[ximeng]

Not quite sure the point of your comment. This article says nothing about whether poverty as a whole is decreasing? The report you link to agrees with what they say is a problem (e.g. "In high-income countries, the rising concern about shared prosperity is a reaction to income inequality that has reached levels unprecedented in the post-war period.") There is no contradiction between the top 1% getting richer and more global equality within the remaining 99%.

Oxfam no doubt have a political agenda, we could probably debate how clear it is and what exactly it is, but their political agenda doesn't particularly influence whether this article is correct, nor do your links seem to contradict it.

[ekianjo]

> This article says nothing about whether poverty as a whole is decreasing?

They are saying the inequalities are growing, whereas the world bank report says the inequalities in income are shrinking progressively. That's a very different view.

[ximeng]

I've skimmed the report you linked to, and I really don't see the contradiction. E.g. look at the quote below, taken from several on inequality:

"The second WBG goal of boosting shared prosperity is new and opportune. It shifts the focus in evaluating economic development from average income growth to income growth of the bottom 40 percent. Indicators proxying the socioeconomic status of the bottom 40 percent of the population, have shown little improvement, even though the growth of incomes of the bottom 40 percent of the population has not been slower than that of the general population in many countries. This growing inequality in basic living standards is worrisome".

I don't see anything that contradicts the Oxfam report, while there are some comments that seem broadly in line with it. Overall, the broad thrust of both seem in roughly the same direction, although they do take different views.

Again the inequalities in income shrinking progressively shown in the interactive presentation is between countries. It looks at incomes below 100k USD, which is not particularly relevant to a debate on the top global 1%.

I'm sure there's a debate to be had on how much inequality restricts growth. Perhaps it's not correct when Oxfam says that reducing inequality could improve the overall size of the pie. But I see little in your links to contradict that at first glance. Maybe you could point out more specific grounds for your views?

[rorykoehler]

Inequalities are shrinking not because everyone is getting richer but because the middle class is being hollowed out. People who used to be middle income earners are now low income earners making them more in line with the working class who were always low income earners. #progress

[adventured]

At least in the US more people have moved up out of the middle class and into the upper tiers, than have moved down and out of it. That is true over 15, 30, 45 year spans.

Progress indeed. The middle class is getting richer more than they're getting poorer.

http://i.imgur.com/APbN9Th.png