Rich,
The rich did not prosper at the expense of the poor. As the gap between the rich, and the rest of America has grown, the number of Americans living below the level of poverty was moving to all time lows. What needs to be realized, is that this is not a zero sum game . Anyway, I think this gap has been growing slowly, since JFK.
During the 80's and 90's, the average household income in America has grown versus the much of the rest of the world. For instance, in 1987, the per capita GDP in Sweden was $19,356, in France it was $19,008, and in the United States it was $25,806. In 1998, per capita income: in Sweden was $21,218, France was $22,225, and the United States was $32,413. Further, if you look at a comparison of these countries, you will see that the rate of unemployment in most european countries has gone up in comparison to the United States. |
