LETTER: Wealth and United States
In response to Victor Joecks Sunday commentary, “What the world’s richest country can’t afford,” I must ask: When wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few, built on the labor of many, can we truly call ourselves the richest nation?
Imagine a city where one person holds billions and everyone else has a single dollar. Would we still call that city wealthy? That’s not prosperity. It’s imbalance. When profits are hoarded and the workers who generate those profits are left behind, it’s not just unfair, it’s exploitation dressed up as success.
Mr. Joecks misdefines what it means to be a rich nation. National wealth isn’t measured by the gold stacked in a few vaults or the size of our military budget. It’s measured by the quality of life for everyday people. And by that measure, we’re falling short.
A country in which millions struggle to feed their families, access affordable health care, educate their children and keep a roof over their heads is not a rich country. It’s a country in denial.
Yes, America has money. But it’s locked away in the hands of a privileged few. Until we ensure that every citizen has access to life’s essentials, especially those whose labor fuels our economy, we cannot claim greatness. We cannot claim wealth.
We are not the richest nation on Earth. Not by a long shot.
