frankly speaking

Haves and Have-Nots: Thoughts from Unconscious Pessimism

The other day I was catching up with a friend on the phone and he made a point that I had been thinking about subconsciously for the last little while - the fact that our society is more and more turning into the haves and the have-nots. Below are some of my random thoughts on the subject (note: I’m usually an optimistic person, but this subject always casts me in a sour mood):

- It’s fairly evident that the top 1% in this country hold over 90% of wealth, but there’s more to it than that. Ever since 2008, I believe we’ve seen a more disproportionate percentage of our society breakaway and there become more of a defining line between rich and poor in this country.

One of my supporting arguments for this theory is the chronic unemployment problem we’re experiencing. Chronic unemployment is not sustainable in any economy (Greece’s current problems are a good example of why this is the case). Likewise, you see it when people are applying for jobs - they either have the experience that you’re looking for, or they don’t. The question then becomes, what do you do with people who don’t have the experience your looking for? The obvious answer is to train them. But to train a person who lacks a skill takes time and money. Money isn’t usually a problem, but with the current bent towards austerity around the world, I fear it will become more difficult to come by. Time can be an even more valuable resource than money, but if a society is to transform itself (like what we are currently trying to do here in the United States) I think it’s a worthwhile investment. 

- There was a recent study done on cnn.com that showed most Americans couldn’t afford $1000 emergency expense. This really shocked me. How have we as a society let this happen to ourselves? Again this goes to show that even though we call ourselves ‘civilized’ our friends and neighbors lack adequate resources to fund accidents that can befallen anyone of us at anytime.

- Education - the cost of education is skyrocketing at an enormous pace. College debt horrendously burdens those just graduating from school and wears on the minds of parents of young kids. Regardless of even college, the price of tuition at my local private elementary school is significantly more than I paid for my freshman year of college. Why  is this so? Well, there are lots of reasons. The more important question is what can we do about this?

- Healthcare - this is going to be a huge problem for our country sooner rather than later. I’ve heard it reported that soon we’ll have up to $80 Trillion in unfunded medicare responsibilities. If everyone thought the debt ceiling fiasco was bad, just wait until shit hits the fan with healthcare. With its costs rising faster then ever, it’s unimaginable how the non-rich are going to support future care - not just for themselves, but for the millions of baby boomers out there.

As I’ve pointed out many times in this blog, we’re quickly coming to a crossroads in our society. When Rome got here, it burned and faded away into history. I believe we are a transition point, not dissimilar from the industrial revolution or just before WWII. Our generation, my generation, has the opportunity  to do something great. Unfortunately, we have an early reputation for being self-entitled snobs. What we do will have an impact on this country well into the 22nd century. I hope we’re not to self-involved that we forget to help each other out.