1. Which statistic on wealth inequality in the US (discussed on p. 29) made the biggest impression on you? Explain why?
    1. The statistic on wealth inequality in the US that made the biggest impression on me is in the reading it states that “Today, the combined farm debt is much greater than net family-farm income.Only 2 or 3 percent of the price on a farm commodity goes to the farmer; most of the rest goes to corporate distributors.” When you look at farmers they are the life line to the foods that we consume. So in that you would thing that they would be making a larger profit and return on food that feeds a large population of people. Farmers only see a small percentage of profit and agri-business control 80% and close on 90% in profit. It was shocking to read that corporations control what is placed in foods like pesticides and herbicides and they also control food productions like gene splicing in laboratory to retail sales in supermarkets. All of these contributions are all unhealthy and it makes sense as to why these big corporations are driving independent farm owners out of business and putting them in major debt. Those who are still small business farm owners are still suffering due to contaminated soil or pollen from agribusiness lands. There is a cycle where there is no room for small business to win.
    2. 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?
      1. Some of the implications of living in a society that has huge wealth inequalities is that the poor will only continue to get/be poor. Homelessness will rise, malnutrition and diseases will rise among children, people will have a hard time gaining access to healthy foods, in many peoples retirement will be nonexistent due to defaulting on private pension payments. Older people who should be at retirement and continue to have to work because the need of basic necessity will be harder to get.
      2. I do see this dynamic playing out in everyday life in our society, I know of a few people who have had to take out loans from their pensions and 401k in order to make basic payments on their homes and cars so that they can continue to live this American dream or maintain their livelihood. In New York City homelessness is at an all time high and finding shelter and housing that is suppose to be affordable is extremely hard.

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