Money Doesn't Just Talk - It Screams

“Money doesn’t just talk, it screams.”  Bob Dylan

Americans are waking up to the fact that the super-wealthy have been ripping off the other 99% of us.  Now that we’ve noticed, we’re pretty angry about it. Hence, all the Occupy Wall Street factions. Before this realization we were blaming ourselves for our money problems or in denial, or waiting for things to turn around. But there’s something about all those millions of folks losing their homes and jobs that has finally got our attention.

I don’t know if America is still the land of the free and home of the brave. But we certainly are an economically unequal society. Quite. According to the CIA reported in the NY Times, *“the U.S. is more unequal a society than Tunisia or Egypt.” Ow!

Did you know that the *400 wealthiest Americans have a combined net worth greater than the bottom 150 million Americans?  That from 2002 to 2007, 65% of the economic gains went to the richest 1%?

Financial stress is affecting 75% of Americans according to the American Psychology Association. But, inequality is not just stressful, it’s bad for business. A study shows that of 65 industrial nations, the less equal countries experience slower growth.* That’s us folks. From the 40s to the 70s equality and growth were strong in America. Since the 70s a downward spiral.

I’m hopeful though. When Americans finally wake up – remember the 60s – we WAKE UP. It’s time to take the anger we’re experiencing at the banks and corporations and channel it into options for the greater food, and I don’t mean stock. Anger can fuel creativity, action and massive changes. After all, our collective scream got B of A’s attention.

(*NY Times, Oct 16, 2011, America’s Primal Scream)