The Top One Percent

The wealthiest one percent of Americans often are portrayed in the news in different ways. The American people have an interesting view of these top people as well. From the minimum wage debate weighing heavily in some states, to the recent housing market crash, to continued ponzi schemes and investor fraud cases, the average American blames the top one percent's greed for nearly all of these problems.

Yet many have a completely skewed viewpoint of who the top one percent are. According to a recent poll, most Americans feel wealth distribution in the U.S. is relatively well distributed in comparison to the reality.

 

We often perceive the top one percent as greedy, selfish, Trump-like characters that inherited their wealth and essentially do nothing while the money continues to fall into their laps. But the news reveals that many of the top one percent went through difficult times to get where they are at.

 

They also reveal that the vast majority of the top one percent make their earnings on their own, not by an inheritance.

 

We Single Story the rich into simple greed and only discuss how they take our money from us. Yet many don't know what it takes to be in the top one percent of the wealthiest Americans. CNN reports that if you make $400,000 a year, that puts in the top one percent. We also overlook the benefits of having such wealth in the U.S. such as the amount they pay in taxes. 

Although the top one percent own a highly uneven distribution of the wealth in the country, all economic problems cannot be placed on them. They often donate large sums to charities and redistribute the wealth themselves. The media does attempt to inform the public at large, however many still point their problems to the rich, "who greedily take from them and cause the economy to crash as they step on the heads of the rest of us."