Wealth Inequality in America

This video published in 2012 caught the attention of citizens all over the United States and social media, in regards to the state of inequality in America, concerning wealth and poverty. The video highlights the difference between the US and their perception of inequality considering the ‘ideal’ and the ‘real’ statistics. It is evident from the nineteenth century onwards there is a growing inequality of the rich and the poor that was accentuated by immigration, however, it is interesting to note the viewpoints of actual American’s. Even the publisher states – ‘The reality is often not what we think it is.’

It is hard to perceive the United States as a country who on the surface seem to be financially independent and they encourage the success of their own, in accordance with the American Dream. The comparison of the Great Depression and the recent recession in 2008 suggests how could America possibly reach this state of decay whereby its citizens are struggling. According to the statistics shown in the video, the average worker would have to work more than a month to earn what their CEO would earn within one hour. Consequently, eight out of ten people in America only have 7% of the country’s wealth, ranging from the poor to the highest of the middle class, bordering on the rich. Subsequently, 1% of the population have 40% of the all the nation’s wealth.

Hence, this video seems to position itself amongst those who believe socialist’s ideas, whereby everything and everybody should be equal. The commentator who addresses the citizens of America as ‘we’, implies he is an American too, yet demonstrates the distribution of wealth in America to highlight the disproportion.