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Income inequality in America has been growing rapidly, and is expected to increase [PDF]. While the widening wealth gap is a hot topic in the media and on the campaign trail, there's quite a disconnect between the perceptions of economists and those of the general public.
For instance, surveys show people tend to underestimate the income disparity between the top and bottom 20% of Americans, and overestimate the opportunity for poor individuals to climb the social ladder. Additionally, a majority of adults believe that corporations conduct business fairly despite evidence to the contrary and that the government should not act to reduce income inequality.
Even though inequality is increasing, Americans seem to believe that our social and economic systems work exactly as they should. This perspective has intrigued social scientists for decades. My colleague Andrei Cimpian and I have demonstrated in our recent research that these beliefs that our society is fair and just may take root in the first years of life, stemming from our fundamental desire to explain the world around us.
http://theconversation.com/lifes-not-fair-so-why-do-we-assume-it-is-45981
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday September 10 2015, @10:13PM
Oh the system screws white people over because of their race as well. Look at any company that approaches the same racial diversity as society and you'll find it chock full of racism. Ask anyone in HR what the main stumbling block to having a diverse workforce is and they'll tell you Lack Of Qualified Applicants. So if they're approaching society's diversity that means they've been hiring less qualified candidates because of their skin color.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday September 11 2015, @01:40AM
Yes that is true and that is what I was alluding to when I said that there are many layers of injustice and suffering for all involved. But that is an entirely different thing than saying that racism doesn't exist anymore. It certainly does. And the consequences for non-white people in a white-dominant society like, say, America, are much more severe than they are for white people. As a white guy I never fear I'm going to be summarily executed by cops for the crime of walking out my front door. That is not the case for non-white people in the US.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 11 2015, @03:52PM
Never fear? Certainly your chances are lower, but the cops have randomly executed white guys before too.