Illusions of Progress

[SHAWGI TELL <v600a8e6@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The United States is a distinctly social CLASS-stratified society, and it
appears to be becoming more so.  Although debates about racism and
sexism have always existed, and in the last three decades have been
quite plentiful, Americans have devoted MUCH LESS attention to SOCIAL
CLASS stratification.  Yet [as is very very well known] there are
TREMENDOUS [in fact, glacier-sized] inequities in the distribution of
wealth.  In 1989, the wealthiest 4% of the population earned as much as
the BOTTOM 51%.  In 1970, the wealthiest 4% earned as much as the BOTTOM
38%, and in 1959, as much as the BOTTOM 35%.  In other words, more and
more Americans have over the past three decades been DOWNWARDLY mobile,
and the gap between the wealthiest Americans and the [overwhelming]
majority has widened.  (pp. 13-14).

        C.E. Sleeter & C.A. Grant, "Making Choices for Multicultural
                Education," 2nd. ed., 1994

Instead of full employment, the United States has full prisons. (p. 7).

The combined WEALTH [not income - huge difference] of the TOP 1% U.S.
families is about the same as the ENTIRE BOTTOM 95%.  Such inequality
befits an oligarchy, not a democracy. (p. 9).

        H. Sklar, "Jobs, Income, and Work.  Ruinous Trends, Urgent
                Alternatives," 1995


Shawgi Tell
University at Buffalo
Graduate School of Education
V600A8E6@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



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