Just in time for the 2011 Holiday Season, we have another opportunity to ponder more class inequality questions.
This time courtesy of Jeffrey Mark Goldberg, activist writer of The Atlantic.
Jeff, after spending some time reading some old issues of Forbes magazine, points out that six members of the Walton family (the original owners of WalMart) have more wealth than the bottom 30 % of Americans. Shocking. Is this still legal in America?
In 2007, according to the labor economist Sylvia Allegretto, the six Walton family members on the Forbes 400 had a net worth equal to the bottom 30 percent of all Americans.
bottom 30 percent of all Americans. The Waltons are now collectively worth about $93 billion, according to Forbes.
So, what is the point here, Jeffrey?
Well, once again class, because next year is a presidential election year, we will hear and read this refrain over and over again.
Also, it is now so very, very cool to compare 99% with 1%. Statistically or politically.
If you have the time to research who Jeffrey Mark Goldberg exactly is (on Wikipedia, for instance), you'll find:
In 2007, he was hired by David G. Bradley to write for The Atlantic. Bradley had tried to convince Goldberg to come work for The Atlantic for nearly two years, and was finally successful after renting ponies for Goldberg's children
So there we have it. We all have our price. For some it is millions or billions. For Jeffrey Mark Goldberg, we discover he can be bribed with ponies.
Oh, and BTW, it looks as if
Walmart has some good values on flat-screen televisions this week.
