Which statistic on wealth inequality in the US (discussed on p. 29) made the biggest impression on you? Explain why?

The surplus value notion as a whole was the statistic that had the biggest impression on me. It is astounding that people, or capitalists, essentially slave their labor until they are exhausted in order to keep practically all of the profit for themselves. According to the article, capitalists can even raise surplus value by cutting the amount of time that work takes. Due to the creation of “relative surplus value,” the owner is able to earn even more money, leaving the workers with the small change and the struggle to make ends meet while the owners invest the money in bonds and investments.But the most malicious part is that the capitalists know what they are doing. They are aware that a rise in labor productivity without a corresponding rise in pay leads to a strengthening of the exploitation of workers. And they are also aware that without surplus value in general, they will lose and have nothing.

What could be some of the implications of living in a society that has such huge wealth inequalities? Do you see this dynamic getting played out in everyday life in our society? How so? Example?

Living in a society with such stark wealth disparities has some consequences, including the fact that the poor will only stay and continue to remain poor. Homelessness will increase, illnesses will spread, it will be difficult for people to get food, and people will forever continue to struggle. I believe it is obvious that the income disparity has a significant impact on how social issues are addressed in America. The growing prevalence of homelessness as a result of the wealth divide is a practical illustration of this phenomenon. Instead of using their wealth to address the issue of homelessness, many wealthy people choose to pretend that the destitute and homeless don’t exist. In our society, there are many people who must make some compromises in order to pay for necessities like bills so that they may keep leading stable lives.