The Widening Gap Between Rich and Poor

Ancient Greek historian Plutarch warned us all about the dangers of a huge gap between rich and poor.

He doesn’t explain the exact mechanism by which this destroys republics, but it’s easy to see how a disenfranchised population becomes apathetic about education and other civic affairs, possibly even national defense.

All that’s left are a few ultra-rich people who, they themselves, become torpid with all their wealth.   The nation soon loses its vigor, and slides into global irrelevance.

In the case of the present-day U.S., the situation is even worse, as we find ourselves in the midst of environmental collapse.  What happens when the common American is so stressed that he loses interest in the future, and the rich believe, perhaps correctly, that they can withstand all threats against them in terms of droughts, storms, loss of land mass, etc.?