Race and Class War: Wealth Disparity in the US and its Future Consequences
A day doesn’t go by without reading some report on how the income distribution in the US is approaching calamitous levels. For some, we have already reached that level. For others, the level is in a distant future. I guess it all depends on whom you ask.
For those who feel we have already passed the tipping point they point out that in the US millions there are without health care, millions have left the workforce in their prime years and have no desire to look for work. Also, out of the workforce are the millions in jail. The US has 6% of the world’s population, yet we have 25% of the world’s incarcerated.
As it relates to income, close to 50% of workers don’t pay income tax. They are not earning enough money. Also, many of the working poor receive government aid.
Currently, many in the middle-class and rich categories see the issue of wealth disparity as an academic conversation. There is no immediate consequence. On the other side, there are politicians like Bernie Saunders who advocate a more normal distribution of wealth. People in this category are accused of being communist and wealth distribution nutters.
However, if we extrapolate the numbers it isn’t hard to see that in 20-30 years there will be more poor people and lower middle class than the rich and middle class. It will only take a charismatic leader like Venezuela's former leader Hugo Chavez to be elected to office and start confiscating properties.
In South Africa, recently elected leader Ramaphosa stated that taking land from white farmers and giving it to black South Africans corrects the original sin of whites taking land from blacks. The very action can be justified in the US since many black leaders believe slavery is what built America. If it weren’t for slavery black would own what has been built.
Today, the US does have a race and class problem and with escalating the wealth divide will only make it worse. Also, the minority population is growing 300% faster than the white population.
So, even if a rich white person does not care for a black or poor person it is in his/her best interest to find a solution to the dividing issues today. If not, within 50 years we will have a race and class war. In areas of the country, there will be ethnic cleansing and property confiscation without compensation.
An example of this is in South Africa where the congress just voted to confiscate the land holdings of white South Africans without compensation. This action sets South Africa on the path of Zimbabwe were land was confiscated without compensation. Zimbabwe was once the bread-basket of Africa. Today, it is unable to feed itself.
While it is easy to blame to poor for being poor and even lazy it would be much wiser to find a different approach to address the wealth disparity if we don’t want history to repeat itself in the US.
To address this poverty issue billionaires like Sir Richard Brandon advocate a living wage regardless employment. Co-founder of Facebook, Chris Hughes has advocated for a guaranteed income. This money even though it isn’t earned it will serve the same purpose as it is spent and circulated within the economy and people will not be desperate and destitute.
I don’t know what the right solutions are, but the trajectory of the path we are on does not support a promising future. What I do know is these problems can't be solved by a few individuals. Businesses and government have to play a role.
Please post your thoughts on the issue.
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Whether one agrees or disagrees with the thoughts and ideas expressed, he hopes they provide a broader foundation for discussion. Dr. Beekie received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Organizational Communication from Concordia College, Moorhead, MN, master's degree in Intercultural Communication from North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, and doctorate in Organization Development from the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis, MN.
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