X-Message-Number: 29547 References: <> From: David Stodolsky <> Subject: Re: Doomsayers Lack Knowledge Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 12:25:57 +0200 --Apple-Mail-76--1019789291 delsp=yes; format=flowed On 24 May 2007, at 21:00, Harold Lockworth wrote: > Where there are areas of the world lagging behind in social > progress, obvious markers are indicated. These markers are > recognized and organizations are built to tend to them. A basic > look at the UN graph of how the world is changing points out that > all the world is progressing. > > If anyone would like to view a link to this data, I will provide it. > > I was asked to provide the data. You can review presentation and > further links here: > I was asked to privide the data. You can review Hans Rosling's > presentation and additonal links here: > > http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/92 > > HL This kind of overview is misleading. The below shows the real effect of the neoliberal economic program. Between 1988 and 1993 incomes for the poorest, those making under $200/year, dropped by 1/4. During this same period, incomes for the richest 400 people in the USA (incomes over a million a year) doubled - approximately. What the graph shows (if it gets thru the List server) is that most people have yearly incomes below $1,041 (1993 PPP) and that this was a drop in real terms compared to 1988. I don't expect we will have any cryonics signups from these people. Increasing inequality is a threat to cryonics, since it reduces that potential signup population and increases the risks of social instability. The below is quoted material. --Apple-Mail-76--1019789291 Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 [ AUTOMATICALLY SKIPPING BASE64 ENCODING! ] Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=29547