MERIDIAN — The growing support for socialistic programs within the Democratic Party has many traditionalists worried. They should be.
Data shows wealth accumulating ever more rapidly among the top 1 percent and growing ever more slowly among the bottom 90 percent.
A story in Barron’s last year said that the three richest Americans (at the time) — Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffett — together had more wealth than the 160 million poorest Americans, or half the U.S. population.
The story went on to cite Torsten Slok, the chief international economist at Deutsche Bank, who said that unchecked, rising income and wealth inequality “could cause social and political unrest.”
Indeed, history shows time and again that when the rich and powerful become too rich and powerful, the people revolt. In America, revolts usually occur at the ballot box.
Policies enacted by the Trump administration are accelerating income and wealth disparities. As tax cuts make the rich richer, cuts in social programs make the poor poorer.
Perhaps as soon as this November, the risks of political upheaval may be realized. Ironic isn’t it. The uncaring, bombastic anti-social agenda pushed by Trump and his Republican congressional allies may be the very thing that tips the balance and puts Democrats back in power.
• Bill Crawford is a Republican former state lawmaker from Meridian.
