Up Against Walmart Analysis

Could the rich control on how inequality affect the American economy? While, many Americans are facing unemployment; the rich are getting wealthier. The management of successful companies are taking avenge of the working class to apply less labor to achieve high profit for themselves. In Up Against Wal-Mart, Karen Olsson explores on how Wal-Mart are being unfair to their employees. The upper management are under paying and asking their employees to work extra hours with not paying them for those hours. Even if the employees try to unionize and fight for their rights, Wal-Mart fights back on stopping any unions forming. On the other hand, David Leonhardt in Inequality Has Been Going on Forever…but That Doesn’t Mean It’s Inevitable explores on

Loenhardt has learned from Piketty that whatever the investment that the rich are doing has a tendency to have positive returns. Piketty uses a formula (r > g) on how the amount of return to the capital can increase economy growth. However, there are things that can effect this formula; war, depression, and income or wealth are taxed on high rates are some effect that can cause unbalance economy (545). After Piketty’s points out his ideas, Leonhardt believes that the wealthy can effect inequality. Leonhardt stated, “The fact that the rich earn enough money to save money allows them to make investments that other people simply cannot afford” (545). So, only the people with money have control of the American economy. While, the lower class should make sure the wealthy gets wealthier or else our economy with become unbalance. Now with Olsson assistance, the reader understands Leonhardt’s article that it is possible to succeed in American and Sam Walton is a good example but to be successful people must short change others that come in their way. This is a negative way of seeing how success can be achieved but it is reality on how America’s society is at this moment. People can only do their best and try to gain success, just aware that the wealthy don’t like newcomers to their play

Leonhardt believes that taxes can effect on how inequality can be persuade in different directions in the American economy. He even stated, “A true attack on inequality would require that the country move the issue to the center of every political debate: how we tax wealth, how we tax the income of the middle class and poor (often stealthily through the payroll tax)” (547). In short, not only is the middle or lower class Americans are taxed; even the wealthy are taxed but it is a huge argument on how tax should be divide up. However, a high percentage of tax is on the middle and lower class payroll. The wealthy will try and manipulate laws so that they won’t be taxed as much. Viewing this argument through Olsson’s article, give the reader a hint on how Wal-Mart deals with them being taxed. They find way to manipulate their employees in working extra time without paying them for those extra hours. This way if they don’t pay their employees those extra hours they won’t be taxed for it and even gain a profit as well. In the end the lower class will loss and not have a fighting chance against powerful retail company like