Serving the Rich Has Become the American Way

The extreme concentration of wealth at the top has corrupted our entire political system, and with it civil society. Politicians have become dependent on the new economic elite for contributions; universities for funding; ordinary citizens for jobs and careers. The result is policies which maximize economic inequality, even under Democratic presidents and which drive down wages and make work insecure. The result-"trickle down economics" seems like the only realistic option for institutions and individuals. You either serve the rich or you are condemned to a life of hardship and insecurity. President Obama's appointment of the head of the Walton Foundation as head of the Office of Management and Budget is the icing on the trickle down cake. With one hand, he supports raising the minimum wage; on the other hand, you give major responsibility to the representative of a corporation whose CEO makes $16,000 an hour and whose entry level workers make $6.50 and hour. Don't expect the current pattern of wealth distribution to change in President Obama's second term unless there is a popular revolt that dwarfs Occupy Wall Street and reaches deep into the nation's working class, middle class and communities of color