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Democracy Chronicles

US: Inequality in America

by Aydasara Ortega - June 9, 2019

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Created Unequal

The Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal.” Men meaning us.

It does. But doesn’t the US have a stratified class structure based on family background, wealth, authority, occupation, age, gender, etc.?

Sure. One that professes equality for all.

Hmm. So why does a country that professes equality for all have an unequal system? According to a great article at Forbes by Steve Denning, “a recent study by the Federal Reserve reveals the shocking extent of accelerating wealth inequality in America. Out of America’s total assets of $114 trillion owned by Americans in 2018, the wealthiest 10% of Americans owned 70% (up from 61% in 1989), while the bottom 50% of American households had virtually no net worth at all—down from 4% in 1989 to 1% in 2018.”

Because some profit from it.

Denning goes on to say, “wealth inequality has been driven by the notion that the purpose of a corporation is to maximize shareholder value as reflected in the current stock price.”

Wait, what? What are you people?

It’s us. An unequal system tolerated by us.

But why?

Because we are sold the idea that it is possible to climb the social class ladder: an illusion of success and its resulting pleasure.

Senior staff writer at the Pacific Standard Tom Jacobs puts it like this: “In America, if you’re ambitious and work hard, you can move up the socioeconomic ladder. At least, that’s the truism we all grew up believing.”

Right. I got five on it.

* Quotes in italic from the movie Us.

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Filed Under: DC Authors Tagged With: Capitalism and Big Business, Socialism and Labor

About Aydasara Ortega

Aydasara Ortega Torres writes for Democracy Chronicles from New York. She is a Faculty Member of Psychology at the College of Mount Saint Vincent. Also take a look at her website for more of her work.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Daniel Jones says

    June 12, 2019 at 1:49 pm

    Thank you for this concise look at a critical part of Our Governance Structure, Aydasara Ortega.

    You shared: “The Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal.” Men meaning us.”

    I have, for quite some time, thought that this platitude was too vague and left much to be desired as to meaning. It can be inconsistently interpreted in several ways.

    Then you make the astute observation and ask the question: “But doesn’t the US have a stratified class structure based on family background, wealth, authority, occupation, age, gender, etc.?”

    Now, I have to ask: Just what is the relationship to the platitude “All men are created equal.” of the actual stratified state that We have?

    First We should study and clarify the meaning of the word “Equal”. After considering all the specific ways We are not Equal, I think it would be logical and helpful to say that this word just means Equality in a general sense. We are Equal in that We are all Children Of God, or Human Beings. We generally share mental, emotional and physical traits that sets the stage for Us to work together to build Better and Better Social Structures…as We Evolve. This “general meaning” sets the parameters for additional, more specific, groundwork in the design of the Governance and actual Life Activities of Our Nation.

    From birth the inequality begins.

    I now realize that “inequality” and “Equality” came at the same time as automatic Yin and Yang opposites, that are essential, in the CREATIONAL scheme of all things, to the existence of each other. This is the ‘Law Of Duality’ at work.

    But what is harder to see is the Higher Law of “Law Of Three”, that the “Law Of Duality” leads to. But basically it is the area of interaction between a Duality; that grey area, so to speak, that is huge and complex.

    Anyway, We The People should realize that “Equality” and “inequality” goes hand in hand in Our Lives. Most of Us see this inequality as opportunity to rise above what We were. The design (and where this “design” has Evolved, or devolved to) of Our Governance and Social Structure has much to do with the degree of “opportunity” available to Us in Our Lives. The quest for Opportunity is the adventure part of Living…which is to say that “inequality” enables adventure in Our Lives. We need the unsureness of “adventure” to learn and grow. If everything was “Equal”, Life might be too boring.

    But, of course, “inequality” can go too far. It can become too Unjust and too Unfair. To counteract this tendency, “Equality” becomes valuable, as a concept that augments Balance. Basically, Opportunity should always be open to every “Qualified” Individual. And this “Qualification” needs a lot of work.

    We The People need to get more involved in the “Design”. We will not achieve perfection by doing this, but can accomplish Betterness and More Opportunity for Ourselves and Each Other.

    Don’t be afraid to change elements of the design. Changes can be changed.

    I would change “Men” to read “We The People”; a more inclusive term that better expresses Our Society of Today.

    I would change “…are created equal…” to …are CREATED Equal and “Un-equal.” in accordance with the “Divine Law Of Duality”.

    Then I would continue on to state the role We The People fulfills (ideally) as the Living Third Element of Our Nation.

    Reply

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