to ask all of the 1% here (anyone earning over £20'000) what you are doing to help the 99%?

[ethnicalMarion]

If your earn over 20k in the UK you are part of the 1%. Aibu to think that this 1% should be helping the 99% of the world more?

Lies, white lies and statistics….

As discussions about taxation and stamp duty and child benefits etc etc show, people seem to consider 'the rich' those that earn more than them.

While earning more than £20.000, I do earn considerably less than a Russian Oligarch.
I pay my full tax, I work very hard (part-time = 50hrs/wk) and I am an active participant in the local community. I have never paid or accepted any kind of bribe and nobody who's ever crossed me is 'swimming with de fishes' - more than some of the superrich are able to say, I gather.

What would you like people earning more than 20K to do?? V poor use of numbers IMO.

I pay Tax.

I'm in the 1% then. The vast majority of my £20000 (our household income is actually more than that) goes towards paying my rent and bills and feeding and clothing my daughter. We also pay taxes, don't claim any benefits and give to charity (on a regular monthly basis and on a more ad hoc basis). What would you rather we did with our money?

I am part of the UK 1% and do diddly fuck.

Is that what you wanted to read, OP

?

It's £200k not £20k
Uk ave us £26k

Ahem, I know I'm being pedantic, but it's
"Lies, damned lies and statistics…."

White lies are a different category.

Goldfish, it's still been paid for though. The government doesn't give it to us from the goodness of their hearts.

The 1% own 99% of the wealth thing is garbled actually - it should be 1% own as much as the bottom 99% - ie they own 50% of the assets. still a lot of course.

I am part of your 1% and I earn it working for a debt charity. Is that enough? I give £6 a month to a charity and am active in amnesty campaigns. Why should the focus be on giving money away? Isn't giving time and effort just as important?

This is daft, you can't compare £20k earnings on the UK with the equivalent in another country. Exchange rates and the cost of living varies greatly.

If you want to get on your high horse about this, look at the UK only. Compare apples with apples.

I think the OP has forgotten a zero in her title. She means 200,000, not 20,000. Although what people do with their money is none of her business anyway.

Lewji, I knew it wasn't quite right! Thanks for helping out

My point still stands

I was told once in church to count up how many taps delivering clean water inside my house I had, including the shower, taps attached to the washing machine, dishwasher, boiler etc (I count 10 in our house). Having more than 1 puts you in the top 7% of the world.

Now, I don't think it's reasonable to say to someone who is living in grinding poverty in the UK, having to use food banks, going hungry, sitting in a cold damp house that they can't afford to heat etc that they are rich because they have access to clean drinkiing water inside their home. It's that smug "1st world problem!" argument.

And here's the thing, many people in the 3rd world have a better lifestyle than those in the 1st world. Many people in poor countries with a £19k income will have servants, a large house, pleanty of food, access to health care and good schools for their DCs.

Money is worthless on it's own, it is only worth what it can buy. In this country, £20k doesn't buy a lot, in many other countries, it buys a great lifestyle.

You sound like ths sort of smug person who belittles other people's problems and tries to make people struggling feel worse about their problems because if they aren't actually going to die that month or not have any access to food for a week, then they aren't 'properly' struggling.

People on £20k in this country with children are probably going to struggle financally, telling htem they are 'rich' so should be helping out the 'real poor' is rather unkind.

Oh and in this country, everyone earning or buying anything with VAT is paying tax. Part of that tax is spent on development aid. They are helping out.

I pay my (higher rate) taxes without complaint. Fuck off with your entitlement to my hard earned wages

exactly this
me too
have a biscuit and put it in your mouth

Where is OP? Has she lit the blue touch paper and stood well back?

Great post -mary

I completely agree with what you've written

Where is OP? Has she lit the blue touch paper and stood well back?

Of course she did.
Which was predictable from the OP

Mary, several good points, all well made

I take all my salary each month, leave it in a big pile in the front garden and wait for the wind to distribute it over 99% of my town. I keep one ten pound note back which I attach to a shovel and beat myself with every day until my next salary comes in and I start the process again.
Does this meet your requirements OP?

I would like the OP to define help? What do you believe we should be doing and please don't say throw money at it.

the majority of Aid from governments and charities is wasteful, tied and ethnocentric so is not always spent on the country (millions of pounds spent on consultants staying in 5* hotels in poverty stricken countries flying first class), may result in them having to sign away trade advantages or buy military equipment they don't need or be displaced, infantalized or stripped of what they know is right for them so some smug Westener can relieve their "white man's guilt".

mind your own fucking business

My Dh pays higher rate tax.
He lays £300 per month in NI.
We give to charity.
What's your point?
I am about to go back to work - hopefully - in a community care role.
Is that giving back enough?
What a strange thread....

I think it must be taking into consideration everyone who doesn't work. I don't think somebody on £20K a year should be expected to support the world financially. It's the super rich billionaires that should be putting their hands in their pockets to help the poor.

I pay my taxes, which the government partly uses to fund foreign aid.