I found this picture on the web today.
Just to be clear, I think it kinda sucks that I can’t buy a new TV whenever I want, and that my recently broken laptop screen is a big ordeal financially and chronologically to me. But honestly, if you think that the wealthiest Americans are making outrageously huge incomes, please use correct graphics to show that to others. You’re making yourself, and everyone around you look like an idiot.
Now, I’m pretty sure what happened here, is that they used the incomes for the diameters of their circles. I’ll almost believe that it is accurate. But when the whole point of the picture is that the big circle doesn’t even fit on the page, it sure would be smart to make sure that it was actually too big, and that you didn’t just draw a pretty picture and claim it means something it doesn’t.
While my greedy self does think it unfair that some folks make hundreds of times more than I do, I don’t really care so long as they are paying their fair share in taxes, employing some people and spending that money buying stuff. But when the people who disagree with that, who feel deeply wronged by someone else making a shit-ton of cash, can’t make a proper graphic showing their disparity, it sort of deflates their argument. Here’s a graphic that is accurate:
