[I'm continuing this thread here in hopes of remaining on the main 
topic.  See "Re: US IT jobs going overseas creating 'IT Rust Belt'."]

The main point of my post was the Gini ratio.  The Gini ratio slices 
through all the economics b.s. giving a very useful perspective. 
 Economics seems a lot like psychology: it can explain a lot of things 
but predicts poorly.  Its a myth that you need to have a deep 
understanding of economics to understand why people are losing jobs.  It 
seems to me an interdisciplinary approach is far more valuable.  People 
who try to explain our present economic situation in this country with 
just economic theory and no history, psychology, or political science 
are clueless.  In my opinion economics is useful, but not by itself.

Can anyone challenge my information on the Gini ratio?  I'm not here to 
win an argument.  I'm here to learn.  I'm also here to spread dissenting 
ideas to independent thinkers.  Bill Gates is probably the most benign 
fascist.

I do use Linux ... have been using it since 1998.  I've enjoyed watching 
it squash fascism and promote equality.  Linux and free software are 
helping level the playing field between rich and poor.  Without free 
software we would all be less rich.

I'll mention this one more time: Someone challenge my info on the Gini 
ratio if you can!

[repost:]

There is one really easy way to measure the result of their actions 
called the Gini ratio.  With this metric (I'm pretty sure this is an 
international metric) you can assess the damage caused in a society by 
the rich.  Be sure to take a look at the graph on this web page to get 
an idea of the damage done by reagonomics.

http://arts.bev.net/roperldavid/politics/inequality.htm
---------------------------
There is a measure of income inequality called the Gini index or Gini 
ratio. "The Gini ratio (or index of income concentration) is a 
statistical measure of income equality ranging from 0 to 1. A measure of 
1 indicates perfect inequality; i.e., one person has all the income and 
the rest have none. A measure of 0 indicates perfect equality; i.e. all 
people having equal shares of income."-from 
http://blue.census.gov/hhes/income/defs/alldef.html. (Also, see 
http://www.iadb.org/exr/IDB/stories/1998/eng/e1198i.htm.) The Gini 
ratios for the U.S. are available at: 
http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/histinc/f04.html (See table at bottom.)