Is America Divided by the Haves and Have-Nots?

One of the great things I have found about America is that it during its founding, it left the old caste system of aristocracy behind.  It was founded upon the concept that "all men are created equal."  Obviously, it has taken a bit more time to put that ideal into practice, but the notion that we are equal before the law is of paramount importance.  It determines how we interact with people in our daily lives.

After reading a recent Pew Research poll on the American people's perception of whether America is a country of "haves" and "have-nots," I began to wonder if America has wandered away from its ideals once again.

I certainly how this recession has deepened the perception of there being such socio-economic strata.  However, I also believe that American consumerism and materialism have generated a self-entitlement mentality that has stunted the average American's ability to be thankful for what they have.  How are you supposed to feel any sense of gratitude when the American hyper-individualism instills that you deserve everything that crosses your path simply because "it's you and you are the center of the universe?"

I'm not denying that there are some people that are richer than others, and that some people are loaded compared to those who have the quotidian task of making sure there is enough food on the table.  As I recently discussed, consumption is more important to take into consideration because consumption measures the purchasing parity power of the income.  Consumption-based poverty is considerably lower than income-based.  Not only that, I find it intriguing to compare this "divide" on an international level.  When considering cost of living in other countries (see this NYT article), the disparity of the richest and poorest in America is considerably smaller than countries such as China or Brazil.  The richest in India have as much consumer power as the poorest in America!

When you look at the global picture, we actually have it pretty nice here in America, even if you are "considerably poor."  So much of gratitude is a matter of perception.  Being grateful is easily clouded by issues such as envy, trying to satiate physical desires in a materialistic society, or trying to perpetuate class warfare.  Even if you don't have as much as the neighbors next door, if you can be satisfied with your own lot, you have something to be thankful for.  It's not simply a matter of "compared to a Third World country, it's nice."  It's a matter of not taking what you have for granted or as a given.  It's about the ability to appreciate what you have while simultaneously figuring what you can do to strive for more.  Rather than trying to keep up with the Joneses and being divisive in the process, let's focus on what we can do to make ourselves better individuals, as well as what we can do on the macrocosm to create a better society.