In
the democratic Presidential primaries that eventually lead to Obama’s first
term, I could not convince myself to consider Edwards (too unctuous)
even though his ’”two Americas” theme showed a critical understanding off
America’s greatest dilemma — and increasingly, the world’s. Lots of good stuff comes from the competitive
spirit. The desire to get rich is not in
anyway immoral in my mind. Generally
speaking, if someone works hard enough and smart enough, risks his or her own
capital, solves problems and assumes responsibility for the product or service,
then that someone deserves more return on that investment than those who don’t.
But what happens is that, like any good plan, things can get
out of kilter. In the 1980s, Tom Wolfe
chronicled the “masters of the universe” and the two Americas in his great book
Bonfire of the Vanities. It’s a
worthwhile read and a fine piece of crime fiction. (The movie version, which
seemed more like a Mel Brooks-directed film than one by Brian De Palma, is worthless).
As movies go, Wall Street
captures the times and should have served as warning for the “too big to fail”
bank and Wall Street corruption that would punctuate the end of Bush Junior’s’
term and throw our economy into its greatest turmoil since the Great
Depression. Let me throw some names out
there — Goldman Sachs, Bernie Madoff, the Koch Brothers — masters or former
masters of the universe. Follow the
money. Look at those who have benefited most from this egregious wealth
disparity.
Books and movies have told us about this. We have been
warned. If nothing else the cold, harsh
numbers should how us how skewered our economy is in favor the wealthy, who buy
the people who make the laws. According to Oxfam, the world’s 85
wealthiest people have as much money as the 3.5 billion poorest people on the
planet – half the Earth’s population. In
the U.S., despite increased productivity, worker wages have decreased. The
middle class is shrinking while corporate profits are setting records. Profits
for hedge fund investors (who must already be among the wealthiest of our
citizens, are taxed at half the rate of the workers who pick up our trash.
Current U.S. minimum wage is $7.25 an hour or roughly $290 for a 40-hour week,
hence the phrase, working poor.”
 |
| The Wolf of Wall Street |
Corporations,
like Wal-Mart who regularly benefit from government subsidies fight any
increase in minimum wage. In the case of
Wal-Mart, members of the Walton family occupy five positions in Americas’s top
ten billionaires, according to Forbes.
The Koch Brothers, each a billionaire 36 times over, also fight against
increasing the minimum wage even to catch up with inflation. Then again, they fund organizations seeking
to undo social security.
We have been
warned. I’ve not yet seen The Wolf of Wall Street, but having read
much about it, Martin Scorsese
tell us again how unchecked capitalism creates two Americas, one of them a
thief, the other a victim.
Koch Brothers, martin Scorsese, Wolf of Wall Street, Wall Street,
Bonfire of the Vanities, minimum wage, wealth disparity,
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