In the story of Aladdin’s Lamp a young man came into possession of  an oil lamp that when rubbed a magical Genie would appear out of a cloud of smoke and grant the person three wishes. “Your wish is my command” stated the Genie to Aladdin. In the modern world Aladdin is the elite of  our society the 1 percent at the top. $8 of every $10 earned in 2017 went to that group. That’s according to a new report from Oxfam International, which estimates that the bottom 50 percent saw no increase in wealth at all. Oxfam says the trend shows the global economy is skewed in favor of the rich. Rewarding wealth instead of work.

The wealthy have always depended on those who have to work for a living for low wages because wealth would not exist without an underclass to command. People who make our clothes,assemble our phones and grow our food are being exploited to enrich corporations and the super wealthy. Women continue to make less than men for the same work. More men own land, shares, and capital assets than women. Gender, and racial inequality continues. For those lucky enough to have an opportunity to attain the goal of a modern “Aladdin.” Have some compassion for all the “Genies” at your command.