Articles on American Inequality on Moyers & Company

"If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying that you want a country based on Christian Values, Because you don't."
                          ~ President Jimmy Carter




Decades ago, Americans opted to engage in the game, opr perhaps it is a rat race, of economic inequality. Everyone wanted to get rich, and gaining as much wealth as humanly possible was the ultimate rule, if indeed there were rules. Everything else was fair game, as thery say.

Well, decades later, we are seeing the result. Economic inequality like never before. The wealthiest Americans own a hell of a lot, while the rest of us....well, not so much. The tax system is unfair, most people agree. But the ones who complain the loudest are the rich, and statistically speaking, they pay the least. It still puzzles me how the country collectively seems to think that makes sense. Our schools are crumbling (in some cases, literally), and our children are the ones that suffer. Our postal system seems constantly threatened, although we may relearn the lesson before too long that you don't know a good thing until it's gone. The healthcare system that was established long ago simply does not work, is not satisfacotry, and is in dire need of reforming, being recognnized as inherently unfair, ahtlugh there is still so much opposition, primarily form people whop still want to play the game. Incomes simply seem stagnant, at least for most Americans, although the very wealthiest are raking in more money than ever, as these articles (links below) will expand upon. The national debt and national budget deficit always seem to be preposterously high, and we have not had a balanced budget for well over a decade.

So many problems, and so many people have lost faith in what traditionally were seen as the answers, which these days, only seem to raise more questions. We have too many problems to address right now, and we don't seem to even know where to begin.

Personally, I think one good starting point is to look at how we treat our neighbors - literally. And this is particularly true when our neighbors may just be the homless, or the impoverished. Many more people are reaching that crunching point, and things are certainly not getting any easier. It certainly cannot be bad to stay informed, however uncomfortable it might make us feel as we learn the truth.


Wealthiest Americans Take Home Biggest Share of Income Ever Recorded September 11, 2013 by Bryce Covert

http://billmoyers.com/2013/09/11/wealthiest-americans-take-home-biggest-share-of-income-ever-recorded/



How Inequality Was Created July 10, 2013 by Theresa Riley

http://billmoyers.com/2013/07/10/inequality-is-created/