The top one percent own half of all the world's assets. In stark contrast, the bottom fifty percent of the world owns less than one percent. According to the 2014 Global Wealth Report from Credit Suisse, global inequality has surged since the 2008 financial collapse. The report explains that while global wealth has more than doubled since the year 2000, the vast majority of overall growth has gone to those who were already wealthy.

Emma Seery of Oxfam International explained how serious this inequality has really become. She said, “in poor countries, rising inequality means the difference between children getting the chance to go to school and sick people getting life saving medications.”

And, thanks to Thomas Piketty, we know that even in so-called developed nations like ours, inequality can be one of the biggest threats to a functioning democracy.

It's time to fight for an economy that works for all the people of the world, and a system that asks those with the most to contribute their fair share.

-Thom

(What do you think? Tell us here.)

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... The Lost Generation... (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

Be sure to check out our new videos: CARBON & LAST HOURS - both narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio

Big Picture Politics Panel:
- George Landrith, Frontiers of Freedom
- Andrea Miller, Progressive Democrats of America (PDA)
- Tyler Harber, GOP Strategist

Screwed: How BP screwed the fishermen of Apalachicola Bay
- Scott Carruthers, Carruthers Law Group.

Green report: Fukushima radiation nearing West Coast
- Kevin Kamps, Beyond Nuclear

Free excerpt, read book for free at Truthout, buy the book!

Tuesday's Daily Stack

Hour One: Why is any public school in America in the 'religion business'?
- Bryan Fischer, American Family Association

Article: "Madison County school board: Bible verses on football field monument have to go" by Maureen Downey.

Video: Dr. Michael Savage- Ebola Comes To America (September 30, 2014).

Article: "The GOP hates the ‘lamestream media’ even more than you think" by Aaron Blake.

Book: "The Crash of 2016: The Plot to Destroy America--and What We Can Do to Stop It" by Thom Hartmann.

Article: "What Do the Koch Brothers Want?" (1980 Libertarian Party platform) by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Site: "Firing Line archives".

Pigeon Alert: "Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's the 'Human UFO' as pilots spot flying man at 3,500ft " by Jeremy Armstrong.

Hour Two: Fukushima radiation to hit West Coast
- Paul Gunter, Beyond Nuclear

Article: "Fukushima radiation nearing West Coast" by Tracy Loew.

Article: "Current Results" by Center for Marine and Environmental Radiation, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Article: "Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Texas Senate Bill 14" by Eric Nelson.

Speech: "A Rendezvous With Destiny", 27 June 1936 acceptance speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt. "Better the occasional faults of a government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a government frozen in the ice of its own indifference""

Article: "Ohio's GOP governor says Obamacare is helping people, then rapidly retreats" by Andrew Prokop.

Quote: "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people" - " by Karl Marx.

Talk Radio News Segment:
- Bob Ney

Article: "Scott Brown, Jeanne Shaheen to spar in televised debate" by Joshua Miller.

Law: "Help America Vote Act" (2002).

Article: "Sanders: New Report Shows Voter ID Laws Are 'Intended to Discourage Voting'" by Andrea Germanos.

Clip: "Paul Weyrich - "I don't want everybody to vote" (Goo Goo)".

Article: "U.S. Ebola 'czar' will not attend House hearing on Friday" by Reuters.

Article: "On Ebola Response, Congressional Republicans Put New Focus on Visa Suspensions" by Jonathan Weisman.

Article: "How a US and International Atomic Energy Agency Deception Haunts the Nuclear Talks" by Gareth Porter.

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Site: Governor Free Don Siegelman.

Book: "Sideswiped: Lessons Learned Courtesy of the Hit Men of Capitol Hill" by Robert Ney.

Article: "TRNS News Notes- 10/21" by Victoria Jones.

Article: "TRNS News Notes- 10/20" by Victoria Jones.

Hour Three: What America needs to learn about Ebola
- David Quammen, Ebola: The Natural and Human History of a Deadly Virus

Article: "Dallas Ebola Watch Clears First Group Quarantined" by ABC News.

Article: "WHO: New Ebola Cases Could Be Up To 10,000 Per Week In 2 Months" by AP.

Article: "Nigeria’s Ebola crackdown is an example to the world " by Sarah Boseley.

Article: "CDC issues new hospital guidance for Ebola" by Holly Yan and Ashley Fantz.

Book: Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan.

Book: Theological Worlds: Understanding the Alternative Rhythms of Christian Belief by W. Paul Jones.

Article: "Panentheism" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Deism" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Jonestown" by Wikipedia.

Bible: "Luke 21:23". But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

Site: Wendy Davis for Texas governor.

Site: Leticia Van de Putte for Texas lt. governor.

Site: Raul Garcia For Congress 2014 (Bakersfield 23rd district).

Article: "Documents Reveal Billions of Gallons of Oil Industry Wastewater Illegally Injected Into Central California Aquifers" by Hollin Kretzmann.

Article: "Myth Bust: One Dog Year Does Not Equal Seven Human Years" by Janet Allon.

Article: "The NRC needs to consider seismic data in Diablo Canyon license renewal" by Friends of the Earth.

Article: "Lab official admits he faked water samples to help coal companies skirt regulations" by Lindsay Abrams.

Article: "Study shows sharks have personalities".

Wednesday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET

Bishop Council Nedd II will be here to discuss the contentious issue of whether clergy should be fired for refusing to marry gay couples.

Plus, I'll debate raising the minimum wage with James Sherk of the Heritage Foundation.

And, the best of the rest of the news along with your calls right here on...

The Thom Hartmann Program, Occupying The Media 3 hours a day 5 days a week" for "we the people"

And don't forget...Democracy is NOT a spectator sport...it begins with you...

Thank you for being part of our ever growing community for News, Debate and Opinion on the Thom Hartmann Program.

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Sincerely,

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GOP John Kasich says Ocare repeal "not gonna happen" - Is he right?

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"Crash of 2016" website

Watch Thom on: - MSNBC's The Cycle
- CNN's Crossfire
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Thom's newest book!

Conversations w/Great Minds P1: Dr. Reza Aslan - What Do Atheism & Islam Have in Common?

Conversations w/Great Minds P2: Dr. Reza Aslan - EVERY Religion Condones Killing...

Conversations w/Great Minds P3: Dr. Reza Aslan - The Difference Between Practice & Belief?

Conversations w/Great Minds P4: Dr. Reza Aslan - The Death of God...

Big Picture Panel P1: Is appointing an Ebola czar the right way to go?

Big Picture Panel P2: Will Ebola be a wake-up call for our healthcare system?

Full Show 10/20/14: Reza Aslan on Islam and ISIS

In tonight's special hour-long “Conversations with Great Minds" Thom talks with religious scholar Reza Aslan, author of the new book “Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth.”

Caller: I'm Really Optimistic About Millennials...

Millennials Don't Understand Libertarianism...

Why is any Public School in America in the 'Religion Business'?

Thom Hartmann on Science & Green News: October 21, 2014

How BP screwed the Apalachicola Bay fishermen

Caller: I Don't Self-Censor...

Republicans Want you to Fear the Wrong Things!

Time to Close Gitmo for Good?

Caller: I Registered Republican Because it's Safer...