The Growing Gap Between Rich and the Rest of UsAlthough race and gender have always been hot topics in this country, causing various protests and debates, lately it has A new issue has been addressed as you level up: Social Class. Many think that social class is a thing of the past, a problem felt by the British Empire, a difficulty that does not exist in a country with a rich economy like the United States, but unfortunately it does and is becoming an ever-increasing issue. worry. In her essay Growing Gulf Between Rich and the Rest of Us, Holly Sklar describes the current socioeconomic climate in the United States. Although the United States is far from the hierarchies and caste systems of other countries, Sklar argues that because we live in a downwardly mobile society, we are becoming more and more similar to the caste systems of other places. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay My tendency is to agree with Sklar who proves his point quite accurately with his opening sentence. “Since 1975, virtually all increases in family income have gone to the top 20 percent of families.” If this doesn't sound like a distinct class system, at least in a financial sense, then what is? A country that bases your success not on what you do, but on who you are, what your background is, and what your "pedigree" is, it seems like the very thing we fought against during the American Revolution is coming back to haunt us. When Americans fought for independence from Great Britain, they fought for equal opportunity for all, for freedom from injustice and the rule of a king. But this equal opportunity for all has never been just that. There was equal opportunity for everyone, as long as you were a white male who owned property. And the white men who owned property tended to be the wealthiest Anglo-Saxon Protestants, from wealthy backgrounds. They had a “pedigree” and their pedigree has continued over the last two centuries and is still used today to exclude people from less desirable backgrounds. Furthermore, Sklar points out that a rich country like ours should not have a distinct caste system. More and more people are living below the poverty line, with the middle class becoming thinner and thinner, until it becomes almost non-existent. Compare the infant mortality rate in the United States to that of Malaysia, a third world country! People in our prosperous country cannot afford basic necessities like food, clothing, or healthcare and yet more and more tax cuts are passed so that the billionaires who run this country can afford a private jet or helicopter! He continues: This is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, it seems that what Holly Sklar says in her article Growing Gulf Between Rich and the Rest of Us is very true. Year after year, the gap between rich and poor is growing exponentially, and if something isn't done to correct this trend, very few Americans will be able to provide their families with the basic needs for survival, let alone give them the opportunity to realize the “American dream”. As the middle class fades away, we are increasingly becoming a country like India or historic Britain, or other countries with caste systems, meaning that once you are part of a select group it is very difficult to travel between They. It's easy to lose everything and fall into a downward spiral, but if you're born at the bottom it's almost impossible to reach a class.!