The Greek historian Herodotus popularized the idea that there’s strength in numbers, but clearly that isn’t the case. Across the planet, the wealthiest 10% have hoarded about 76% of all global wealth, leaving the poorest 50% with just 2% of all wealth.
If there was strength in numbers, the poorest 50% would never accept such inequality. They have the numbers, but seemingly no strength.
The reality is that there’s weakness in numbers. And that’s what makes it attractive. In a group of two, there’s a 50% chance you’re the weakest. In a group of 1,000, there’s just a 0.1% chance you’re the weakest.
If you’ve seen a nature documentary on the African plains, you’ve seen how antelopes herd together. They don’t herd together to use their combined strength to fight against attacking lions. They herd together in the hope of not being the weakest when the lions attack.
Not being the weakest could save your life. As with the joke about two hikers who meet a hungry bear and one pulls running shoes from his pack and starts putting them on. “You’re crazy,”says the other, “you’ll never outrun a bear.” The first replies, “I don’t need to outrun a bear, I need to outrun you!”
Of course, there can be strength in numbers, but we have to work at it to make it happen. Unions are an example, allowing workers to join together to gain better conditions and wages from their bosses. It’s human nature to take as much as possible and bosses will give their workers as little as possible, if the workers allow them.
However, just 10% of Americans are union members today, leaving the other 90% isolated and weak in the eyes of their employers.
Which may explain how, since 1989, the wealthiest 1% of Americans have seen their wealth share increase by 39.91%, while the poorest 50% have seen their share decrease by 28.57%.
Meaning the wealthiest 10% of Americans have now hoarded 68.3% of all US wealth, leaving the poorest 50% with just 2.5% between them.
So why don’t the majority use their combined strength?
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