Ayn Rand and the 99% vs. 1%

In 2011, the 99% of Americans grew a voice and began to take actions into their own hands: they camped out in silent protest in downtown and walked on wallstreet. They believed in the occupy movement where 99% of Americans should not have to pay the price for the 1% (minority) of Americans who are upper-class (million and billionaires).  In America alone we have over 400 billionaires that control the majority of power and income. In general, the majority is the 99% who are struggling to put food on the table, lost values of homes, and stool a 10% cut in salaries. Meanwhile, the Donald Trumps and Bill Gates of the world are still buying luxury cars, Gucci, Fendi, mansions because they only took a 4% salary cut which led to them still bringing in an average of 250 million dollars per year while the average American was only bringing in 30 thousand.

            Even though this seems like new news to us, Ayn Rand foreshadowed this outcome of inequality in the late 1950’s in her publication of Atlas Shrugged. The Equalization of Opportunity Bill was set in place in this fictional novel to portray how much big business was monopolizing the industries, leaving little to the small companies. The bill created a rule of one person can control one business so the wealth and opportunity would be spread to amongst all Americans; hence the name, Equalization of Opportunity Bill. Ayn Rand makes it clear that trying to distribute equal wealth and opportunity for all will not benefit the U.S. in any way, shape, or form because the economy will not be able to sustain itself. The money was taken away from the 1% (Rearden and Dagny) leaving little money to be put back into the economy.  The city is no longer active; it seems to be “a black and blue mark of a blow” where people are “exiled and separated by sheets of glass.” (pg. 206-211)