In his book "Beyond Outrage" the author states that the top 1 % makes too much money.He says too that in 2010, 93% of all the gains in the american economy went to the top 1%.That leaves 7% of the money to flow around for the rest of us 99%.In his book he says it can be fixed but I don't see how.
http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Outrage-economy-democracy-ebook/dp/B0078XCKUA  triffid




He says this started in the 1970's.

What one reader posted about this book.
I don't believe this President is doing All he can -look at who he has appointed-Geithner and Big Bank Corporate heads to guide us out of this recession (while the Rich get RICHER) & absolutely REFUSES to hold those responsible for bringing this economy to Brink responsible!While I agree with most of what Robert says and believe in the principles he professes - I was very disappointed with the 3rd section as to what we can do. People are busy just trying to get by and don't have time to sit at meetings to create change let alone sit with people whose arrogance and mantra is "NO, I've Got Mine and You Can't have any." Besides those people aren't interested in listening anyway. But on our side there are SO many different groups all fragmented to their slice. Occupy is the only group making a difference and corporate media is taking every chance they can to associate them with criminals and terrorists. Sad to say, but this county is in a race to the bottom!

What another reader posted.
"The tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003 - and extended for two years in 2010 - in 2011 saved the richest 1.4 million taxpayers ( the top 1 percent) more money than the rest of America's 140.89 million taxpayers received in total income." This quote from the intro seems impossible - if the cuts reduced the 1%'s tax rates by 5% then 5% of their income equal 100% of the income of the rest of us, so that would mean they have 95% of the total income?


So in 2010 they got 93% of the income.

triffid

What another reader posted and I feel that his view is the best one I've found so far.
He points out that things weren't always this way. Under Republican President Eisenhour (from 1953-1960)top income tax rates were 90%, and effective total rate was 52%. We were prosperous, progressive and happy. (The period was marked by the expression "I like  Ike!")What has happened in this country is that business ran roughshod over everyone else with no control or regulation from the end of the civil war until the end of the gilded age, and came crashing down on America's head with the Great Depression. Before that, it would be difficult to gauge America's ideological polarity, but following the abortive Hoover administration and it's introduction of 25% unemployment, the needle swung dramatically to the LEFT.It's been pointed out time and again that the subsidies of the FDR administration failed to bring America out of the depression (Just as President Obama's administration has failed to bring us out of the Great Recession of 2008.) But we saw and can easily revisit what the programs and activity of the Hoover Administration brought the country. Actually FDR DID succeed in getting us into the war (early with lend-lease)which DID end the depression.A liberal bias ruled this country beginning with FDR and the New Deal and extending to the next big wave of social legislation with the Great Society of Lyndon Johnson. This period (1932-1978) saw a wave of legislation, executive decisions and political activity that created an environment that expanded both the middle class, and its relative earnings and wealth within the greater economy. Not only did more people make more money, but huge groups of people previously discriminated against gained unprecedented rights. It meant something to be an American.

During this same period resistence to these laws, regulations and policies began to sponsor organized resistance. Some of the chief vehicles of resistance were the US Chamber of Commerce, the Business Council and the NRA. Wealthy individuals and large companies were natural allies in resistance to the Great Society programs and regulations and each year after 1978 saw them become progressively more effective. The end result is what you see today. My point in taking you through all this boring exposition is that it took a long time to establish a successful Liberal bias in this country, and just as long to produce a Conservative one. There are no simple answers. The last 20% of this book is just silly, like the last (calls to action) part of ALL his books. It may say something about why he failed in his attempt to become the Massachusetts governor. So, while his indictment of WHERE WE ARE is spot on, his recommendations for solving it are a joke. The minions of the right have organized several well-funded (American Enterprise Institute, Heritage Foundation, etc.) think tanks to carry and advance their standard. They have funded (every large business in America) thousands of lobbyists--thousands more than liberals--to pursue further tax cuts, redactions of regulations and outright opposition to any Liberal agenda. And they have won over the support of ALL fundamentalist religious movements by adopting (it wasn't part of "Conservatism" during the Goldwater era) their social agenda. (Otherwise, they sink back into the "loyal opposition" position they occupied when Democratic majorities exceeded the 60% threshold) The question I ask Mr. Reich is, "How are you going to assemble an effective resistence to this alignment?" The answer is not in this book, it's not in any of Mr. Reich's books. The recommendations in all his books are just so much left-wing mumbo jumbo. See how easily I dismissed that. That's a tried and true tactic of Conservatives. They load the language to make Liberal a dirty word, and steadfastly deny Democrats the right to become an adjective. (democratic party) Still, things WILL change. He mentions the Arab spring, but fails to credit its moment of inception. On December 17, 2010, a Tunisian street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi immolated himself in protest to the actions of the country's regime. President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, ruler since 1987, abdicated on January 14, 2011, unofficially sanctioning the Arab spring. This is an example of one man making a significant difference. There was obviously enormous pent up dissatisfaction, but it required a compelling event to effect its release. No one questions the courage of Mr. Reich's convictions, but unless he is willing to follow the examble of Mr. Bouazizi, I would suggest he keep his recomendations to himself. This book IS recommended if you are in doubt that things should change, but it is the intellectual equivalent of East Side cocktail party chatter. It's light and provocative, but the substance is diluted. No footnotes, not the first traceable attribution of source. For a much better version of the same thing Reich attempts read Winner-Take-All-Politics by Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson.

No doubt So, while his indictment of WHERE WE ARE is spot on, his recommendations for solving it are a joke. I agree with this assessment.


I believe the Gussing miracle should be duplicated a million times over.Afterall there will be a future without oil and Austria is leading the way in making renewables( energy) pay its own way.People are paying attention to what happened in Gussing,Austria.