Analysis Of The Great Leveler By Walter Scheidel

For years, I wondered why there was so much greed and tension among social classes. Growing up I saw this so often that I began to believe that the wealthy simply hated us for being poor. As I grew older, I realized that at the root of our societal conflicts and separation, inequality was at the core. I was fascinated by Walter Scheidel’s book titled The Great Leveler, because he speaks on how inequality progressed in societies throughout history and how the only effective method to compress the inequality gap is through destruction. In the book, Scheidel states that “the four horsemen are intended to cause destruction in our society to eventually restore social stability” (Scheidel). The four horsemen which he spoke about numerous times throughout

I couldn’t imagine myself thriving in a society that benefited from the deaths of millions of children, fathers, and mothers. I couldn’t accept this even as he described how much blood was spilled in history in order for people to survive, but as I began to accept, I realized how easily it was for one of the four horsemen to occur today. It is no surprise that the current president of the United States of America is Donald J. Trump, a republican who deceived individuals into voting for him. Those who voted for him believed he would a perfect candidate to ‘make America great again,’ little did they know that he had other plans in mind. Based on all the information that the media has released, some will argue that he is actually the complete opposite due to him being ‘the reason’ that our stock market has increased since election day. As we still have the right to freedom of speech, I like to think otherwise as I too fear the decisions he will make. Since he was sworn into office, I have only witnessed negative changes that affect the occupants of the united states along with many others. These inconsiderate decisions have led me to worry that he could possibly be the cause of one of the four horsemen that Scheidel has warned us

Some of us are overwhelmed with joy of his position in office while others question his eligibility to be in such position. In the book, Scheidel explains that the last horsemen would be a severe epidemic. This is unlikely to happen through bacterial diseases since we now have the necessary technology and resources to find a cure. However, I have concluded that Scheidel probably listed this method for us not to take it literally. His warning could have meant technology being a virus, but since the possibilities are endless I decided to think of Trump as a virus and disease. His unusual way of communicating has infected this country with racism, segregation, tension, hatred, and overall separation among a once united country. News outlets continuously show altercations between people who support Trump and those who oppose him. I continue to believe that we all have a right to say, think, and feel how ever we want, but I also believe we should consider the opinions of