May 2011: The distribution of wealth in US society has become more unequal in the last 30 years than it has been since the Great Depression. While the top 1% has access to over 35% of the nation’s wealth, the bottom 80% has access to less than 13%.  This puts us close to Mexico and Sri Lanka in terms of inequality, rather then with other more affluent countries and has impacts on health, lifespan, and quality of life. Our situation as a society makes it a struggle for many people to live: for instance, more than 14% of the population are using food stamps to get by.  When asked to guess, most Americans think that our society is far more equal than it actually is.  As a dimension of recognizing interconnectedness and out of a sense of compassion, it is good for us to be aware of this and to feel out what a wise response is for us individually and collectively. Click any of the underlined links to learn more.