This is his column from November 6. It talks about how the richest 1 percent of Americans takes home almost 24 percent of income. He points out that "the United States now arguably has a more unequal distribution of wealth than traditional banana republics like Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Guyana."
We are so often referred to as the place of opportunity where anyone can come and make it to the top, but it's starting to seem that only applies to a small percentage of people. I've mentored refugee families who come here and work harder than anyone else I've known and they still can't move up in the system. What do you think? Do you think it's still possible to achieve the "American Dream"? Is that dream open to everyone to achieve or just a few?
So often the rhetoric goes: "pull yourself up by your boot straps" or "work harder" or "get another degree" etc. It seems we are always full of motivational phrases for those who are just not working hard enough. Two things I have been amazed are rarely talked about in mass media (or most media): the fact that inequality DOES still exist and the fact that this massive (and ever widening) income gap is NEVER covered, in US mainstream media. I feel like we are constantly inundated with US success stories like Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Hollywood Stars and professional athletes from mass media - those who reside in that 1% club. Additionally we are made to believe that those “American Dreams” are possible for us – that they are attainable for any of us with just a little hard work. I realize many might believe (or justify) these success stories are “motivating” but it seems all these stories do is encourage us to adopt unrealistic expectations of ourselves and others, make money and consumption king, and spend our lives ever focused on getting into the 1%, - all the while unhappy, uneasy about our place in society. So no, I clearly do not believe that dream is open to everyone to achieve and I am sick of the excuses abound for why so many haven’t made it to the 1% club or even the top 25% of the income bracket. I do not entirely blame the media but I do believe hiding behind the “its motivating” excuse is trite and clearly these “motivating stories” are DO NOT WORK!
ReplyDelete(stepping off the soap box….sorry….just so sick of the media portrayal of “success.”)