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It essentially boils down to what people do with power and it is the song of choice that is being sung. Americans choose to keep the wealth and power that they have partly out of ignorance. After all, it's easy to forget about the rest of the world when you have a family, a mortgage, and a healthy community in a mid-size suburb. That, I would say, explains why many Americans choose to keep the wealth and power they have to better themselves even if it is at the cost of other people. But that isn't the whole story.
Other people have all they need and are well educated and well traveled enough to know that there are problems many people face globally, not to mention within America itself. Why is it that so many starve in the world when the planet produces more than enough food for everyone? Why does disease wipe out entire villages in certain parts of the world when the cure (or prevention) of diseases exist and can be distributed? Why do certain demographics face incredible challenges just to survive when a few have the privilege of thriving without much effort?
It's not economics, it's not "society", it's not some shadow government purposefully harming people. It's the song of choice. Truly altruistic people will do what they can with what they have to help others, and expect nothing in return. That is the purest definition of selfless that can exist in humanity. But the enemy of selflessness is selfishness. While many may choose to be selfish out of ignorance, some choose to be selfish fully knowing that they are perpetuating the problems in this world. Such people may not be villains, but they sure aren't heroes.
But why do these people willingly make the choice to cause harm to others for personal gain? It's fear. Fear of losing what they have, fear that others will replace them, fear that the world will no longer need them, fear that all they've been privileged to enjoy will be taken away. Some people believe that by working together, anything is possible. Others believe that to succeed, someone must fail.
Fear is what keeps people in line, fear is what keeps the status quo, fear is what keeps the poor starving while the rich enjoy luxury.