Forbes list of billionaires

< The rich had a very good year. >

I think that pretty much sums up not just this year but the last 30 years of conservative domination of economics in this country.

< The collective net worth of the 691 billionaires we could find is $2.2 trillion, up $300 billion from the combined worth of the 587 people listed last year. Every region saw gains. The world's richest moguls now hail from 47 countries, including, for the first time, Kazakhstan, Poland, Ukraine and even Iceland. The newcomers include 69 Americans and 38 Europeans. More than half of them are entirely self-made. >

This last sentence is an enormous lie. Forbes treats as "entirely self made", those who like W where born on 3rd base and believe they hit a home run. Forbes like to keep up this lie of the conservatives to mask the fact that we DO NOT have much class mobility in the US. This makes the GOP regressive tax cuts and punitive program cuts far more ruthless and evil.
The other big lie is that they have so much wealth because the market place has rewarded them for filling some important need of the public. Please explain how that could possible include Ty Warner (#94) the beanie baby billionaire?

http://www.forbes.com/static/bill2005/rank.html?passListId=10&passYear=2005&passListType=Person&searchParameter1=unset&searchParameter2=unset&resultsStart=1&resultsHowMany=25&resultsSortProperties=%252Bnumberfield1%252C%252Bstringfield2&resultsSortCategoryName=Rank&passKeyword=&category1=category&category2=category&boxes=custom

We working people will not retake any semblance of power unless and until we change the way we hire politicians. Grass roots activism is more necessary now then ever.Campaign funding should be our first step. While it is true that whoever has the most money is not always elected, it is also true that big money always decides first who is electable.

and they're . . . er . . . "self made".

ahhhhhhhhhNO.

all alone. We know how devastating the inheritance tax is on small family business.

America can witness the re-birth of the US dynasties-- the pampered and bejewelled offspring of these "self-made" billionaires.