Tuesday, March 5, 2013

The Rich Have Stacked the Deck



I don't understand why more Americans aren't angry. Over the last 10 years, the incomes of middle-class Americans have not gone up, while the rich are richer than ever.
The American dream worked for me but it doesn't work anymore. When my father died at seven, with no insurance, I was supported by Social Security checks. When I went to college Social Security gave me money. My mother never made more than $5000 a year, but I ended up with a PhD. I eventually became a University vice president.
Could that happen today? I severely doubt it. Despite the fact most Americans believe in the American dream, the middle class has been pummeled almost out of existence. The future for rich kids is bright, but the future for the African-American and Latino students that I taught in University are not.
But we accept this. Despite the fact we are one of the least upwardly mobile societies now, people still think the American dream is alive. And that is what is killing us.
The Republican Party protects the rich. The Democratic Party makes a lot of noise. But the fact is, the rich are getting richer and we all are getting poorer.
Our world has changed and we cling to old realities. We need to get pissed off and demand a more fair society. Clinging to elusive old stories won't fix things. Making the rich richer, is making most of us poorer. It's time to wake up and take some action.

No comments:

Post a Comment