- The most shocking statistic to me was that those earning above $350,000 a year were considered a part of the top 1% and yet a very small portion of the 1% was earning up to billions of dollars a year. This stood out to me because it really highlighted just how concentrated wealth is in the country. While $350,000 is a very high income, it is nowhere near billions of dollars. Even among the 1% there is a huge discrepancy. Similar to how Parenti describes the extreme wealth and luxurious lifestyle enjoyed by CEOs but noting that even those CEOs’ salaries were 3-4% of the earnings of the company’s stockholders. It really emphasizes how unimaginably wealthy and powerful these people are.
- It seems like so many aspects of our lives are being influenced by ultrawealthy people who most Americans don’t even know of. The example Parenti gives of the food industry is a good example. Food industry titans have their hand in the FDA so that Americans won’t even know about the harm they are being caused. I think this speaks to the general distrust that people have toward the government and “big” industry. I think the inability to clearly see who is at the cause of our dismal quality of life and propaganda breeds tension between people, blaming each other for our issues.
One thought on “5.3 – Isis Castillo Garcia”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Hi Isis, I think you made a strong point about how even within the top 1% there are big gaps, with some making just above $350k while others make billions. That really shows how concentrated wealth is. I also agree with your example about the food industry—how powerful companies influence policies while most people don’t even realize it. It connects well to the distrust many have toward government and big corporations.