The statistic that made the biggest impression on me is that the top 1% own between 40-50% of the nation’s total wealth, while the bottom 90% have little or no net assets (Parenti, p. 29). This strict inequality challenges the widely believed myth of a thriving middle class. Most families may own some stocks or bonds, but their investments are minimal—often less than $2,000—while their debts and mortgages leave them with little real wealth.

This wealth gap has serious implications for society. With so much economic power concentrated at the top, corporations and the wealthy shape policies that serve their interests, often at the expense of workers. As Parenti argues, corporations are not true producers; rather, they are “organizational devices for the exploitation of labor and accumulation of capital.” The real producers are workers—the people whose labor, intelligence, and skills actually create goods and services. Yet, these workers see little reward, while capitalists claim they are “putting their money to work,” despite the fact that money itself does not work.

We see this dynamic daily—corporations make record profits, yet wages remain stagnant, and workers struggle to afford basic necessities. For example, major companies like Amazon and Walmart generate billions while their employees rely on government assistance. Similarly, the housing market demonstrates this inequality. Investors buy up properties, driving up rent prices while working-class families struggle to afford housing.