So of course, if you're one of the people who is making tons more money than almost anyone else, this isn't written for you.  Which is okay, because not too many people in that situation would be looking at a website like this, now would they?

The most important aspect of this inequality in the distribution of resources is very obvious:  the people who are on the lower end of the inequality spectrum continually have less and less, and are forced to try to maintain their lifestyles with fewer resources every day.  Prices continue to rise in order to satisfy the greed of those who own the businesses that sell goods and services to us, while those same businesses do not raise salaries or benefits--rather, they do their best to minimize benefits all they can.  Health insurance is a good example of this--employer contributions to health plans go down, forcing employees to pay more, so the employees now have actually experienced a decline in their actual income, while prices elsewhere also go up.  And that means, of course, a decline in spending power--we're working just as much as always, but now what we earn for that same work buys much less than it did last year.  We may even be earning more money than we earned last year, but have less spending power than we did then.

Much of the problem has to do with the way that the American economy is set up--it's definitely designed to benefit the already-wealthy, those people who already have a lot of money, and who simply want more.  They can't really spend the extra money, but they can turn around and invest it elsewhere, earning even more.  Sometimes the prices go up at your pharmacy because stockholders who own shares in that pharmacy are demanding higher profits, and the only way to do that, of course, is by raising prices.  So the stockholders are happy with higher profits, while you and I are spending $110 for goods that last year cost $100.  And that extra ten dollars are going straight into the accounts of the shareholders in the form of profits and dividends.

Of course, prices also rise due to higher costs.  You'll see this especially in the locally owned shops and restaurants who aren't buying goods in huge amounts--they have to pay current market value for the goods they get to make your dinner or to sell you a jar of jam, and they don't get significant discounts for volume purchasing like the huge chain stores get.  The market is set up to favor those who buy in bulk, not those who buy in small quantities, which is why we see so many chain restaurants in the States instead of locally owned places that tend to be much more intimate and unique.  The locally owned restaurants that tend to survive are those that make their money serving the wealthy, as they can raise their prices to offset costs much easier than can a restaurant that serves people who aren't wealthy at all, and who may have to stop eating out as soon as their spending power diminishes even a little bit.

And when fewer people can eat out, what happens to the restaurants that serve the not-so-wealthy customers?  Very often, they close.  Which leaves the people who can afford moderately-priced restaurants out in the cold, and unable to eat out.  Of course, I know that not everyone eats out, and that we as human beings don't need to eat out in order to be happy, healthy, fulfilled people.

But eating out, especially in locally-owned restaurants, is one of the ways that people share their wealth, and share their resources.  We use the money that we've earned to support someone else in our communities, which is really one of the reasons that money exists in the first place.  In theory, money is supposed to circulate for communities to be healthy.  My money helps you when I buy something from your store, when I pay you for a service you provide, when I eat in your restaurant.  It also helps the people who work for you and with you, and it helps other businesses when you buy the goods necessary to keep your business running.

Money is meant to circulate, not to be hoarded.  It's a process that's meant for everyone to participate in, not just a select few.  But in our societies, we tend to allow extremely rich people not just to accumulate wealth, but to do so at the expense of others--wealthy people take advantage of the less wealthy by paying them unfair wages, by not providing necessary benefits, by not providing them with realistic retirement programs.  The goal of the wealthy almost always seems to be to become more wealthy, and that's generally done at the expense of others.

But what does this mean to me?  I'm not one of the wealthy who are making more money by exploiting others.  But I am a member of my community, wherever it may be, and as long as other people in my community are exploited and aren't able to afford even the most basic necessities even while they're working many hours every week, then I am affected negatively by the inequalities of my society.  On the most basic level, poverty tends to breed crime, which makes my life less secure.  On a more personal level, poverty tends to rob people of pride, of hope, of desire to excel or advance.  It leads to true human suffering, and I have a hard time thinking about how wonderful the world is when I'm aware of just how many people suffer day after day under the crushing weight of poverty and want.

And I have to add to this list of issues the way that I feel when people around me are struggling just to make ends meet--in effect, struggling just to survive.  If the people with whom I share community and share space and share resources are doing poorly, then how does that effect me and my life?  Can I truly live my life fully when there are children in my neighborhood who don't have enough to eat, who don't have proper parental input in their lives because their parents are working all the time, who aren't receiving a proper education that will help them to make the most of the lives they lead?

Will people in my community be able to open restaurants and stores that will help them to fulfill their dreams, or will they be unable to do so because the large chains owned by people who already have tons of money keep them from getting the customer base they'd need to thrive?  And if there are few local businesses, the number of programs like internships will be greatly diminished, making it more difficult for young people to gain knowledge and experience that young people used to be able to get in locally owned businesses.

The ripples from inequality spread very, very far, and they run very deep.  Most people feel pretty helpless when they consider their options for fighting the system we have because it's an overwhelming prospect, trying to work against a well established system that stacks the cards against the individual, the "little person," the non-wealthy people in a system that favors the wealthy.  We can do things in our own little ways--buying at local businesses, avoiding large chains, etc.--but it's not easy and honestly, not very practical, for many communities have very few small local businesses and are served by large corporate presences.  We have to do what we can, though, to try to make a difference if we want to be agents of change and agents of support of our communities.  It's a choice we face day after day after day, isn't it?

A Cry of Pain      tom walsh

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