Sad and Empty People

Roughly:

Mommy, why are there so many sad and empty people?

Because we live in a world full of lies, egos, and pleasures, in which money has the most value, and people deceive themselves, and all that, my daughter, poisons our own spirits.

I would only add that we’re living in a time when, financially, the winners have won and the losers have lost.  40 years ago, the United States lowered its top personal income tax bracket from 90% to 28%.  That was followed by the U.S. Supreme Court decision “Citizens United,” which gave corporations the power to spend as much as they wish to influence our elections.

As a result, the wealthiest people now have complete control over our lawmaking processes, and 60% of Americans don’t have an extra $500 to deal with an unforeseen expense.