I disagree.

E. J. Dionne bemoans the growing "income inequality" in America. Perhaps there is a "growing income inequality" because more and more people are opting to sit on their tails and let Uncle Sam (that's you and me) support them through Section 8, food stamps, Medicaid, free cell phones, earned income tax credit, and dozens of other giveaway programs. You see, they don't count all that as income, so it makes things look unequal when, in reality, they have just as much if not more than the poor guy whose money they're taking. 


Dionne says that conservatives don't confront the contradiction in their theories. He says they want to restore the glory days of the 1950s family, but they don't want to acknowledge that it was the high wages of unionized workers that underwrote that lifestyle. I disagree. The average 1950s family was headed by a father and a mother. The average 21st century family is not. The average 1950s family had a strong work ethic and didn't expect handouts. The average 21st century family has no work ethic and an entitlement attitude. The average 1950s family paid its basic living expenses first, then saved its money to buy new things like televisions, dishwashers, air conditioners, and other new conveniences. The average 21st century family gets the frills first, often going into debt they can't pay; then they let someone else pay for the basics. 


No, I don't see income inequality as the problem. The problem is laziness, instant gratification, and lack of pride in a job well-done.

"The issue is economic equality, not social values, says E. J. Dionne." The Dallas Morning News; April 20, 2012; p. 17A.