We are a society who seemingly emphasizes our commitment to the equality of all. We like to think that all people are equal and are afforded the same opportunities. We like to think that outside of our own bubble everyone lives just like us. We know inherently that it is not so. There is rampant inequality throughout society. According to the text book, inequality is defined as” the unequal access to scarce good resources” (Barisco,et al, p. 231.) This inequality can lead to a portion of society not having access to basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter. This inequality leads to a large population of hungry and homeless citizens in our cities.…
A brief glance at United States history will provide miniscule details of the reality of the American society, and will instead present the United States as a utopia of sorts. Upon through examination, one will find an America that nearly fits the dictionary definition of a dystopia: "an imaginary place where people are unhappy and usually afraid because they are not treated fairly." ("Dystopia") The one difference being, it is actually a reality, not a fantasy, for the majority of the populace. From the revolutionary era where the elite controlled the mass majority of the wealth, through the industrial age where the elite had an even greater concentration, to the present day, where the upper class live in luxury and the lower class still lives…
All in all,Equalities society and U.S society are significantly different. Aside from democracy, in the United States, government,education, and technology are some of the many progressive lifestyles offered. On the other hand lack of these important lifestyles creates a barrier between Equality's society and U.S…
Robert H. Frank explains that the income inequality is hurting our economy and over all well-being. During World War 2, the income rate rose tremendously at the same rate. America during this time had a great economy with a bold middle class striving to receive the American dream (Frank, 581). Plenty of new building and complex infrastructures were built and people were sanguine; the American dream was passionately alive. Life for many Americas was great, the country as a whole was striving with new complex infrastructures which a small gap between the rich and poor. Unfortunately, during the last three decades the economy had fallen and therefore, increased the income inequality. There has been no evidence proving that greater income inequality helps strengthen our economy. Recent studies have found that countries where income inequality grow fastest has shown the largest financial distress. These financial distresses include heightened divorce rates, increased bankruptcy filings and long commute times. In my opinion, everyone should agree that the elevated income equality is a negative and do something to prevent it. This is only one of the many obstacles that make the goal of the American dream…
America is more corrupt than some would like to admit. Concerning the government, very powerful people have a tendency to abuse their power. This affects the citizens greatly by not having a fair system of equality. The corrupted are only out for personal gain, therefore, they manage to not do their job properly. The infamous President Nixon, as just one of many great examples. Despite the corruption, there are many figures of society that do great things for the people, but not enough to make a lasting impact. The growing issues of murder, robbery, abuse of illegal substances, and violence, have infected the streets of our country. With the idea that such things exist, why have there not been more successful tactics to stop it? It seems as though the government is much more concerned with stuffing their pockets than improving lower class society. Regarding the government, they say that they are going to take action, but there is rarely ever truth in that statement. Above the destitute are people that have more money than they could ever spend away. In addition, there are people struggling to survive in less fortunate areas of America that could live months off the daily salary of the wealthy. They barely make enough money to have a place to live, or food to put on their table. Children starve, end up in foster care, which is a failed system in itself, and end up homeless. Instead of focusing on other countries, maybe it would be more practical to notice the problems in our own. During the wars, people at home suffer from the extreme separation of classes. Through the nations struggles, our very own country is feeling the poverty take over. It seems quite unfair that some people can blow thousands of dollars on a champagne bottle and at the same time, a child in a bad neighborhood is starving. The separation of classes is nothing knew. In fact, it has been around since man could start a fire with some sticks. After…
America the Beautiful: What We’re Fighting For by Dinesh D’Souza focuses on the tension between America and the Islamic countries. Islamic countries have a very set way of life while in America everyone has their own choice. There is no set of plan. This idea threatens the Islamic ideals. There are many advantages that America has over other countries. D’Souza called American society, “the greatest, freest, and most decent society in existence,” and goes as far as to say that Islamic societies produce, “wretched, servile, fatalistic and intolerant human beings.” I really like the way the author compares the Islamic culture and the American culture. The Islamic fundamentalist wants to govern their people by means of violence and oppression in the name of Allah; whereas, the American culture, gives the people the freedom to choose their own destiny. In the American culture, the government and religion are kept separate to avoid abuse of power; while the Islam wants to be the government and the religion as well. Even though the American culture is new compared to the Islam, it has evolved a lot faster for the benefit of the people. I try not to judge a culture, which I do not really understand, but a feeling of indignation overruns me when I read or see how women are treated in some of those Islamic countries. Women have no rights and are like properties of their husbands In addition, the author in this article defines freedom as the liberty to do good or evil. However, by this definition, freedom implies the liberty of doing good or bad things, so does this mean that there are bad people in our culture? Well, the answer is yes, but the good news is that even bad people are protected in our culture; everyone has rights in America. America is not perfect; however, it is the best the world has to offer. It is the job of our generation to make America a better place for generations to come. We…
Most people who believe that America is becoming more unequal is not a good prospect and causes the inequality of health outcome due to insufficient wages, a high ratio of high political office wages to lower working class wages and immature emphases of wealth to people less fortunate. James K. Galbraith of the Free Press says that “American citizens have grown, and now it is wider than at any other time since the Great Depression. It is so wide that it has come, once again, to threaten the social solidarity and stability of the country. It has come to undermine our sense of ourselves as a nation of equals. In this way, rising inequality presents a stark challenge to American national…
One ideal that America has not reached is equality. Equality is defined as the ideal situation where everyone is treated the same and valued equally. Usually, the people who are affected most by inequality are African- Americans, women, immigrants and people of the lower economical class. Today, some Americans believe that women are having such successful careers, that they are replacing men as the primary source of income in America. While that is somewhat true, the women still make only 70% of what men make. The pay gap only shows women are still not equal to men and progress still needs to be made. African Americans are also not equal. Even after slavery has ended, Jim Crow laws went into effect, which meant that the best of everything was reserved for whites’ only-schools, jobs, neighborhoods, hospitals, etc. This meant that Blacks did not have the same opportunities as…
In theory, it would be nice for everyone to live a life where they had not financial hardships and poverty could be eradicated. Unfortunately, there will always be some sort of financial inequality in America as well as some form of poverty, but the solution is not income redistribution. Author Brad Thor once reasoned that,” The reason socialism has failed around the world every time it's been tried is because people in socialist countries have looked at the United States and have said if they can have it that good, we can. It's a failed, flawed ideology, but if you ask socialists why it's always failed, it's because the United States has stood in the…
There have always been inequalities in America, but the most shocking inequality is gender inequality because America is known for being a modern society due to it’s accepting nature but it is a paradox to have gender inequality embedded. These inequalities affect the peoples’ jobs, lives and wages. One of the roots of gender inequality is discrimination. Discrimination is… In other words society judges people on their external appearances. America is notorious for gender inequality.…
The status of women in the U.S. today has improved a lot. According to The State of Women in America, “women made up only about one-third of the workforce in 1969, women today make up almost half of all workers in the United States. Women are also stepping up to lead the country; a record number of women ran for public office in 2012, and a record-high percentage of women are serving in Congress.” Women today feel more apart, rather than an outcast. It is also clear to see that America is going to start to see changes with leaders of the country. Women are also paid equally to men according to their qualifications for the nature of the job.…
One of the most significant problems in the world now is that of economic inequality, and the social problems it produces. And the most damaging impact may be in developed nations such as the U.S. and Canada. The U.S. in particular has the greatest gap in wealth among all developed nations, and the problem it is causing is becoming more apparent with each passing day. During the recession in the U.S., at least 6 million people have lost their jobs; 25 million are underemployed. Eight trillion dollars of middle class wealth has been destroyed in the housing collapse. One out of eight mortgage holders owe more money on their home than it is worth. Fifty million people live at the poverty level. One of out of 8 people is on food stamps. One out of 2 children will be on food stamps at some point in their lives.…
The world always been an unequal place. Today, people are treated for not who they are, but for their religious background, race, gender and financial status. Inequality in the United States of America is present in a highest level. America is a country that reunites all seven continents in itself, moreover, it is possible to find people from various backgrounds here. However, not all of these people are treated equally. It is disappointing to see that how everyone is classified in this country. Indeed, if there is a crime the suspect must be a black male, if there is a terroristic attack or threat then the suspect is most likely to be a Muslim, if there is a robbery the suspect will be an illegal immigrant from Mexico. The root of this problem comes from the past century where people were judged by the color of their skin and this problem…
When we hear the word “America” we often think of independence, opportunity, and success. Equal opportunity can be defined as every individual granted a fair chance and should be treated the same. The opportunity should overlook religion, race, sex, ethnicity, etc. For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been studying the nature of inequality and how it’s had a negative impact on society. From the outside looking in, it seems as if America is the land of equal opportunity, however, that is not accurate. The United States is not the land of equal opportunity. People of different races have to fight daily for fair opportunities. Inequality affects the ability of people who wants to improve the standards of their lives and contribution to society.…
The “American Dream” is an important cultural landmark for the country and the inhabitants of the United States of America. Many people preach that the US is the land of equal opportunity. Yet many of the population completely ignores the fact that not everyone has the same equal start as others do. They negate the suffering of those who are at a lesser position than them by using things such as the “Affirmative Action Act”, “Cash Assistance”, and the “Food Stamps” against the groups of people who use these— that is women, minorities, and working class families. That is why it is important to address these issues as a whole and side-to-side, because this will lessen the disadvantages that these groups of people face. That is not to say that…