某大國驚人的貧富差距 【貓眼看人】

4 shocking examples of American inequality美國內部不平等的四個驚人事實The 30 richest Americans own as much as half of the US population, and data suggest mobility is a thing of the past美國最富30人佔有的錢等於美國一半人之和，數據顯示，社會流動已經是過去的事了。Inequality is a cancer on society, here in the U.S. and across the globe. It keeps growing. But humanity seems helpless against it, as if it』s an alien force that no one understands, even as the life is being gradually drained from its victims.不平等是社會的癌症，美國如此，整個世界也如此。不平等越來越嚴重。甚至當其逐漸榨乾不平等受害者的生命時，人類看上去對此無能為力，好像那是某種不能理解的外星力量。The recentOxfam report on global wealth inequality reveals some of the ugly extremes that have divided our world. It also directs our attention to the Global Wealth Report compiled by Credit Suisse, and the companion Databook, which offer a shocking testament to the severity of U.S. and global inequality.最近樂施會關於全球財富不平等的報告揭露，一些醜陋的數字割裂了我們的世界。我們也由此注意瑞信銀行的全球財富報告，以及其內的數據表。該報告提供了確切的證據，證明了美國和整個世界不平等到了何種地步。1. The 30 Richest Americans Own as much as Half of the U.S. Population1. 美國最富30人，財富總值和美國一半人一樣多The Oxfam report tells us that 85 individuals own as much as half the world. The U.S. is the biggest reason for that, with 5% of the world』s population and 30% of the wealth. China, India, and Africa, on the other hand, combine for about half the world』s population and just 12% of the wealth.樂施會報告告訴我們，85個人的財富等於全球一半人之和。造成如此狀況的最大原因就是美國，美國擁有世界5%的人口和30%的財富。另一方面，中國、印度和非洲，合在一起擁有世界一半人口，卻只佔12%的財富。In the U.S., the richest 30 individuals own about $792 billion, while the bottom half of Americans own 1.1% of our country』s wealth, also about $792 billion. That』s 30 people owning as much as 157,000,000 people.在美國，最富的30個人，佔有大概7920億美元，然而，美國底層的一半人口只擁有1.1%的財富，也大概是792億美元。那是30個人，佔有的財富跟1，5700,0000個人的財富之和一樣多。This information is derived from theGlobal Wealth Databook and theForbes 400 List. More details are provided atUs Against Greed.該條出自全球財富報告和福布斯400富豪榜。更多細節可見 Us Against Greed。2. The Bottom Half of America Owns a Smaller Percentage of National Wealth than Almost All Other Countries and Continents2. 美國底層的一半人，佔有的財富比例，小於幾乎其他所有國家和大陸The 1.1% of America』s wealth owned by the poorest half is less than the poorest halves of Asia (1.3% of the region』s wealth), Africa (2.1%), Latin America (3.2%), India (4.5%), the United Kingdom (7.6%), and China (9.6%).美國最窮的一半人口，佔有美國1.1%的財富，少於其他國家，亞洲為1.3%，非洲2.1%，拉美3.2%，印度4.5%，英國7.6%，中國9.6%。It goes beyond the poorest half. The upper-middle class of America (roughly $50,000 to $200,000 in wealth) own a smaller percentage of wealth than the corresponding upper-middle classes of China and India. Of course, America』s lower and middle classeshave more moneyin absolute terms than corresponding classes in China and India. But that leads to the next topic.不只如此。美國中產階級中的上層（財產大約為5萬到20萬美元）佔有財富的比例小於中國和印度的相應階級。當然，以絕對值衡量，美國的中低層階級佔有的財富總量依然大於中國和印度的相應階級，但那就是另一個話題了。3. Less Mobility: North America』s Bottom Half Has Less Chance to MOVE UP than Any Other Region of the World3. 更低的社會流動性：北美底層的一半人，和其他地方的人相比，更難提升階級地位Conservatives argue that individuals should be able to improve their economic positions with personal initiative and hard work. But economic mobility islower in the U.S. than in most developed countries. And lower than in many undeveloped countries.保守主義者主張，個人應該能夠依靠主觀能動性和勤奮來提升經濟地位。但經濟方面的社會流動性，美國比大部分發達國家都低，也低於許多不發達國家。The results of a Credit Suisse wealth mobility simulation are given in theGlobal Wealth Databook: 「North America is…less mobile than other regions, especially over longer time horizons. Europe is next in line, followed by the middle group of Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Africa. The most mobile regions are China and India.」瑞信銀行的財富流動性模擬已經得到結果，發布在全球財富數據中：「北美比其他地區更為凝固，在更長的視野中觀察時尤甚。歐洲排在（最具流動性排行榜的）第二位，接下來是亞太地區、拉美地區和非洲。最具有流動性的是中國和印度。」4. America』s MIDDLE CLASS is Further from the Top than in All Other Developed Countries4. 相比於其他發達國家，美國的中產階級距離頂端更遠As noted above, it』s not just the bottom half being battered by inequality — it』s most of the rest of us. The U.S. median of $44,911 is only 15% of the $301,140 mean (which is greatly skewed by the wealth of the richest 10%). That ratio is less than any other of the 27 developed countries listed by Credit Suisse, and much less than the average OECD ratio of 35%.正如上面所指出的，並不僅僅是底層的一半人受害於不平等——是我們中的大部分。美國的財產中位數是4，4911美元，僅是均值30,1140美元的15%（由於最富的10%人口所擁有的財產，均值數字嚴重扭曲）。在瑞信銀行所列出的27個發達國家中，這個比例是最小的，而且，比經合組織給出的35%小得多。For the world as a whole, the median is only 8% of the mean, reflecting the fact that half the world』s adults average less than $500 in wealth.全世界的財產中位數是均值的8%，反映了世界一半人的財產平均不到500美元的事實。The Greatest Shock: How Little is Needed to Restore Some Sanity最大的震動：重新變得明智需要的多麼少Extreme inequality means that people without homes arefreezing to death in America. On a winter day in 2012over 633,000 people were homeless in the United States. Based on an annual single room occupancy(SRO) cost of $558 per month, a little over $4 billion would provide shelter for every homeless person for the entire year.嚴重的不平等意味著沒有家的人在美國可能會凍死。2012年冬天，美國有超過63,3000人無家可歸。根據單人套房的月租金558美元算，40億美元多一點就可以為每一位無家可歸者提供一年的庇護所。The stock market grew by$4.7 trillion in 2013. A wealth tax of just a one-tenth of 1 percent (one dollar out of every thousand) would have provided the $4 billion needed to shelter every homeless American for 365 days.2013年，股票市場增長了4.7萬億美元。僅僅按千分之一徵收財產稅就足以提供40億美元在一年內給每一個無家可歸的美國人一個容身之地。But we have no wealth tax. And the wealth just keeps growing for the wealthiest Americans.但是我們沒有財產稅。只有最富有的美國人的財產在增長。根據http://www.levyinstitute.org/pubs/wp_589.pdf ，美國底部40%的人擁有美國0.3%的財富，同時，頂層20%的人擁有84%的財富。
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