re: Canadian Healthcare from a Canadian...

A billionaire is a person who has more than one billion US dollars. But in order to be on the American business and financial magazine Forbes' annual list of the world's billionaires, a billionaire not only has to make a billion dollars but also maintain it.

Over time, the number of billionaires in the world has been steadily increasing. In the United States, this number had increased from a couple to a couple hundred in just twenty years or so. Worldwide, this number had increased by a couple hundred in just a few years. There are billionaires from approximately 47 countries in the world. Now, the United States has the most number of billionaires, followed by Asia, Europe, and Latin America. These billionaires are usually people, or tycoons, from big businesses and industries such as technology, steel, gas, retail, and finance like Microsoft's William Gates who has held 1st place in Forbes' annual list of the world's billionaires 11 years in a row. Some people inherit a large fortune from their family like the Waltons from the death of Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart.

In 2005, the 691 billionaires in the world is approximately 0.00001% of the world population. The total net worth of these 691 billionaires is $2.2 trillion, which increased from last year's $300 billion, and is approximately 21% of the United States' GDP. In the future, this trend of increasing numbers of billionaires and increasing wealth of these billionaires will continue through advanced technology and communications.

Michelle Lee -- 2005

Number of Billionaires


Fucked up when you think about it. less than 1 percent of the population has most of the money. More than they will ever need in 10 life times.

It is cool to make something of yourself and be rich, don't get me wrong. But damn, how much is enough? When do you reach out to your fellow man and pitch in when he is struggling? Starvation and Health care issues could be entirely eliminated if the less than 1% would part ways with a portion of their Kingdom for the greater good. It was the way of the Aristocrat to believe that he was entitled to his wealth, but he had a responsibility to man kind as a rich man (Great power=Great responsibility). That responsibility flew out the window a century ago. They cannot take it with them, but they can sure as hell change the world and live on forever.

I once observed a rations drop in a 3rd world country where all of the able bodied men rushed in and gathered more of the food than they needed. Meanwhile, they prevented the women and children from getting anywhere near the food until they (the men) had grabbed more than they can use. Once the women and children were able to gather their own rations there was not nearly enough left, but there would have been if it wasn't for the greed of the men. This was the behavior of animals, I thought that our superior intelligence was supposed to separate us from them, but apparently it does not when overwhelmed with greed.

Once again this is not a shot at all of the rich, nor do I think that it is a bad thing to be rich. I also do not think that we should adopt socialism. I am saying that to have an abundance is good, but to have too much deprives the majority.
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