Without trying to sound too much like a socialist...?

Question

Is it right that so few have so much while so many have so little? What can the average American do to stop the erosion of the middle class while the percentage of those living in sub-poverty grows daily and the ultra-wealthy continue to amass more riches?

Answer 1

I've often thought about this question. In my job, I travel all areas of Dallas TX daily. I see the extremely ridiculous wealthy people homes, neighborhoods, cars, schools, etc and I see the homeless under bridges trying to beat the heat 5 miles south of those neighborhoods all the time. My daily travels in Dallas allow me to sample extreme ranges of social and economic classes and it saddens me to see people living in the streets or ghettos and barrios without hope, beaten down by life and invisible to the public while in other parts of town, people have 3 new porsches and a jag in the garage and use an 07 Escalade for a daily driver. It is sad that so many have so much and are willing to do nothing and so many (like me) have very little but want to change everything...

I don't think there is anything you or anyone can do to limit the wealthy or to force them to help their fellow man. Keep your mind and heart straight and do what you can do to help people around you. I applaud your thoughts and morals and love for your fellow man. If it's any consolation the Bible says that riches accumulated here are worthless in the next life and that the least and most humble among us will be first in the next life. So I hope that the people I see suffering everyday without hope or help will be greatly rewarded or at least find sweet relief in the life after this one... Good Luck with your question...

Answer 2

Stop voting for the Republican party. During the last 6 years housing prices have moved beyond the means of the average income earners in the U.S. Large sections of the U.S. population have had to move from company-sponsored health care (as it disappears) to unfunded government sponsored care (such as Medicaid) not to mention the over 40 million Americans with no health care. The national debt has gone from a surplus to huge deficit, largely financed by China (see this site: http://www.economyincrisis.org/?content=eicad1 )
While actual taxes on the wealthiest 10% of the population has been reduced from above 45% to 33%, while leaving the burden on middle-income earners unchanged. Putting the rights or wrongs of the Iraq war aside, if as President Bush contends it is necessary, why not pay for it now rather than leaving a crushing debt burden for our grandchildren?
None of the above information is secret, there has been plenty of media coverage of these issues and thousands of web sites to devoted to their analysis. Yet when voters were asked why they voted they way they did in 2004, over 25% of republicans said they voted on the basis of "values." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2004 )
As long as over 60,000,000 Americans would rather argue about Gay Marriage than develop a balanced tax structure; as long as over 60,000,000 prefer to try to enforce their "values" by law on the other half of the country rather than reform Social Security or Medicare; as long as 60,000,000 Americans prefer to have their prejudices pandered to rather than have the environment protected then that is how long the "middle class" will continue to erode. On the day that the American middle class finally realizes that middle class ( or any other ) values cannot be legislated, that security (personal, national or international) cannot be maintained at the point of a gun, and that the welfare of the poor is not a question "doing good," but of securing the stability of our society as a whole, that is day that "the percentage of those living in sub-poverty," will stop growing, and that "the ultra-wealthy" will begin again to pay their fair share for our system.

Answer 3

In our society, you succeed or fail based on the money you have to spend. Those born into rich families have a head start but that doesn't mean that a poor person cannot rise above their conditions.

I don't think that some things like healthcare and medicines and food should be denied to someone for lack of money. But there are some that favor kicking the poor to the curb because their mere presence makes them feel guilty.

Answer 4

I believe that the individual American state governments needs to stop wasting time conducting "facts" upon other states than itself and start telling its people the truth. Stop trying to cover up their own mistakes with the mistakes of other states. We can do a lot to change the way that this nation is moving, but we cannot change how people themselves are. Some people over work themselves, while others simply wait around for the government. What do we do about this? Well, for the people that over work themselves, theirs not much, but for those that sit around, they need to start having some sort of education and a real job. It's all about making people reach out for what they need.

Answer 5

Join the socialist party and work towards improving the lives of those less fortunate. The Socialist party of America donated 20 Million (Nearly all of the parties funds) to the victims of Katrina that the government would otherwise overlook, such as people who were renting property and homeless people. Nothing says that you care like actually taking care of the people you claim to care about. The socialist party also send dozens of people down to help rescue people while the government was having trouble getting their act together.

Answer 6

I what needs to be done is to change who in our government, (or at least that would be a good start) Second we need to to create more government jobs and allow less government contracting of those jobs, these jobs should include hospitals, health insurance, telephone, and gas and electric (because that would force the other companies to pay more.) Finally issue stiff penalties for outsourcing American jobs. This would create less billionaires but more people in the middle class. But all this may be just my fantasy.

Answer 7

dont worry, historically people realizes the difference in wealth and fix it, (by pacific or aggressive methods)

Answer 8

wait for the end of capitalism and pray that we don't resort to barbarism when that time comes?