What does it mean when 1.7% of the population has more power and influence than 77% of the population?

Approximately those percentages have existed for thousands of years, even in socialist countries such as Russia, China, and North Korea. Attempts to equalize have generally been unsuccessful, and have produced horrible side effects. Who will provide the risk capital for new products and services, if we are all middle class, and deeply in debt?

Adolf Hitler was perhaps most successful, but the side effects were horrible.

Yeah, the 77% you mentioned consists of morons, trash culture breeders, flash mobs, gangs run by warlords, and people too spineless to take charge of our own government, sheeple. Self governing means we govern. Probably half or more of the 1.7% are sociopaths herding us around like sheep. In a democracy you get the government you deserve. "Insane" is a better word than "sick."

Note to Eddie J At least the majority of the "1%" do indeed have MORE than $500 billion. They are NOT investing it. At least not in our country. They are putting their investments into China and North Korea. They are closing our factories, and moving the production to places that use slave and child labor. What's worse, is most of them didn't earn this money. Their parents did, and it was earned using the sweat and ingenuity of the US worker. It was "earned" by giving the US worker less than his share of his efforts. After giving our lifetimes, to them they don't even give us the pensions we paid into. When you have actually worked and tried to earn a living, I.E. when you grow up, you will change your mind.

Eddie J is missing it. The problem is the 1.7% have 500 BILLION each, while the 77% have 9,000, each.

"We can have a democracy, or we can have the wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both" Louis Brandeis

It means 77% needs to get a damn education. Scientist can be viewed as controlling the world since they control our medicine and technology. Is it sick that they control it? No, it's not their fault the average person is a dumbass.

No that's how the world works. But, in Western countries, usually that 1.7% have less control than in developing, religious countries.

Yes, Hollywood sycophants use their money to influence the news media and even the direction of some political stories.

If you're referring to things like no christian symbols on government property, no official prayer in public schools, no teaching of "creationism" as science in public schools, etc. in America, no one is allowed to violate the U.S. Constitution. When a court tells a public school to remove a religious symbol, it's not because someone found it offensive, it's because it's unconstitutional. Christians don't own the country.

It means we have a system of government where the majority is not allowed to vote on the rights of the minority.

Yes, this is a sick society. Read 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and ask yourself if it sounds like our times.