Commentary: The wealthiest Americans are putting Scrooge to shame northwestgeorgianews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from northwestgeorgianews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
For most Americans, 2020 has been one long, terrifying nightmare with a raging pandemic that’s claimed more than 315,000 lives, a devastating economic crisis, and a national reckoning on racial injustice. But it certainly hasn’t been equally disastrous for everyone.
If you thought the wealth gap between Ebenezer Scrooge and Bob Cratchit was vast in “A Christmas Carol,” the difference between the haves and have-nots in 2020 would be enough to make Charles Dickens’ head spin.
What would Dickens write about today’s America, where the total wealth gains of America’s 650 billionaires have surpassed $1 trillion since March? Where Jeff Bezos has seen his fortune increase by $72 billion during the pandemic, while Amazon faces intense criticism for failing to keep its workers safe even as thousands of them fall ill? Where billionaires have reportedly given less than a tenth of 1% of their wealth to COVID-19 pandemic relief?