Cosequences of Wealth Disparities part 3 ... i told ya so

I have posted numerous times before about wealth disparity in this nation (and the globe too). I don't mean to blow things out of proportion but it seems that western civilization can be leading to a collapse. The youth have revolted in much of the Arab world, Greece, Spain, Paris, London, New York and many other large cities in the USA. Is this just a blip or a sign of things to come? Well, the old saying is that "its all about the economy stupid" is important here. But its not the only thing. The scariest and most realistic reason why this unrest and these protests are only going to get worse is that the youth have lost their faith in the democratic process to effect change. Good times come and go. If a democracy (or a republic) is functioning as it should, peoples angst will take them to the ballot box and they will create change through voting. But as long as the Gen Xers have been alive they have seen donkeys and elephants parade in and out of the white house and congress; and things have gotten steadily worse for them. And, there is not a "we're in this together" mentality, which could buffer the problem during genuine economic tough times, because people suffer while the wealthiest 1% of the country continue to prosper.

I have no political point to make here. There are people who subscribe to a libertarian perspective and think that if you're poor, its your fault (this position could become increasingly difficult to justify because there simply are not enough jobs to go around). And there are more liberal-minded types who believe government has a role to play in helping the poor. The problem with the first perspective is that if you create a society that leaves too many people behind, those people are not going to just go quietly. They exist. They are real. And they are going be angry. The notion of letting capitalism run wild and not caring about the poor can work, so long as the poor a) aren't really too poor and b) the masses of poor people are content with their lots. Neither of these things are the case. I have news for anyone who thinks this is just a nuisance; the only constant in world history is change, the rise and fall of nations and great empires.
This situation must be dealt with.

I told ya so. (obviously so did many others...:))