"Why aren’t we earning enough to live?" – The Divide lays bare global inequality

[TheIrishman]

"Why aren’t we earning enough to live?" – how The Divide lays bare global inequality

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/apr/11/the-divide-inequality-documentary-katharine-round

<< The documentary film reveals the toxic social divisions caused by low pay for US and UK workers. (...) The finished film gives moving portraits of the lives of seven people, five in the US and two in the UK, illustrating how economic division creates another division socially, with dangerous consequences for everyone. Its scope is ambitious, looking back over 35 years at the political and economic decisions that have caused the widening divide. The film races from person to person, from one side of the Atlantic to the other, giving sharp snapshots of the problems people encounter as they scrape along in economically divided nations. The documentary attempts to answer the teasing question in the film's subtitle: "What happens when the rich get richer?" >>

[BADecker]

One reason. It's called taxes. Dump taxes and do barter instead of money.

[xuan87]

the reason of the question is GREED, all human is greedy its in our blood, the one that makes the differences is just the level of greediness

according to scientist its a way for surviving, its mean that if we gather more and more resources then we are gong to live longer than the others

[Jordan23]

Most people are earning enough for themselves. It's when you add those 2-3 kids that their math falls short.

[Evildrum]

Have noticed a increase in homeless people in my area and if you talk to them or observe then they tend to suffer from mental health. But I sometimes wonder if thats something that grows with social isolation.
Anyways more on point...The bubble will burst and we will most likely go back to living for our lords in shacks. Do not see the rich giving up what they have to balance the world out. Least not for a few more generations.

[isildur1]

the reason of the question is GREED, all human is greedy its in our blood, the one that makes the differences is just the level of greediness

according to scientist its a way for surviving, its mean that if we gather more and more resources then we are gong to live longer than the others

I dont quite believe this to be honest. Human's are naturally friendly individuals. If another human drowns on a beach its likely that the surrounding humans will try and help them. The problem with humanity is that the economic system is the polar opposite of what human beings really are like. And is run by socipaths who dont give a fuck about the common man

[poptok1]

the reason of the question is GREED, all human is greedy its in our blood, the one that makes the differences is just the level of greediness

according to scientist its a way for surviving, its mean that if we gather more and more resources then we are gong to live longer than the others

I dont quite believe this to be honest. Human's are naturally friendly individuals. If another human drowns on a beach its likely that the surrounding humans will try and help them. The problem with humanity is that the economic system is the polar opposite of what human beings really are like. And is run by socipaths who dont give a fuck about the common man

Inequality is good from economic standpoint. It drives consumption and production.
"he have X, I need it to" The problem in my opinion is somewhere else.
It is distribution of goods among society.
100 years ago fresh fish was a rare and valuable thing (inland) because of storage problem.
Now with existence of fridge and quick transport fish should be cheep as dirt, it is not.
Why? High cost of employment (minimum wages, taxes) causes not natural price escalation
for the manufacturers, they pay fisherman a little, and even less for the workers. They pay big
tax (income) and earn to much, out of scale. One person is getting super rich where others
that do the dirty work suffer.
This can not be regulated by law, it will be a failure. Change has to happen in people.
Just like nissan CEO's gave up their salary when company was in trouble, they have saved the brand
and managed to storm the market with GTR. Some sacrifices from the rich world have to be made at their own will. Otherwise we are doomed as a species. Not to mention that cosmos won't conquer it self

[Julahid]

Well, most people who has no responsibility to feed someone can earn enough to live and buy the things he/she desire. But if someone gets a wife/husband, and kids, well you have to put them first because first of all they are your responsibility now. That's when people don't earn enough for themselves. They forget that they also have their own needs.

[countryfree]

So what's wrong? Ive never understood how some people have the belief that men are a superior species, with the right to everything they please on the planet, and that they should be entitled to a nice house, a beautiful car, and a good standard of living. If the people shown in that documentary don't like their lives, they're millions who are willing to exchange their lives with them. In Bulgaria, minimum wage is $300 per month. In Ethiopia, there's no such thing as minimum wage, but people are happy to work 48 hours per week to get $100 at the end of the month, and they live in a place that a American wouldn't call a house, without running water.

How about India? I guess it's the country where the economical divide is the largest.

[SebastianJu]

One reason. It's called taxes. Dump taxes and do barter instead of money.

Not really. Those working poors don't pay the taxes others pay to the IRS. They might pay VAT and other things though. Depending on how high vat tax is you can imagine what they could have in the pocket instead.

But even if they would have... the only result would be that companies then think "Let's drop the wages the same percent. We will still find workers and we can outcompete competition. Well, in fact they will do it slowly and in steps... just so much that the workers don't leave.

[isildur1]

the reason of the question is GREED, all human is greedy its in our blood, the one that makes the differences is just the level of greediness

according to scientist its a way for surviving, its mean that if we gather more and more resources then we are gong to live longer than the others

I dont quite believe this to be honest. Human's are naturally friendly individuals. If another human drowns on a beach its likely that the surrounding humans will try and help them. The problem with humanity is that the economic system is the polar opposite of what human beings really are like. And is run by socipaths who dont give a fuck about the common man

Inequality is good from economic standpoint. It drives consumption and production.
"he have X, I need it to" The problem in my opinion is somewhere else.
It is distribution of goods among society.
100 years ago fresh fish was a rare and valuable thing (inland) because of storage problem.
Now with existence of fridge and quick transport fish should be cheep as dirt, it is not.
Why? High cost of employment (minimum wages, taxes) causes not natural price escalation
for the manufacturers, they pay fisherman a little, and even less for the workers. They pay big
tax (income) and earn to much, out of scale. One person is getting super rich where others
that do the dirty work suffer.
This can not be regulated by law, it will be a failure. Change has to happen in people.
Just like nissan CEO's gave up their salary when company was in trouble, they have saved the brand
and managed to storm the market with GTR. Some sacrifices from the rich world have to be made at their own will. Otherwise we are doomed as a species. Not to mention that cosmos won't conquer it self

we are already doomed as a species due to global warming IMO , i dont know why people are saving up and protecting their assets as if the world isnt going to end in 10-20 years time.

[Gronthaing]

^ world isn't going to end in a couple of decades. We can do something about climate change. If we want to. But it's true that we will probably have to deal with many problems we could have avoided.

Some sacrifices from the rich world have to be made at their own will. Otherwise we are doomed as a species. Not to mention that cosmos won't conquer it self

The problem is with the system. A few rich people being generous helps but isn't enough. Companies are made to have profit. If a ceo decides to do the right thing and sacrifices profits some other company won't. And will probably take the lead and the ceo is replaced. The whole system needs to be changed.

[Evildrum]

So what's wrong? Ive never understood how some people have the belief that men are a superior species, with the right to everything they please on the planet, and that they should be entitled to a nice house, a beautiful car, and a good standard of living. If the people shown in that documentary don't like their lives, they're millions who are willing to exchange their lives with them. In Bulgaria, minimum wage is $300 per month. In Ethiopia, there's no such thing as minimum wage, but people are happy to work 48 hours per week to get $100 at the end of the month, and they live in a place that a American wouldn't call a house, without running water.

How about India? I guess it's the country where the economical divide is the largest.

When you say men are you meaning both sexes because I do not understand the point if you are selecting a sex to drive the point. Will presume you mean humans unless you address that part.

You can not compare a third world persons plight with some one in a Country like the States and say they are happy making peanuts. They are not happy,its just what life offers them and the only way to change that is leaving that Country for a better future. You should talk to more people that migrated for a better life and you might understand the issues with people making barely enough to survive. Its actually kind of gross to think that we should all be happy with that kind of exsistence. Maybe you can clarify this view point as it does seem quite unique.

[saddampbuh]

So what's wrong? Ive never understood how some people have the belief that men are a superior species, with the right to everything they please on the planet, and that they should be entitled to a nice house, a beautiful car, and a good standard of living. If the people shown in that documentary don't like their lives, they're millions who are willing to exchange their lives with them. In Bulgaria, minimum wage is $300 per month. In Ethiopia, there's no such thing as minimum wage, but people are happy to work 48 hours per week to get $100 at the end of the month, and they live in a place that a American wouldn't call a house, without running water.

How about India? I guess it's the country where the economical divide is the largest.

its easy for people with degrees and high paying jobs to make these sorts of comments. has it occurred to you that workers in developed countries don't want to compete with desperate third worlders who are willing to work for a place to sleep and a protein deficient diet that barely keeps them alive? our ancestors didn't sacrifice for hundreds of years to build up our countries so that everything could be shut down within a generation and outsourced to the third world so some kike shareholder can add another zero to his bank balance. cheap imports must be blocked and unskilled immigrants must be expelled.

[Gronthaing]

our ancestors didn't sacrifice for hundreds of years to build up our countries so that everything could be shut down within a generation and outsourced to the third world so some kike shareholder can add another zero to his bank balance. cheap imports must be blocked and unskilled immigrants must be expelled.

There is an easy way to deal with outsourcing. Would also help a lot with inequality. It isn't very radical and has many test cases already. Cooperatives and codetermination for example. If the people that work in a company have a say in how it runs they won't ship their jobs somewhere else. They won't use the company to pollute the city their family lives in so they can make more money. They won't pay a huge amount to one or two people and leave the rest with minimum wage. Etc.

[Hirose UK]

the reason of the question is GREED, all human is greedy its in our blood, the one that makes the differences is just the level of greediness

according to scientist its a way for surviving, its mean that if we gather more and more resources then we are gong to live longer than the others

yeah. that's right. some people even don't feel enough to have much money, they want to get more and more, and sometimes do any way to get richer. they don't realize that money can bring disadvantages too.

[designerusa]

"Why aren’t we earning enough to live?" – how The Divide lays bare global inequality

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/apr/11/the-divide-inequality-documentary-katharine-round

<< The documentary film reveals the toxic social divisions caused by low pay for US and UK workers. (...) The finished film gives moving portraits of the lives of seven people, five in the US and two in the UK, illustrating how economic division creates another division socially, with dangerous consequences for everyone. Its scope is ambitious, looking back over 35 years at the political and economic decisions that have caused the widening divide. The film races from person to person, from one side of the Atlantic to the other, giving sharp snapshots of the problems people encounter as they scrape along in economically divided nations. The documentary attempts to answer the teasing question in the film's subtitle: "What happens when the rich get richer?" >>

i think the reason of not gaining enough money for our living is greedy rich people.. these rich ones cant feel satisfied if they have 60%  of world's walfare.. they just want to suck poor people blood and get richer and richer day by day..

[countryfree]

So what's wrong? Ive never understood how some people have the belief that men are a superior species, with the right to everything they please on the planet, and that they should be entitled to a nice house, a beautiful car, and a good standard of living. If the people shown in that documentary don't like their lives, they're millions who are willing to exchange their lives with them. In Bulgaria, minimum wage is $300 per month. In Ethiopia, there's no such thing as minimum wage, but people are happy to work 48 hours per week to get $100 at the end of the month, and they live in a place that a American wouldn't call a house, without running water.

How about India? I guess it's the country where the economical divide is the largest.

When you say men are you meaning both sexes because I do not understand the point if you are selecting a sex to drive the point. Will presume you mean humans unless you address that part.

You can not compare a third world persons plight with some one in a Country like the States and say they are happy making peanuts. They are not happy,its just what life offers them and the only way to change that is leaving that Country for a better future. You should talk to more people that migrated for a better life and you might understand the issues with people making barely enough to survive. Its actually kind of gross to think that we should all be happy with that kind of exsistence. Maybe you can clarify this view point as it does seem quite unique.

I don't need to talk to anyone, as I'm an immigrant. Fully undocumented, and proud to be so. I don't have the right to work, nor to have a bank account in the country I'm staying (not planning to stay long, though), and yet I live! I guess I could get the right to work, but I'm not interested. Better be illegal so I don't have to pay tax.

its easy for people with degrees and high paying jobs to make these sorts of comments. has it occurred to you that workers in developed countries don't want to compete with desperate third worlders who are willing to work for a place to sleep and a protein deficient diet that barely keeps them alive? our ancestors didn't sacrifice for hundreds of years to build up our countries so that everything could be shut down within a generation and outsourced to the third world so some kike shareholder can add another zero to his bank balance. cheap imports must be blocked and unskilled immigrants must be expelled.

It's too late. Borders are paper walls which will totally disappear within a few years. Somehow yet, I agree with you. You should blame all the politicians from the past 50 years, but concort yourself wih the idea that people are not exchangeable. You cannot just replace a British butler with a Somalian one, and that goes for most low-paying jobs.

[Evildrum]

So what's wrong? Ive never understood how some people have the belief that men are a superior species, with the right to everything they please on the planet, and that they should be entitled to a nice house, a beautiful car, and a good standard of living. If the people shown in that documentary don't like their lives, they're millions who are willing to exchange their lives with them. In Bulgaria, minimum wage is $300 per month. In Ethiopia, there's no such thing as minimum wage, but people are happy to work 48 hours per week to get $100 at the end of the month, and they live in a place that a American wouldn't call a house, without running water.

How about India? I guess it's the country where the economical divide is the largest.

When you say men are you meaning both sexes because I do not understand the point if you are selecting a sex to drive the point. Will presume you mean humans unless you address that part.

You can not compare a third world persons plight with some one in a Country like the States and say they are happy making peanuts. They are not happy,its just what life offers them and the only way to change that is leaving that Country for a better future. You should talk to more people that migrated for a better life and you might understand the issues with people making barely enough to survive. Its actually kind of gross to think that we should all be happy with that kind of exsistence. Maybe you can clarify this view point as it does seem quite unique.

I don't need to talk to anyone, as I'm an immigrant. Fully undocumented, and proud to be so. I don't have the right to work, nor to have a bank account in the country I'm staying (not planning to stay long, though), and yet I live! I guess I could get the right to work, but I'm not interested. Better be illegal so I don't have to pay tax.

its easy for people with degrees and high paying jobs to make these sorts of comments. has it occurred to you that workers in developed countries don't want to compete with desperate third worlders who are willing to work for a place to sleep and a protein deficient diet that barely keeps them alive? our ancestors didn't sacrifice for hundreds of years to build up our countries so that everything could be shut down within a generation and outsourced to the third world so some kike shareholder can add another zero to his bank balance. cheap imports must be blocked and unskilled immigrants must be expelled.

It's too late. Borders are paper walls which will totally disappear within a few years. Somehow yet, I agree with you. You should blame all the politicians from the past 50 years, but concort yourself wih the idea that people are not exchangeable. You cannot just replace a British butler with a Somalian one, and that goes for most low-paying jobs.

There are some areas of this conversation that seem to be branching off topic and not sure if the "I dont need to talk to anyone" is in reference to me or that you answer to no one because you are illegal! Wanted to get to the meat of why you think people are happy barely getting by but I guess you do not want to address this aspect.
The part about you being illegal does nothing to validate the stance imo because you can be a illegal in many areas of the world and still have a better life than the Countries you referenced in the first reply.

The reply to Saddmapbuh is interesting though,I think there is a drive to make borders less of a factor and remember a group in my neck of the woods called "No one Is Illegal" and they tended to be the same people that where in the environmental movement. The irony was a lot of them where on welfare so they could bus around and
protest all day long and have these sit ins. That movement has disappeared from my radar though because I think the public is very strong on protecting what is theirs and not being overrun with cheaper labour. Protectionism is very high and racism usually follows at times like that as well as people look to blame other groups for the state of things.
Europe has done some what of a job of deleting these borders but at the same time you have the U.K making Canada and USA requirements to carry visas in the future.
Maybe a little push back,will have to see.

[saddampbuh]

It's too late. Borders are paper walls which will totally disappear within a few years. Somehow yet, I agree with you. You should blame all the politicians from the past 50 years, but concort yourself wih the idea that people are not exchangeable. You cannot just replace a British butler with a Somalian one, and that goes for most low-paying jobs.

politicians can't defy the popular will indefinitely, sooner or later there is going to be a backlash and the traitors will be held to account, if trump and brexit fall through things maybe have to get a little worse and then it will be something else but it will happen