Tribalism is built into our genes and our culture. It brings cooperation and kindness with those we know, and discrimination and brutality against ‘others’. We’ve layered on a political and regulatory system allowing a powerful minority to extract wealth from the majority.
This combination yields the racial inequality, resentment, and violence behind Black Lives Matter, Defund the Police, the skewed pattern of Covid-19 deaths, and the terrible hunger, poverty, and desperation so many Americans experience.
Covid-19 has hung this shroud up for public display. As this moment makes us look in the mirror, it presents an inspiring opportunity for deep, lasting change. Finding enormous privilege staring back from my mirror, I’m compelled to look deep within and around. Here is how I understand inequality — so far.
Institutionalized Poverty
If you are Black or brown in the USA your income will probably be 1/2 the national average, your net worth will be 1/10th, and your likelihood of death from Covid-19 will be 2 ½ times that of others. Ours is a culture where your ZIP Code at birth largely determines your future success. It doesn’t have to be this way.
We are the only developed nation without policies and programs that relieve most people’s health and economic anxiety. This is perfectly understandable. Our culture reveres fierce independence and accepts as cultural truth the myth, “Everyone can succeed if they try hard enough, and if they don’t, that’s their problem.”
We are also a nation of pragmatists, “If you want to understand something, follow the money trail. Ask, ‘Who is benefiting?’” It’s no surprise that the answer is usually, “The powerful.” But just because every human culture bestows special privileges on the wealthy and powerful, does not mean we must accept today’s extraordinary level of that inequality.
The combined wealth of the three richest people in the US exceeds that of the total bottom half of our population. 95% of all national economic gains go to the top 1%. That’s theft, and here’s why.
Culture Produces Wealth
Everything we do, everything we own, everything we imagine and long for stems from our culture. From birth, our brain shapes and trims itself to fit its environment, its culture. Our culture makes us who we are and gives us everything we know and believe. Without our culture, there would be no science, no commerce, no laws, no corporations, no entrepreneurs, no profits.
It’s only fair that entrepreneurs are handsomely rewarded for creatively assembling pieces of the culture in new and productive ways. But the society that provides all the puzzle pieces and educates the assembler, deserves its fair share — which I believe is at least 50% and more reasonably around 90% — leaving $Trillions for entrepreneurs to divvy up among themselves. So why isn’t that how it is?
The Fox Guarding the Hen House
This circles us back to the structure of inequality and racism. When the powerful and wealthy create the rules and regulations that govern them, they understandably tilt the playing field in their favor. The relationship between money, power, and politics is deep and long, exceedingly difficult to understand and describe, and so deeply embedded in our culture you cannot imagine how they could be untangled.
It’s a marriage of exquisite convenience. Politicians need money to be reelected. Corporations have the money but will only give it if it benefits their bottom line — that’s their legal mandate. So it’s no great secret that our legislators pass regulations, or look away, as corporations step-by-step create a society that benefits them while disadvantaging others. That’s the script for inequality.
The powerful push legislators to cut corporate and high-income taxes while eliminating unions and regulations that block a race-to-the-bottom on employee wages and benefits. It’s understandable why there is little pushback.
Imagine you are an elected representative in Washington. A lobbyist or industry ‘suit’ visits you, tells you how wonderful you are, offers help drafting legislation, and leaves a generous campaign contribution. Next an unhappy constituent walks in, burdens you with a complaint, and leaves no contribution. Who would you prefer to spend time with?
How Can I Help?
I’m pained to see the endless stories, not just in our own country but worldwide, of massive inequities and discrimination. I asked myself, “How can I be effective in helping identify and dismantle the structural inequalities leading to the current social unrest?” I feel so impotent. I empathize with the well-intentioned — though I believe misdirected — efforts of those attempting to rewrite history by demolishing statues and renaming schools, sports teams, and streets.
My jaded, paranoid mind says these demonstrations are tolerated — actually reinforced — because they deflect people’s attention from the powerful interests benefiting from inequality. Until we find a way to put this issue on the examination table, we are jousting at windmills.
Ironically, many people believed the statue of Sir Francis Drake — recently removed from Larkspur Landing — was Don Quixote.
If you are also wondering how to more effectively reduce inequality, please let me know. It’s urgent. I need support and guidance. Thank you.
me, Barry Phegan
Add Your Name below to my list to know when I have posted a new blog.
