It's Bastille Day, so I'm thinking about my favorite French things. Baguettes, fromage, and the classic French tripartite motto -- "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité!"
Yeah, we're not doing so good with that second one on this side of the Atlantic.
I went back to re-read that Mother Jones piece from earlier this year ("It's the Inequality, Stupid") with eleven charts explaining "everything that's wrong with America." The infographics confirmed the disturbing disparity between rich and poor we see and feel everyday throughout the U.S.
The charts were decidely depressing. But one stuck out as a glimmer of hope:
For this study, over 5,000 Americans were asked how they thought wealth is distributed in the United States. Most thought it was more balanced than it actually is.
The actual distribution is troubling, but this is not:
When asked to choose our IDEAL distribution of wealth, 92% picked a FAR more equitable spread.
I think this is huge. This says there might be hope for us after all. Look at that bottom line of the chart & memorize it. This is what we WANT our country to look like. It's so rare that 92% of America agrees on anything. Let's make this happen, people.
(p.s. Here is another great article on this topic -- from Vanity Fair of all places.)
