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The 1% stats are a red herring. They make for good rage-bait, but aren't especially illuminating. The real issue is much deeper and much messier.We must remember that wealth isn't really finite. The growing assets of the rich have minimal bearing on the living conditions of the poor. In many cases, the rich getting richer actually improves those conditions.With the super-rich, how they spend their money is far more important than how much they have available to spend.If the money is circulating equitably, then it doesn't really matter who is paying the tab — it will still generate the same amount of new wealth.To see the real problem, we need to look at the bottom of the pyramid, not the top. And we need to look at incomes on a per-segment basis in terms of raw wealth-generation.Let's illustrate using examples.Kumar is an single entrepreneur in semi-rural India. He runs a innovative web-based service business. He nets $24k USD in annual income, which lets him live very well in terms of local purchasing power.Sanjay lives in the same town as Kumar. He runs a food stand, and is lucky to crack $4k USD working the same number of hours. He has four children.This is the problem. And it isn't directly a 1%-er problem.Sanjay is stuck in a financial rut because he hasn't moved to a more productive form of employment. He fell into a localized, non-scalable, labor-intensive job. Based on market forces, his wages are permanently limited.Why didn't he choose a more lucrative form of employment? Probably some combination of the following:He lacked the sufficient education to understand the economics involved.He lacked the freedom to change professions (i.e., socioeconomic barriers).He lacked the psychological tools to make an effective entrepreneur.He lacked the capital required to pursue a more profitable enterprise.Solving those challenges is the pressing global issue, and that problem is becoming just as relevant in first-world economies.The inconvenient truth is that there really isn't a lack of jobs in North America. Pretty much every successful company has permanent hiring needs. They just can't fill them.The challenge is the widening gulf between opportunities and skill-sets. I've written about this elsewhere extensively on Quora, but it bears repeating:The new economy is "survival of the fittest" on steroids, and this evolution is accelerating at an unprecedented pace.This is where the 1% do have some role. More than any other remaining institution, they have the means of removing the roadblocks keeping Sanjay from greater economic utility.Let's use Bill Gates as a very practical example.He, along with the vast majority of his peers, would prefer that those at the bottom have an increased standard of life. Beyond any altruistic motives, it also means a safer, richer world for him and his family.The challenge Bill and Co. are facing is that empowerment and enablement haven't been the responsibilities of the rich for a while now. In the West, they've long been the domain of the government and the church. 1The modern iterations of those institutions, for a variety of complicated reasons, aren't especially equipped or competent to fulfill their obligations. The largest reason being that free wealth has largely shifted to the private sector.Though the US Government has enormous incomes, it also has enormous obligations in the forms of debts, pensions, public works, national defense, and other mandated expenses. They no longer have enough uncommitted money left over to meaningfully help people like Sanjay or his American equivalents.Churches, meanwhile, are giving less and less outside their own walls. Depending what study you read, 5% or less of total donations end up used in ways which provide an immediate public benefit for non-members.In that void, groups like the Clinton Global Initiative and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are doing their best to step up. Through an approach now termed as "venture philanthropy", they're trying to fulfill the old role of the “noble rich”, just in a smarter way.Unfortunately, the pace of their solutions hasn't kept up with the growth of the problem. This isn't necessarily their fault, but the problem remains nonetheless, and is actively metastasizing.What would it take for Sanjay to become an empowered economic agent?Quality education.Equitable access to infrastructure and working capital.Mental and financial stability.Spiritual and psychological sustenance.Freedom from oppression and socioeconomic barriers.Who can secure this for him? The national government? The local government? A spiritual guru? An NGO? His neighborhood millionaire?The correct answer involves all of them, in some proportion and with some minimum level of intentional coordination.Why hasn't that happened already? Some combination of pride, prejudice, inertia, and general human incompetence.Will it get fixed? That's the pressing global issue.Note: As of 02-04-15, this answer has generated about 4,000 words in comments and 8,500 words in detailed responses. Given the sheer volume of what's already there, I won't be responding to any new comments unless they present a new argument.1 As a historical footnote, it wasn't always this way. During the Enlightenment, the old customs of noblesse oblige gave way to modern democracies. Sadly, that hand-off was never an intentional, thoughtful affair. One of the first to realize the implications of this was Andrew Carnegie, especially in his work The Gospel of Wealth. The text is often unfairly criticized by those who judge his words or wealth and don't consider his deeper arguments about structural inequality — not of wealth itself, but of wealth-creation. See below comment string with Anon for more context.

To Sanjiv Raj,This answer discusses Costco in the U.S. in April 2020, even though some things changed in later months.April Fool!On 1 April 2020 (the irony that I was being a fool to risk my health by going out in public on April Fool’s Day did not hit me until later), I shopped at Costco during their newly instituted coronahour™/“senior hour” (reserved for seniors age 60 and above from 8 to 9 a.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays). It was an amazingly efficient and pleasant experience. I felt safe shopping there. Of course, I always feel safe there, but we have a new, hidden enemy these days in the form of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.New hoursCostco’s hours used to be 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., but they have shifted their schedule so they start two hours earlier and end two hours earlier. Once they close for the evening, they allow extra time to clean and sanitize the store even more than usual. Current hours are 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.: senior hour is 8 to 9 a.m. certain days, but non-seniors can only shop between 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.Limited take-out foodCostco has bent over backwards to protect people against the coronavirus, especially at the food court. They no longer sell single slices of pizza (you can only buy whole pizzas), they turned off the soda machine, they only sell hot dogs and whole pizzas, the condiments are no longer self-serve, and all food is take-out. Sodas are in cans only. They no longer sell any of their slushies or ice cream confections, or any of their high-contact sandwiches that require extensive handling and assembling. The gloved food-court cashier strongly urged people to order food via the self-serve kiosk instead of directly handing her money or even a credit card. The food court dining tables have been replaced with a brand-new yellow KIA advertising Costco’s car-buying service.Costco’s taxi-yellow-KIA-adorned food court sans dining tables (note the shiny floor)Shopping carts & water fountainsAll of the shopping carts were previously wiped down and parked in neat lines outside, the workers were wearing gloves and in many cases masks, there was a table in front of any customer service counter to increase “social distance,” and the employee at the exit did not let me hand him my receipt. He asked me to hold it up and show it to him so he could see it.Even the water fountains were labeled “OUT OF SERVICE; DO NOT USE.”Water fountains at Costco: SHUT DOWN due to the coronacrisis™Hard-working employeesCostco employees are working long hours to keep everything even cleaner than usual. They’re wearing gloves and, in some cases, masks. They are limiting personal contact. Here’s Nate the produce supervisor at the Lanham, Maryland, Costco yesterday, infecting everyone with his energy doing stand-up comedy in the paper/water aisle to remind everyone there is only one of each per Costco membership.Nate, with the effervescent smile — and protective gloves. (In subsequent weeks, he and other employees would be wearing mandatory masks.)About four weeks later (28 April), the “six-feet social distancing” rule was being enforced. Notice the masks on the employees. Shoppers also are now required to wear masks.April 2020 — Trust me, they are smiling under those masks! (Note how they are not exactly following the admonition on their own sign. ;-D)See also:Costco’s COVID-19 updates — https://www.costco.com/covid-updates.htmlMy TP stash — Sarah Madden's answer to How many rolls of toilet paper do you have right now due to COVID-19?COVIDIOTs — Sarah Madden's answer to What has been the most "COVIDIOT" thing you've seen someone do during this pandemic?—Sarah Madden, © Copyright ♡ 2 April 2020 (updated 23 August 2020)QUESTION: Is it safe to do grocery shopping in Costco amidst coronavirus (COVID-19)? (asked 21 March 2020)

Mumbai has it’s own set of many ‘unsaid rules’ which often confuse newcomers. While it is always better to have a local friend get you acquainted to the ‘city of dreams’, a few to-do’s and not-to-do’s won’t hurt!AccommodationIf you are shifting here for a job/temporary residence, be ready to spend a good chuck of your income on rent. Space is of high value here!Prefer locations closer to metro/local train stations. You are going to use them a lot. Even if not, it never hurts to be well-connected.Preferably, don’t resort to go the broker-way. Not only can you save the brokerage charges, but a personal hunt won’t be much harder!Try and form a group from your city/place of work and rent on a shared basis. If you can’t find someone, resort to FB groups such as this or this.FoodIf you come from a place where ‘eating out’ means eating in a restaurant, you may want to change that. Hotels are costly. Even the normal ones.Smaller stalls/eateries offer a much better deal on the pocket as well as the tongue! You’ll find many Insta pages or Fb pages dedicated to value for money food outlets like this one. Exploit them!Continuing from above, given the number of small eateries, there are options, plenty of them. You want vegetarian, pure non-vegetarian, Jain or any other kind, there are always more than a few places to try out!Mumbai is famous for Vada Pav. It is good, but not as good as one may think. I’ve had many friends who ate a Vada Pav for the first time and went,“That’s…it?” Having said that, if you here, you must definitely give it a try!Matunga is a hub for delicious South Indian food. I’d totally recommend it. I am a South Indian myself :PTravelMumbai is blessed with an extensive local transport. Make the most of it. There is quite a lot of traffic (some roads are full even at 3 AM). So, it is not a good idea to use private vehicles here!If you are going to travel very frequently, get a Railway Season ticket or a BEST bus pass.Smart Cards are also handy. Also, on every station, you may see a person using his own Smart Card to issue the tickets. You can use it, it is completely legal. In fact, it is recommended as the queue tend to move faster there!Needless to say, install m-Indicator. You can access schedule, fares and updates of all modes of commute in one place.Learn to differentiate between the different compartments - First Class, Ladies, Ladies First Class, Handicapped etc. If you’re a guy, don’t even dare to enter a Ladies compartment. I have fond memories of being shooed out my few women when I was 13 and entered with my Mom.Understand the concept of fast/slow trains - fast trains travel at the same speed but stop at fewer stations, making them ‘faster’There are multiple lines of local train service - Harbour, trans-harbour, central, western line. It is advisable to keep a picture of a map of stations in your phoneWhenever boarding a train, put your mobile. wallet etc. inside your bag and sling it in front of you.If you are new, don’t try to hop on or off a moving train or lean near the door. It could be dangerous.Taxis/autos always travel by meter. There are pre-fixed fares for the same. Note that fares increase after 11:59 PM.Most taxi drivers are polite and kind. If you travel enough, you’ll definitely meet a few who have interesting anecdotes/opinions to share.ShoppingIf high-end branded clothes are not a necessity for you, Mumbai is paradise for you - there are many super-cheap places like Fashion Street, Fendi etc. which have products that are a steal!PeoplePeople are in a hurry. All the time. If you walk slowly, block their way or make them more late in any way, be prepared for an earful.Having said that, feel free to ask for directions/resolve a doubt from someone. If you are in need of help, people would definitely help.It is advisable to learn frequently used phrases in Marathi - the local language. It eases many conversations, especially with cops (just in case). Also, one should definitely learn the Marathi numbers. It is NOT the same as Hindi!If you are well-dressed, you’d most likely be approached by many young children in old, torn clothes. It can break your heart to see them - which is exactly what the intent is. You won’t really help them by giving money, as there is a big bad racket behind it all.GeneralRainy season can be messy. Make sure you carry polythene bags for important files/devices etc.If you happen to meet a bunch of guys in white dress with Gandhi topis carrying lunch boxes in trains, they are the dabbawaalas. They are an iconic aspect of the city with a super-efficient logistic service, which even made it as a case study in IIM AhmedabadStand in a queue wherever you need to. Your time is important? So is everyone else’s. You anyway won’t be spared if you cut a queue!Do not read a ‘Pickpocket Area’ warning sign and touch your wallet. This tells where your wallet/mobile is kept to an onlooker and is the prime modus operandi for many pickpocketers (holds outside Mumbai too I guessUnlike other metro counterparts, Mumbai is relatively safe for women. Dial ‘103’ in case you need to report any incident. It is a 24-hour available helpline number.All in all, living in Mumbai is a great experience. You see the bad part of it at times, but if you’ve been here long enough, you know the city has a special spirit of itself.Image Source - Google Images