Re: [Phys-l] Economics 101, Sociology 101, Social Justice 101, ---Physics 101?

[John Mallinckrodt <ajm@csupomona.edu>]

Rick Tarara wrote:

> ...something to remember when spouting off about the top 1% or 10% or
> whatever.  That top 1% represents something like THREE MILLION  
> people in the
> U.S.  Part and parcel of Twain's remarks about statistics is the  
> use of
> percentages when that seemingly makes your point better and numbers  
> when
> that does so.  To be objective, it helps to do both.

Rick,

Since this would appear to be directed at my discussion of (or,  
perhaps, merely my "spouting off about") income and taxes for the  
wealthiest 1% of all Americans and at least appears to suggest that  
my argument was not objective because of the fact that it dealt so  
heavily with percentages, I wonder if you could explain to me how  
knowing the absolute numbers would in any way alter one's  
understanding of the point I was trying to make.

Thanks,

John Mallinckrodt
Cal Poly Pomona