[p2p-research] Capitalism's Self-Inflicted Apocalypse by Michael Parenti

[Michel Bauwens]

thanks, but parenti implies that was the case even before the meltdown and
I'd like to see that confirmed ...

On Sun, Aug 16, 2009 at 12:01 PM, Paul D. Fernhout <
pdfernhout at kurtz-fernhout.com> wrote:

> Michel Bauwens wrote:
>
>> does anyone have any data on this:
>>
>> the number of billionaires is increasing faster than ever while the number
>> of people living in poverty is growing at a faster rate than the world's
>> population
>>
>> On Sun, Aug 16, 2009 at 2:38 AM, Paul D. Fernhout <
>> pdfernhout at kurtz-fernhout.com> wrote:
>>
>> Someone just sent me this link; some people here might like it.
>>>
>>> "Capitalism's Self-Inflicted Apocalypse" by Michael Parenti
>>> http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Parenti/Capitalism%27s_Apocalypse.html
>>>
>>
> Try:
> "Global Financial Crisis Pushing Millions into Poverty in 2009"
>
> http://www.stwr.org/poverty-inequality/global-financial-crisis-pushing-millions-into-poverty-in-2009.html
> "As news of the global economic slump becomes more dire by the day, the
> latest World Bank statistics suggest that 53 million more people could fall
> into $2 a day poverty in 2009 as a direct result of the financial crisis -
> or up to 100 million more people according to the UN Millennium Campaign. "
>
> Or also on that page: "More than 140 million people could be plunged into
> poverty and 23 million lose their jobs in Asia this year as the global
> financial crisis batters the region, according to a study released
> Wednesday. ... ILO regional director Sachiko Yamamoto noted the situation
> was quickly evolving "into an employment and social crisis." "
>
> Word population increase in 2009:
>  http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/LUC/Papers/gkh1/chap1.htm
> "The current annual population increase of about 80 million will remain
> constant until 2015."
>
> So, sounds about right for this year, sadly, as far as increasing poverty.
> :-(
>
> But this suggests the billionaires number slipped some too:
>
> http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/11/worlds-richest-people-billionaires-2009-billionaires_land.html
> "The richest people in the world have gotten poorer, just like the rest of
> us. This year the world's billionaires have an average net worth of $3
> billion, down 23% in 12 months. The world now has 793 billionaires, down
> from 1,125 a year ago. "
>
> It was certainly true up to last year or so that the number was increasing.
> So, one might take that to read, there was a vast number of new billionaires
> minted in the years leading up to an economic disaster. But, still, that's
> not what they said. However, as the article was published in January, 2009,
> and the Forbes list came out in march, it may have been more-or-less true
> when they wrote it based on available facts.
>
> Anyway, 300 or so people going from billionaire status to multi-millionaire
> status does not seem quite as big an issue as one hundred million or more
> people plunging back into poverty.
>
>
> --Paul Fernhout
> http://www.pdfernhout.net/
>
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