Throughout this course, I have seen many posts comparing the circumstances of “Zone One” to the current landscape of the United States. Emphasis on comparing, there are several arguing that a dystopian zombie infestation is on par with, or even better than, the overall current condition of the country. I am not a proponent of disparaging comments and I do not want to devalue anyone’s opinion, of course everyone is entitled to their own perception of our country. However, I do believe that as a nation, the United States is better off in its current state than it would be if we were dealing with an ongoing zombie issue.
I am not arguing that the United States is perfect, or ignoring the fact that there are many issues in regards to poverty across the country. The United States, like many other countries, is far from a finished product; we are constantly attempting to implement new systems to be as fair and just as possible. I think to say that something like the Trump Administration is equal to the American Phoenix government is rather extreme.
Realistically, if the United States were to fall into an apocalypse, than yes the wealthy would have the best chance of survival. I think that contending The Trump Administration or Republicans are the only ones that would act in a matter of self-interest is rather short-sighted. Many popular Democrats are also very wealthy, Bernie Sanders is a great example. I find it hard to believe that in the event of complete nation-wide chaos he would act in a manner unlike that of the elites within the American Phoenix. Although that’s morally questionable, I do believe that is the reality.
Secondly, we need to look at the current state of our country. Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan’s Washington Post article “The Painful Truth about Teeth” was an example used to promote the idea of income inequality. I don’t disagree that the inability to receive proper dental care is a terrible situation. I personally have great insurance thanks to my father’s profession. I have no way of relating to a person that is struggling to get the help that they desire. But I think to place the blame on the concept of income inequality and the 1% isn’t necessary. The United States is currently doing very well economically. Income inequality is an argument used to basically state that “this person has more than that person.” That is allowed, and it is perfectly understandable that some people would be wealthier than others. Jeff Bezos is constantly ridiculed for reasons I can’t comprehend. He provides services that people want. People value those services higher than the value of the things he needs to live a basic life and continue his business. The result is profit. In my opinion, that isn’t immoral. I don’t think he should be mandated to give up a substantial amount of his wealth because others have less than him. You can be envious of the wealthy and empathetic to the poor, and also be just in your beliefs. You can disagree with that belief, as I am sure many people do, and I don’t think that makes them a bad person. I believe that Socialism-esque tax brackets actually limit mobility. If a business owner is on the cusp of a bracket that would decide whether or not they get taxed 15% or 50%, why would they attempt to inch forward if the result could be detrimental to their business?
I am okay with economic disparity. Personally I don’t see an issue with the rich getting richer; I’m more inclined to be worried about if the poor are getting poorer, and the fact of the matter is they are not. To say that our country parallels that of a dystopian nightmare because there is a person in office that you don’t like is pretty contrived. The gap between the poor and the rich is lessening, and that is because the poor are entering the middle class, not the other way around. Sadly there are people that can’t afford the care they see fit, but our rights that have been outlined to say that you have the freedom to seek any care that you see fit, not that the care will be granted to you. I don’t believe that this country or our government parallels that of the events surrounding “Zone One” at all, and I wouldn’t think that no matter what administration was in office. I’ll make those comparisons around the time that I need to start worrying about zombies.