Forum Post: It's about this: The 99%'s productivity has gone up, but only the 1% got the gains

This is a thoughtful piece: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2011/01/a_graph_im_trying_to_understan.html

The last graph is the one to take note of. Productivity (GDP per capita) has gone up nationwide, but the 99%'s—the workforce's—income has not kept pace.

Look at the graph above it. Around 1987 the 1%'s income takes off, leaving the rest of the country behind. We were growing as a country together, and then we weren't. You think the workers of 1988 were much lazier and had worse work ethics and wanted more handouts than the workers of 1986? Sounds unlikely.

Look at the graph entitled "Fast and fair versus slow and skewed" here: http://www.stateofworkingamerica.org/articles/view/7

From the 40s to the 70s incomes grew for everyone. After that, incomes shrunk for the bottom and grew slowly for the rest—except those at the top. The top quintile's income grew at more than twice the rate of the 60-80% quintile, and that more than twice the rate of the 40-60% quintile.

The 80s saw a generation of slackers hit the workforce? Our workers just stopped caring?

There was no overnight decrease in personal responsibility. There was no overnight birthing of welfare babies. There was no overnight creation of a hand out culture.

The problems are systemic, and the system favors the 1%.

We are the 99%.