three Americas

America consists of three societies that live next to one another with few, if any interactions. On top there are the rich and superrich, who are effectively shielded from everyone and participate little in regular society except to further their wealth and wield their power. In America the superrich are a source of great public interest and a subset of them live lives that are exposed to a level not seen in other nations. Publications such as Forbes and Fortune publish data on the wealthiest individuals that many in other countries would consider inappropriate or even obscene. Despite the visibility and voyeurism, Americas top group is effectively isolated in its ivory tower. There is a glass wall.

The most remarkable characteristic of the superrich is how their wealth has consistently increased over the past half century. The gap between the rich and the middle class is now as wide as it has ever been and it is still growing. What that means is that these individuals are increasingly out of touch with the masses. It is -as history shows- a potentially dangerous situation in the making.

The bulk of Americans are part of the second society that includes the middle class (white collar) and the worker classes (blue collar). Although politically and ideologically divided, with a vast spread in wealth between the upper middle class and the non-union worker at the bottom, this group has more in common than they are willing to admit. This is the America we refer to when we discuss every day concerns.

The key attribute for the middle is vulnerability. All these individuals are to a large extent vulnerable to disastrous events that can wreak havoc with their livelihood and status. All have the feeling they have to keep going in order to survive. They are the ones on the treadmill who have to walk ever faster to stay in the same place.

Common phenomena such as divorce, chronic illness, and even accidents can have a major impact on their well-being. Bankruptcy and financial disaster are a reality for these people. As Lou Dobbs likes to point out, the middle class is under attack. It is the American middle class that experiences the glum that Fareed Zakaria highlights in his latest book. It is this part of society that feels the country is moving in the wrong direction. It is this part of society that knows the economic uncertainty, the problems in the job market, even the threat of terrorism. It is this part of society that is kept in fear by the onslaught of the media. These are the people who are one pink slip away from ruin.

The middle is the part affected by the subprime lending crisis. These are the American consumers. The ones who are constantly being told it is their patriotic duty to buy more things. They are also the small town Americans who cling to guns and religion and xenophobia out of bitterness over lost jobs and declining opportunities. Barack Obama hit the nail on the head. The mistake he made was to say it out loud. That did not go over well and Fox "news" was waiting for him.

The third America is surprisingly large. Almost 10% of the US population, the highest number of any civilized country. These are the people who live in hunger and misery. Many of them are safely tucked away in forgotten valleys and desolate countryside. The rest is considered a blight to inner cities or resides in crime-ridden neighborhoods. Even in plain view, the poor are largely ignored and sequestered away. It is common for Americans to view poverty as a self-inflicted state, unworthy of sympathy or compassion. The poor do not participate in American society. They do not vote, so politicians ignore them. The rest just tries to get away or put them away. Here are the bodies that make up the largest prison population of any industrialized country. They "require" the most policing and social services. They are an enormous burden on society. It is a tax we all have to pay.