For the land of the free... er' Rich

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The United States of America, most Americans will claim it to be the greatest nation in the world. Why would they, or should they think differently. America is labeled as the land of freedom, liberty, equal opportunity for all, yada yada yada.

Sure, equal opportunity for all, that's definitely it. Just look at the facts. The top 1% of households has more wealth than the bottom 95% combined. Let's not forget the 37 million people living below the poverty line, which is an annual income of $16,000 for a three person family. In fact, between 1977 and 1999, the top 5th of households annual income increased by 43%, the middle fifth of households by 8% and the bottom fifth decreased by 9%. Oh, and let us not forget about the top 1% of households who's income gained 115%. Equality for all isn't it?

How about we put this into perspective, the people in the Forbes-400, the 400 richest Americans are worth about one-ninth of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), a staggering $1-trillion. The average CEO in America made 531 times the average worker in 2000. How bout we take a look at an example. Bill Gates in 1999 was worth $85 billion, which equals the gross national product (GNP) of Nicaragua and all the other countries of Central America–Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras and Belize–plus the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Bolivia combined. Equality for all isn't it?

Well congress surely has addressed this matter right? I mean, the American government surely is doing something about this right? Well, not really. In the last 9 years the minimum wage has stayed static, while congress voted itself eight pay raises. According to Rick Wilson, director of American Friends Service Committee's West Virginia Economic Justice Department, the base pay for a congressman is $168,500 per year. A single mother earning the minimum wage would have to work 15.7 years at 40 hours per week to earn the congressman's minimum of a year. How do I become an American congressman? I mean, a job where I get to vote on my own pay raise, that just sounds way too good to be true. Equality for all isn't it?

In the wealthiest nation in the world one in five children lives in poverty. Equality for all isn't it?