Where do we go from here?

We live in a time of great change in all aspects of life and often have to hit the reset button before moving on. Look how quickly Artificial Intelligence has entered our lives, demanding our attention.

Polls are a good way to measure public sentiment about what worries people today. I found these poll results partially answered that question.

“Colorado’s most serious problems, charted,” an Axios graphic, reflects the views of Colorado adults who said select issues are extreme or very serious problems. It was based on a survey of 1,202 Colorado adults from May 20 to June 24. It comes from the Colorado Health Foundation and was published on July 18.

Housing costs were the top concern of poll participants at 89%, followed by:

• Rising cost of living, 86%

• Homelessness, 79%

• Health care costs, 68%

• Drug Overdoses, 65%

• Crime, 59%

• Mental health, 59%

• Jobs and economy, 57%

• Illegal immigration, 53%

These results indicate that we may be approaching the nation’s Second Gilded Age, a term coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their satirical novel, “The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today,” published in 1873.

The book refers to the period in United States history between the 1870s and the 1890s, characterized by extreme wealth accumulation, conspicuous consumption, rising inequality, political partisanship and social turmoil (focused on populism, racism and xenophobia) as what framed daily life. Does this sound like America today?

Moreover, the paths the country took when leaving behind the Gilded Age offer valuable lessons for what we should do now and what we should fear.

The First Gilded Age revealed glitter on the surface, but underneath, America was fraught with social inequality and superficial prosperity. On the surface, the U.S. appeared to be thriving as industries and technologies emerged, cities grew and extreme wealth was created for the fortunate.

However, only a few were able to participate, causing social and economic problems nationwide.

Vast economic inequality was one of the most defining features of the First Gilded Age.

Wealth was concentrated in the hands of a few industrial magnates, such as John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie, while the majority of Americans struggled to make ends meet.

Today, people such as Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are the modern equivalents of Rockefeller and Carnegie. Their companies wield significant influence over the economy and society, often operating with minimal regulation and oversight.

Now, we see a similar pattern. The top 1% of Americans hold more wealth than the bottom 90% combined. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these disparities, with billionaires significantly increasing their wealth while millions face financial instability.

As economic disparities grow, the stability of the middle class erodes. The American Dream, once a central tenet of the nation’s identity, now appears increasingly elusive for many. The rising costs of education, healthcare and housing have put significant pressure on middle-income families, leading to increased financial strain and decreased social mobility.

People know changes are coming. We might be electing a new president on Nov. 5. But no matter the winner, it will bring about big changes in our lives.

The parallels between the two Gilded Ages are striking.

In both periods, a small elite had amassed tremendous wealth and power, often through industries that dominated the economy. In the 19th century, it was railroads, steel and oil. Today, it’s technology, finance and pharmaceuticals.

The influence of corporate money in politics has intensified, as seen through lobbying and campaign financing. This concentration of power raises questions about the efficacy of democratic institutions and the ability of the government to regulate corporate behavior in the public interest. The historical parallel is clear: Just as the First Gilded Age faced challenges regarding monopolies and regulations, today we grapple with similar issues amid calls for increased corporate responsibility.

In the end, the question is not what kind of country we are, but instead, but what kind do we want to be?

Jim Martin can be reached at Jimmartinesq@gmail.com. This column first ran in the Boulder Daily Camera.

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Originally Published: July 24, 2024 at 4:35 p.m.