Inequality in the US is the worst it’s ever been, but it looks like people are still unaware of just how bad it really is. However, it’s understandable. The human brain has a hard time putting billions and trillions into perspective. We need comprehensive references to fully grasp such high numbers. Luckily, CBS This Morning decided to do this for us. A couple of days ago, they aired a segment that illustrated American inequality by using slices of pie. And it went viral.
The creative approach, presented by the show’s co-host Tony Dokoupil, allowed people to visualize how Americans are sharing $98 trillion of wealth they collectively possess.
Image credits: AnandWrites
Image credits: CBS This Morning
Image credits: AnandWrites
Nine pieces (90% of the pie) went to the wealthiest 20% in the country, according to a National Bureau Of Economic Research study of household wealth trends in States from 1962 to 2016. What makes it sound even worse, four of those nine slices belong to just the top 1%.
The upper-middle-class and the middle class shared one piece (about 10%), and the lower middle class got a few crumbs (.3%). The poorest people, Americans in the bottom 20%, didn't even get anything since on average, they are more than $6,000 in debt.
The sad news is that America's humongous wealth gap keeps widening. And while a steady economic expansion and historically low jobless rate masks problems in income and wealth, in reality, families live in very different financial situations.
Image credits: AnandWrites
Image credits: tonydokoupil
People were shocked to see how bad inequality has gotten after visualizing it
Image credits: robdelaney
Image credits: jimwallis
Image credits: lopezlinette
Image credits: claytonjthinks
Image credits: MidwinCharles
Image credits: WShaneSchmidt
Image credits: kikyo1506
Image credits: realmikeblair
Image credits: supermills
Image credits: socflyny